Gender-based Socio-semiotic Analysis of Honour Killing in Pakistani Paintings

Abstract

<jats:p>Episodes of ideological concern related to honour norms and construction of social meanings depicted through paintings are pertinent in foregrounding the social realities of Pakistan. This paper analyzes the grammar of paintings from the perspective of gender roles assumed in the context of honour. The grammar of the visual design of five paintings painted by male and female Pakistani painters belonging to different areas of Pakistan have been qualitatively studied in the light of the social semiotic framework suggested by Kress and Leeuwen (2006). The results show that women are represented as helpless, outcast and oppressed beings; while men have been depicted, indirectly through signs, as oppressors. Paucity of research in this area and implications of the analysis for gender studies, anthropological linguistics, violence studies and visual literacy, make it a significant contribution to the existing literature.</jats:p>

Semiotics of rape in Pakistan: What’s missing in the digital illustrations?

“…Another theme that has emerged from the ideational signs related to possessive attributes of women (Table 1) is the stereotype concerning the female appearance, connoted by not wearing dupatta (a long scarf) or chaadar (shawl), or wearing half-sleeves and its association to the possibility of rape. Not wearing dupatta may also connote helplessness, disrespect, and loss of honor in this context (Riaz & Rafi, 2019) because dupatta symbolizes chastity, respect, and protection in Pakistani context. Even within patriarchal societies, however, dupatta/ abaya (veil) may connote different things for different women because though colonial and feminist discourses construct veil as an oppressive tool, yet it represents religious conviction, liberation, agency, self-discipline, and privacy as well (Abid, 2015; Hasan, 2018; Kassam and Mustafa, 2018).…”

“…The findings of the present study are different from those of Breen et al (2017: 247) who noted that perpetrators have been represented more in the headlines and news reports as compared to victims or the impact of rape on the victims. Moreover, politics of body and masculinity can be observed because neither diverse symbolic means of asserting masculinity (Mubarki, 2018) have been adopted nor hegemonic representations of masculinity involving signs such as muscles, mustaches, guns, or powerful animals (Riaz and Rafi, 2019) have been made; however, signs such as turban, dagger, and large size of the offender as compared to that of the victim display hegemonic imbalance of power, where more power, freedom, and honor is associated to masculinity. Turban, as an ideational sign represents male honor and superiority in Pakistani context (Riaz and Rafi, 2019).…”

“…Stereotypical rapes (Burt, 1980) highlighted through discursive representations and degree of endorsement with these myths among individuals may impact labeling, help-seeking behaviors, experiences of stigma, and negative responses to disclosure experienced by the victims and societies at large. Rape myths authenticated by inauthentic representations of rape victimology and sexual roles lead to multilayered victimization of the victim who is consequently asked unwanted questions, shamed, accused of over-reacting, judged, and harassed especially in patriarchal societies where honor is invested in the female body and sexual choices, honor is linked to social judgments and expectations, women are frequently judged, and social judgments pose a major threat to the victim, thus aggravating the situation for her (Riaz, 2019; Riaz and Rafi, 2019). The role of media in perpetuating rape myths, and concealing and highlighting certain realities is, therefore, important.…”

“…Debates must extend to binaries such as state and men, women and toxic women, male victims and male perpetrators, femininity and toxic femininity, and victims and survivors, etc., because rape is not merely an issue of female victimhood. More authentic and diverse representations may also help avoid the static discursive figuration of men and women belonging to certain cultures, such as Pakistan as highlighted in the existing research (Chambers et al, 2018; Riaz, 2019; Riaz and Rafi, 2019), to the rest of the world.…”

Semiotic Representation of Gender in Google Emojis: A Liberal Feminist Perspective

“…For this reason, the social semiotic framework propounded by Kress & Leeuwen (2006) has been widely used by the researchers to analyze visual data such as paintings, cartoons, pictures, advertisements, drawings, emojis, websites, etc. (Riaz & Rafi, 2019;Pratiwy & Wulan, 2018;Sadia, 2018;Brady, 2015;Xin, 2012 ). It well suited the present purposes as emojis are one of the semiotic modes that have gained popularity in this digital age.…”