ARTICLE

PROVERBIAL RHETORIC IN SUSTENANCE OF GENDER STEREOTYPES AN ETHNOLOGICAL ACCOUNT OF PROVERBS FROM PAKISTANI LANGUAGES

  1. HOME
  2. ARTICLE

01 Pages : 1-9

http://dx.doi.org/10.31703/glr.2020(V-II).01      10.31703/glr.2020(V-II).01      Published : Jun 2020

Proverbial Rhetoric in Sustenance of Gender Stereotypes: An Ethnological Account of Proverbs from Pakistani Languages

Abstract

    Language is the most effective tool of communication across cultures. Proverbs are one such component of stylistic poetic and rhetoric devices which serves to communicate the worldview of an ethnic group. The paper is an analysis of ways in which gender differences are perceived, symbolized, portrayed, expressed and promoted rhetorically through the use of proverbs amongst various ethnic groups in Pakistan such as Pashto, Saraiki, Urdu and Sindhi consistent with the Whorfian hypothesis of linguistic determinism and relativism. The study employs qualitative data using the descriptive methodology. Discourse analysis of the secondary data and participant observations cast as primary methodological approaches has been gauged to decipher the meanings and intent of the proverbs. The study findings suggest that meanings of proverbs and messages are context-bound and reflect power dynamics rooted in conventional gender roles which serve to construct and deconstruct the notion of 'womanhood' in the ethnicities mentioned above.

    Cross-Cultural, Gender, Linguistic Determinism, Proverbs, Proverbial Rhetoric, Rhetoric, Woman Hood

    (1) Shazia Akbar Ghilzai
    Lecturer, Department of Linguistics, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
    (2) Aneela Sultana
    Assistant Professor, Department of Anthropology, Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
    (3) Mahwish Zeeshan
    Lecturer, Department of Anthropology, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan.
Fulltext PDF

References

  • Altheide, D. L., & Christopher, S. J. (2013). Process of Qualitative Document Analysis. In D. Altheide, & C. Schneider, Qualitative Media Analysis London: Sage Publications (8-74).
  • Altheide, D. L., & Schneider, C. J. (2012). Qualitative media analysis. Sage Publications
  • Al-Timen, F. A. A. (2015). An analysis of translation methods for English proverbs: literal, literary or substitution. European Academic Research 2 (11), 14016-14026.
  • Badshah, I. (2017). Cousin marriage, Agnatic Rivalry and Modernity among Pakhtuns. Doctoral Dissertation .
  • Badshah, I., & Khan, S. (2015). Understanding Pakhtun Society through Proverbs. Journal of Asian Civilizations, 38 (9), 159.
  • Basow, S. A. (1992). Gender: Stereotypes and roles (3rd ed.). Thomson Brooks/Cole Publishing Co
  • Baxtar, J. (2003). Positioning Gender in Discourse: A Feminist Methodology. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
  • Cameroon, D. (2005). Language, gender, and sexuality: Current issues and new directions. Applied Linguistics, 26 (4), 482-502.
  • Collins Dictionary. (2020). Proverb. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from www.collinsdictionary.com: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/proverb.
  • Cornwall, A., & Lindisfarne, N. (1995). Feminist anthropologies and questions of masculinity. In A. Ahmed, & C. Shore (Eds.), The Future of Anthropology: Its Relevance to the Contemporary World (pp. 134- 157). New Jersey: Athlone, London & Atlantic Highlands
  • Dickson, A. A., & Mbosowo, M. D. (2014). African Proverbs about Women: Semantic Import and Impact in African Societies. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5 (4), 632-641.
  • Doctor, R. (1985). Sindhi folklore: An introductory survey. Folklore, 96 (2), 223-233.
  • Eka, D. (2008). Issues in Nigerian English Usage. Uyo: Scholars Press.
  • Enevoldsen, J. (2004). Sound the bells, O moon, a rise and Shine: a collection of Pasto proverbs and Tappas. Peshawar: Interlit Foundation .
  • Ethel, M. A. (1964). Rhetoric,
  • Gibbs Jr, R. W., Colston, H. L., & Johnson, M. D. (1996). Proverbs and the metaphorical mind. Metaphor and Symbol, 11(3), 207-216.
  • Goddard, W., & Melville, S. (2004). Research methodology: An introduction. Juta and Company Ltd.
  • Holmes, J. (1995). Women, Men and Politeness. London: Longman.
  • Hussein, J. W. (2004). A cultural representation of women in the Oromo society. African Study Monographs, 25 (3), 103-147.
  • Hussein, J. W. (2005). The social and ethno-cultural construction of masculinity and femininity in African proverbs. African Study Monographs, 26 (2), 59-87.
  • Jackson, C. (1993). Environmentalism and gender interests in the Third World. Development and Changes, 24, 649-677.
  • James, B., & Saville-Smith, K. (1989). Gender, Culture and Power. Auckland: Oxford University Press.
  • Khan, L. A., Mustafa, R., & Ali, G. (2017). Punjabi Proverbs and Gender: Construction of Multiple Identities. Journal of Critical Inquiry, 15 (1), 67-90.
  • Kiyimba, A. (2001). Gender stereotypes in the folktales and proverbs of the Baganda (Doctoral dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam).
  • Lazar, M. M. (2005). Politicizing gender in discourse: Feminist critical discourse analysis as political perspective and praxis. In M. M. Lazar, Feminist critical discourse analysis: Gender, Power and ideology in discourse (pp. 1-28). Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Liebkind, K. (1999). Social psychology. In J. A. Fishman (Ed.), Hnadbook of Lnguage and Ethnic Identity. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Matua, G. A., & Van Der Wal, D. M. (2015). Differentiating between descriptive and interpretive phenomenological research approaches. 22 (6).
  • Mieder, W. (1985). Popular views of the proverb. Proverbium, 2, 109-143.
  • Mieder, W. (1993). Proverbs are never out of season: Popular Wisdom in the Modern Age. Oxford. Oxford University Press.
  • Mills, S. (2008). Language and Sexism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Mughal, S., & Gillani, M. Saokhy Pandh. Multan: Jhoke Publishers
  • Neuendorf, K. A., & Kumar, A. (2016). Content Analysis. In G. Mazzoleni (Ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Political Communication (pp. 1-10). John Wiley and Sons.
  • Oxford Learners Dictionaries. (2020). Proverb. Retrieved June 25, 2020, from www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/engli sh/proverb?q=proverb
  • Philips, S. (2013). Method in Anthropological Discourse Analysis: The Comparison of Units of Interaction. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 23(1), 82-95. doi:10.1111/jola.12011
  • Rasul, S. (2015). Gender and Power Relationships in the Language of Proverbs: Image of a Woman. FWU Journal of Social Sciences, 9 (2), 53-65.
  • Rezaei, A. (2012). Rhetorical Function of Proverbs Based on Literary Genre. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 47, 1103-1108.
  • Sahito, A. W. (2011, Decemeber 02). SOME SINDHI SAYINGS. Retrieved June 26, 2020, from www.sindhiproverbs.blogspot.com:http://sindhiproverbs.blogspot.com/2011/12/some-sindhi sayings.html
  • Sanauddin, N. (2015). Proverbs and patriarchy: Analysis of linguistic sexism and gender relations among the Pashtuns of Pakistan. Doctoral Dissertation . College of Social Science, University of Glasgow
  • Schipper, M. (2004). An Empty Calabash? Women's Beauty in African Proverbs North and South of the Sahara. Africa Quarterly, 44 (3), 40-56.
  • Shanthi, A., Wah, L. K., & Lajium, D. (2015). Discourse Analysis as a Qualitative Approach to Study Information Sharing Practice in Malaysian Board Forums. International Journal on E-Learning Practices , 2, 159-169.
  • Siddiqui, S. (2014). Siddiqui, S. (2014). Language, gender and power: The politics of representation and hegemony in South Asia. Karachi: Oxford University Press
  • Storm, H. (1992). Women in Japanese proverbs. Asian Folklore Studies , 167-182.
  • Sunderland, J. (2004). Gendered Discourses. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Ta'ir, M. N. (2006). Rohi Mataluna =Pashto Proverbs. Peshawar: Pushto Academy, University of Peshawar.
  • Ta'ir, M. N., & Edwards, T. C. (1982). Rohi Matloona (Pashto Proverbs). Peshawar: Pushto Academcy; Universitty of Peshawar.
  • Tina. (2011, March 26). English Proverb and Rhetoric. Retrieved June 27, 2020, from www.ccjk.com: https://www.ccjk.com/english-proverb-and-rhetoric/
  • Webster, S. (2000). Arabic proverbs and related forms. De Proverbio: An Electronic Journal of International Proverb Studies, 6 (2).

