Exploring Gender Fluidity through Code-switching in ‘Man-o-Salwa’: A Sociolinguistic Study

Ammara  Iqbal; Tazanfal  Tehseem; Muhammad  Rizwan; Hira  Komal

doi:10.47067/jlcc.v4i2.98

Authors

Ammara Iqbal Research Scholar, Department of English, University of Sargodha, Sargodha-Pakistan.
Tazanfal Tehseem Assistant Professor, Department of English, University of Sargodha, Sargodha-Pakistan.
Muhammad Rizwan Lecturer, Department of English, Buraydah Private Colleges, KSA
Hira Komal Research Scholar, Department of English, University of Sargodha, Sargodha-Pakistan.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47067/jlcc.v4i2.98

Keywords:

Code-switching, Gender in language, Sociolinguistics, Deficit Model, Gender Performativity

Abstract

The study involves socio-linguistic analysis of code-switched instances in "Man-o-Salwa” an Urdu novel by Umera Ahmed. In doing so, the study analyses the role of linguistic patterns of code-switching in shaping gender identities in the novel. This study follows a descriptive qualitative paradigm. The data comprises of 118 code-switched instances from the selected text as a sample frame and further twenty instances are selected and categorized according to their relevance to three selected headings on linguistic features borrowed from the “Deficit Model”. The researchers analyse these instances using the concept of the fluidity of gender through the ‘Gender Performativity’ (Buter, 1990). The significance of the work involves its ability to make people aware of their liberty in crafting genders through shifting linguistic practices challenging the normalized concept of gender in our society. The study also discusses the socio-economic factors of the selected instances. Results show that characters in the novel through their linguistic choices challenge the normalized concept of gender crafting their new gender identities. This study encourages future researchers to study variations in linguistic features by collecting data from real-life conversations.

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