Transgender Rights Law in Pakistan: Mental Health Perspective
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018 is an exclusive statutory law dealing with the rights of transgender persons in Pakistan, the greatest strength of which is the right given to transgender persons to be recognized based on their self-perceived gender identity. However, in its recent judgement, the Federal Shariat Court struck down some of the key sections of this act by declaring them unIslamic. Gender is a social construct and is different from the biological sex. Gender identity, which is the innermost feeling of a person, cannot be changed. Moreover, transgender identity is not a mental disorder and is different from gender dysphoria. This paper discusses the transgender law in Pakistan in detail and the insights from the field of mental health to understand the transgender phenomenon and to handle transgenders' rights in Pakistan by bridging the gaps between the understandings of relevant stakeholders.
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Dysphoria, Identity, Transgender, Mental
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(1) Ali Ajmal
LLM, University Law College, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) Faiza Rasool
Research Scholar, Institute of Applied Psychology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Cultural Assimilation Leading to Third Space Identity: A Postcolonial Analysis of The Reluctant Fundamentalist
The present paper analyzes the novel ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ (2007) from the postcolonial perspective in terms of Cultural Assimilation and Third Space Identity. Postcolonial theory features cultural hybridity and conflictive and conflated identities with a specific focus on theorists like Frantz Fanon’s ‘The Wretched of the Earth’ (1961), Edward Said’s, ‘Orientalism’ (1978) and Homi K. Bhabha’s 8‘Location of Culture’(1994). In the postcolonial context, cultural assimilation refers to cultural domination where the dominant culture seeks to erase indigenous culture and identity, whereas the Third Space Identity is the in-between space where cultural identities are hybridized. In ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ Pakistani expatriate, Changes is filled to the brim with the issue of an identity crisis. After 9/11 he questions his American Dream when he experiences the prejudice of Americans against Muslims. The paper will explore the theme of identity consciousness and crisis that leads to hybridization in the selected text by applying postcolonial theory. The focus of the study will be on Cultural assimilation and Third Space identity and will examine ‘The Reluctant Fundamentalist’ the in pre and post-9/11 literary and socio-political milieu.
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Cultural Assimilation, Third Space Identity, Postcolonial, 9/11
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(1) Muhammad Iqbal
M.Phil. Scholar, Department of English, Northern University, Nowshera, KP, Pakistan.
(2) Umair Ahmed Khan
Lecturer, Department of English, College of Tourism & Hotel Management, Islamabad, Pakistan.
(3) Shozab Ali Raza Abbasi
Lecturer, Department of English, The University of Layyah, Layyah, Punjab, Pakistan.
Navigating Identity Negotiation and Cultural Adaptation in 'American Fever': A Critical Discourse Study
The current study aims to analyze the discursive construction and representation of the processes of cultural adaptation and identity negotiation among Pakistani students in America in Dur e Aziz Amna's novel American Fever (2022). The study utilizes Homi K. Bhabha’s concepts of hybridity and mimicry (1994) to unveil students' strategies during their stay in America. Fairclough’s three-dimensional model (1992) was also employed to examine linguistic choices underpinning power and resisting strategies used by the protagonist to establish her position in society. The findings indicate that Pakistani students adapt to American norms, contrasting their native culture. Power dynamics play a significant role in identity negotiation, as Islamophobia and the Pakistani identity of the students affect their power position in American society. The author has used evocative language, metaphors, intertextual references, and code-switching to render the complexities of cultural adaptation and manifest her resistance to prevailing ideologies, including Islamophobia and gender norms.
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Cultural Adaptation, Power Dynamics, Diaspora, Identity Negotiation
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(1) Abdullah Yousaf
MPhil Scholar, Department of Humanities, COMSATS University, Islamabad, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
(2) Umara Shaheen
Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities, COMSATS University, Islamabad, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
English Linguistics in the Nexus of Economic Growth and Cultural Evolution
This article investigates the profound role of English linguistics in shaping economic growth as well as cultural evolution in a world that is highly globalized. With the language ascending toward its status as a global lingua franca, it has greatly influenced international trade, labor mobility, and digital communication, thereby enhancing international economic integration. The economic benefits of knowing English include more competitive information technology and business process outsourcing industries in countries with higher proficiency levels, such as India and the Philippines. Also, there is the cultural dimension of advancing globalization that questions the internationalization of English, linguistic imperialism, and cultural homogenization. On the other hand, while several scholars have contended that the spread of English erodes linguistic diversity, others point out that English is also adaptive: local cultures combine English with native languages to create hybrid forms, including the renowned "Hinglish" and "Singlish."
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English Linguistics, Migration, Economic Growth, Cultural Evolution, Globalization, Linguistic Imperialism, Identity Formation, Human Capital Development, International Relations
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(1) Sadaf -
MPhil Scholar, Department of English, Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, KP, Pakistan.
(2) Muhammad Zeeshan Naseer
Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Government MAO Graduate College, Lahore, Pakistan.
(3) Ahmad Sheraz
M.Phil Scholar, School of International Relations, Minhaj University Lahore, Punjab Pakistan.