Cite this article

APA

    APA : Ghilzai, S. A., Sultana, A., & Zeeshan, M. (2020). Proverbial Rhetoric in Sustenance of Gender Stereotypes: An Ethnological Account of Proverbs from Pakistani Languages. Global Language Review, V(II), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.31703/glr.2020(V-II).01

CHICAGO

    CHICAGO : Ghilzai, Shazia Akbar, Aneela Sultana, and Mahwish Zeeshan. 2020. "Proverbial Rhetoric in Sustenance of Gender Stereotypes: An Ethnological Account of Proverbs from Pakistani Languages." Global Language Review, V (II): 1-9 doi: 10.31703/glr.2020(V-II).01

HARVARD

    HARVARD : GHILZAI, S. A., SULTANA, A. & ZEESHAN, M. 2020. Proverbial Rhetoric in Sustenance of Gender Stereotypes: An Ethnological Account of Proverbs from Pakistani Languages. Global Language Review, V, 1-9.

MHRA

    MHRA : Ghilzai, Shazia Akbar, Aneela Sultana, and Mahwish Zeeshan. 2020. "Proverbial Rhetoric in Sustenance of Gender Stereotypes: An Ethnological Account of Proverbs from Pakistani Languages." Global Language Review, V: 1-9

MLA

    MLA : Ghilzai, Shazia Akbar, Aneela Sultana, and Mahwish Zeeshan. "Proverbial Rhetoric in Sustenance of Gender Stereotypes: An Ethnological Account of Proverbs from Pakistani Languages." Global Language Review, V.II (2020): 1-9 Print.

OXFORD

    OXFORD : Ghilzai, Shazia Akbar, Sultana, Aneela, and Zeeshan, Mahwish (2020), "Proverbial Rhetoric in Sustenance of Gender Stereotypes: An Ethnological Account of Proverbs from Pakistani Languages", Global Language Review, V (II), 1-9

TURABIAN

    TURABIAN : Ghilzai, Shazia Akbar, Aneela Sultana, and Mahwish Zeeshan. "Proverbial Rhetoric in Sustenance of Gender Stereotypes: An Ethnological Account of Proverbs from Pakistani Languages." Global Language Review V, no. II (2020): 1-9. https://doi.org/10.31703/glr.2020(V-II).01