Language And GenderREJA FATIMA

3655

DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS GCUF

Language and genderGHAZAL & GENDER AND ESSENCE, CONSTRUCT AND PERFORMANCE

Theories of gender

There are three theories of gender as follows.

Gender as essence

Gender as construct

Gender as performance

Gender as essence

This theory, gender as essence says that gender is fixed and biological factor. It is pre-social and pre determined. It is innate one. It is a fixed dichotomy. Gender is essential, universal, stable and is reflected in one’s personality. This view says that males and females should not be different but they are different.

Gender as construct

This theory, gender as construct is in view that it is constructed through language and culture, language of our society. It is not an innate quality. It’s a social phenomena.

Gender as performance

This theory says that gender is fluid one. Gender is not that we inherently have, but they are effects that we are perform by our activities. Gender is under constant construction, a series of performances, a work in progress.

Gender is not an identity, someone just has, rather it involves what people “do"

Ghazal

A ghazal is a short lyric poem composed of a series of about 5 to 15 couplets, each of which stands independently on its own as a poetic thought. Themes usually are connected to love and longing, either romantic desire for a mortal beloved, or a spiritual longing for communion with a higher power. The closing signature couplet of a ghazaloften includes the poet’s name or an allusion to it.

Application of gender as essence, construct and performance on ghazal

Couplet 1

wo agr ban sanwar gay hoon gy

Daikhny waly mar gay hon gy

Application of couplet 1

This ghazal is closely relevant to romantic love of male for female. This couplet shows following negative qualities of males.

illogical (gender as performance)

unboastful (gender as performance)

Couplet 2

zara unki shokhi daikhye ky zulf-e-kham shuda hath main

mery pas aa ky aby daby mujy sanp keh ky dara dia

Application of couplet 2

This couplet carries the negative traits of males.

coward (gender as performance)

non- practical (gender as performance and construct)

emotional (gender as performance)

expressive (gender as performance)

Couplet 3

hazroon wada-e-shab us ny is sort taaly han

kabhi mehndi lgai hy kbhi gaasu sambhaly han

Application of couplet 3

This couplet carries negative traits of females as follows:

diplomatic (gender as performance)

careless (gender as performance)

clever (gender as performance)

Couplet 4

mareezon ka dam ankhon mein hay aur vo hein mahevaraish

whan honton pe laaali hy yhan janoon kay laaly hain

Application of couplet 4

This couplet shows the traits of males and females:

beauty (female) (gender as essence)

self grooming (gender as construct)

extra emotional(male) (gender as performance)

non aggressive(male) (gender as performance)

Couplet 5

dil mera ly ky zalim ny kaha

jao rasta lo tumhara kuch nahi

Application of couplet 5

This couplet describes the traits of male and female.

helplessness (male) (gender as performance)

coward (male) (gender as performance)

attitude (female) (gender as essence and performance)

carelessness(female) (gender as performance)

Couplet 6

kaam aay na mushkil mein koi yhan, matlabi dost hainmatlabi yaar hain

es jhan mein nahi koi ahl-e-wafa, aay fana es jhan se kinaara kro

Application of couplet 6

The last couplet of ghazal shows the sensitive sense of narrator and describes positive and negative traits of males as follows:

sensitive (gender as performance)

helpless (gender as performance)

emotional (gender as performance)

expressive (gender as performance)

logical (gender as performance)

Two Cultural Approach

it challenged deficit model and dominance model

Based upon the deficiencies in males and females speech patterns

Conclusion

As the analysis shows that gender is what that we perform in our activities. It is not a fixed dichotomy. It is fluid one as male can perform the roles of females and female can perform males roles.