MARITAL EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION IN PAKISTANI PATRIARCAL SOCIETY

Abstract

This study focuses on emotional manipulation on women in Pakistani marital relationships and how it affects women mental health in a patriarchal sociocultural environment. Psychological control of one partner by another is emotional manipulation, in which the controlling partner employs tactics like gaslighting, guilt-tripping, emotional withdrawal, and silent treatment to control the other. Such actions slowly breed confusion, guilt, self-doubt and emotional dependency, which harm self-esteem, emotional health and individual independence of women. At extreme ends, the victims can internalize the blame and become trauma bonded and emotionally attached to the abuser regardless of the continued abuse. This can be attributed to the psychological phenomenon of Machiavellianism, which is the manipulation of strategy and seeking power in relations. In Pakistan women are expected to be silent and emotional abuse is normalized by cultural norms, dominance of males, and family honour which tend to create unequal power dynamics.