Department of English

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://repository.cuilahore.edu.pk/handle/123456789/19

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Author: search.filters.author.Dr. Rai Zahoor AhmedHas files: Yes

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    The Role of Holy Pixels in Shaping Children’s Religious Identity and Gender Roles: Analysis of Kaneez Fatima and Ghulam Rasool Animated Series
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Warda Zulfiqar; CIIT/SP24-MEL-015/LHR; Dr. Rai Zahoor Ahmed; LHR TP 10059
    This study analyzes the role of animated series in shaping children’s religious identity and gender roles through a qualitative Corpus Assisted Discourse Analysis (CADS) of YouTube series ‘Kaneez Fatima and Ghulam Rasool’ produced by Dawat-e-Islami. The study is grounded in two theories; Gee’s theory of discourse which views language as a social practice through which identities, roles, and values are enacted and Gee’s Analytical lens of identity, and Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, which emphasizes learning through observation, imitation, and modeling. The study aimed to analyze the representation of religious and gender identity by Muslim cartoon characters that serves as symbolic models for audience children to follow and imitate (SLT). Data for the study were comprised on transcripts of cartoon episodes’ that were collected from three YouTube channels—Kids Land, Madani Channel English, and Dawat-e-Islami English—using purposive sampling. The corpus was compiled in .txt files, comprised on 29,461 words, including 16,037 words from ‘Kaneez Fatima’ series and 13,424 words from ‘Ghulam Rasool’ series. By using Sketch Engine, the data were analyzed through Corpus-Assisted Discourse Analysis (CADS), followed by corpus-driven thematic interpretation. Findings of the study reveal repeated usage of Islamic vocabulary, practices and rituals, that constructs religious identity by positioning children within Islamic moral and ritual frameworks, exemplifying the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) as a role model. Similarly, through distinct lexical patterns found in both series represent gender roles: female- centered discourse emphasizes domesticity, modesty, nurturing, and beautification (e.g., “kitchen,” “pardah,” “scarf”, “softness,” “makeup”, “bangles”), while male-centered discourse highlights leadership, strength, moral responsibility, and religious authority (e.g., “sacrifice,” “prophethood,” “power,” “fight”). These findings support the view that children’s media transmits moral and religious values through revisiting core ideas in repeated cycles and socially meaningful discourse.
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    Power and Ideology: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Pakistan’s Toshakhana Act, 2024
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Mahnoor Mustafa Khan; FA23-REL-015; Dr. Rai Zahoor Ahmed; LHR TP 9743
    By employing a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) perspective, the current research critically analyzes the Toshakhana (Management and Regulation) Act, 2024, to examine how the language of this law creates and imitates relationships of power and ideologies of governance in the Pakistani governance system. Using the framework of the CDA proposed by Van Dijk (1997), the research explores the Act on three levels: macrostructure (themes and topics), mesostructure (discursive strategies), and microstructure (linguistic features) to show how authority, regulation, and transparency are equally constructed by discourse. The analysis contextualizes the Act within its socio-political and historical context not only to understand the role of the reformist governance but also the maintenance of the bureaucratic rule. In the evaluation of how discourse in law express ideological positions, the research allows an insight into how language is used as power in legal writings. The findings reveal that, although the Act advances accountability and transparency in the handling of state gifts, it also grants the state leverage over information and public office-holders via the application of direct, formal language. It also mirrors anti-corruption, controlled-transparency, and legal-deterrence ideologies, presenting compliance as a duty that is at once legal and ethical. Example to tie gift auctions to the uplift of female education shows state authority even more compelling within the framework of public welfare.
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    Gendered Language and Power: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis of Women’s Representation in NoViolet Bulawayo’s We Need New Names.
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University Islamabad, Lahore Campus, 2025) Hassan Mahmood; FA23-REL-010; Dr. Rai Zahoor Ahmed; LHR TP 9739
    While postcolonial and feminist literary studies have made significant strides, there remains a notable gap in examining how gendered language operates simultaneously as a force of oppression and a means of resistance, particularly within diasporic African narratives. This study addresses that gap by focusing on We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo, using a discourse-analytical approach that combines Michelle Lazar’s Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis (2005) with Homi Bhabha’s concept of the Third Space. By situating the analysis within these frameworks, the research investigates how language reflects and reinforces hierarchical structures of power. It looks specifically at the representation of female voices in a range of social contexts, paying close attention to how these voices are constrained or empowered through language. The methodology is qualitative and interpretive, cantering on selected dialogue and narrative moments in the text to explore how language becomes a site of struggle. The findings point to a pattern of linguistic marginalization faced by female characters. Elements such as silence, exclusion, and passive roles often mirror the deeper patriarchal systems at work. However, the analysis also uncovers moments where these same characters exert agency, for instance, by using silence strategically, or by reshaping dominant narratives through storytelling and subtext. Scenes involving Darling’s mother, the imagery of displaced women, and moments of quiet but clear verbal defiance illustrate how resistance is expressed in layered, sometimes understated ways. In doing so, the research contributes to feminist discourse analysis by highlighting the complexity of women's resistance in postcolonial literature. Rather than framing resistance as always direct or confrontational, the study shows how it often operates subtly in language choices, omissions, and narrative shifts. It argues that in Bulawayo’s novel, language is not only a means of control but also a resource through which marginalized voices are reclaimed, redefined, and made audible in contexts shaped by both colonial and patriarchal ideologies.
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    The Pragmatics of Persuasion: An Analysis of Illocutionary Speech Acts in Pakistani English Textbooks at Elementary Level
    (Library Information Services, COMSATS University, Lahore Campus, 2025) Usama Waleed; FA22-REL-004; Dr. Rai Zahoor Ahmed
    This research explores the use of illocutionary speech acts in English language textbooks used at the elementary level in Pakistani schools, with a specific focus on their persuasive and communicative functions. The study aims to identify the types and functions of illocutionary speech acts present in the dialogues of Grade VI to VIII English textbooks prescribed by the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB). The purpose is to enhance the understanding of how language is used to convey implied meanings, thereby helping both teachers and students better interpret and apply these dialogues in real-life communication. A qualitative research approach was employed, using documentary analysis to collect data from the textbooks and content analysis as the main method for analyzing the dialogues. Searle’s speech act theory was applied to categorize the types of illocutionary acts assertive, directive, commissive, expressive, and declarative while Leech’s politeness principle was used to identify their communicative functions such as convivial, collaborative, conflictive, and competitive. The analysis of 86 dialogues revealed a total of 86 illocutionary speech acts: 25 assertive, 35 directive, 8 commissive, 17 expressive, and 1 declarative. These acts served multiple functions, including 22 convivial, 45 collaborative, 10 conflictive, and 9 competitive. The findings suggest that directive and collaborative acts are most prevalent, reflecting an instructional and cooperative approach in the curriculum. However, there is limited representation of persuasive and expressive functions, indicating a potential gap in developing students’ pragmatic competence. It is recommended that future textbook development include a wider variety of speech acts to foster better communicative and persuasive skills in learners. This study contributes to the growing body of research in educational pragmatics and highlights the importance of integrating pragmatic awareness into language teaching materials.