TRACING FEMINIST DISCOURSES IN PAKISTANI TELEVISION DRAMAS: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF AAKHIR KAB TAK AND NANHI

Abstract

This paper explores feminist discourses of two Pakistani TV dramas (Aakhir Kab Tak and Nanhi) through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). Television dramas are effective cultural texts, which influence the social roles, morality, and gender as perceived by the people. Although this type of drama often predicts the sufferings, resilience, and social conflicts of women, the processes according to which the feminist meanings are formulated are still understudied. This paper will look at the discursive articulation of feminist themes, how patriarchal gender ideologies are stabilized, challenged or negotiated, and that dialogue, characterization, and narrative framing are part of the ideological meaning-making. The results suggest that the two dramas bargain the tension between empowerment and patriarchal restrictions as the gender representation in the Pakistani media is complex. This paper has added to feminist media studies and discourse analysis through the revelation of the interaction between language, ideology, and representation in television drama.