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| author |
Aisha Arain
| | title |
The Politics of Linguistic Power Structures in South-Asia: An Analysis of Language Identity and Nationalism in Pakistan
| | abstract |
Noam Chomsky famously asserted that, "Questions of language are basically questions of power". The modern phenomena of nation-states in the post-colonial era has only strengthened the power dynamics of language ideology as a fundamental part in molding and creating a nationalistic identity. Through this paper, I aim to further explore the perplexing issue of language and nationalism in South-Asia by bringing Pakistan to the center of the conversation. The prioritization of Urdu in Pakistan highlights the complicated and powerful links between language and religion, and demonstrates the role these two factors played in necessitating Urdu in becoming a spiritual muse for the young country. However, while Urdu comfortably rests on its privileged status as a natural component of the state, the average Pakistani has a complex relationship with the language. For many Pakistanis, Urdu holds little to no presence in their lives and the language's presence can be seen as the state enforcing an synthetic, involuntary self, forcing Pakistanis to question whether they truly have a place within this Muslim state. By viewing the complex issue of the creation of Pakistan as a nation-state, and consequently an identity for its citizens, we can come to understand how the role of language, Urdu in this case, has been used as a politicized weapon in order to create an image of nationalism as an imagined truth.
| | school |
The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University
| | degree |
B.A. (2021)
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| advisor |
Allan Dawson
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| full text | AArain.pdf - requires Drew uLogin |
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