Gender Discrimination in Death Reportage: Reconnoitering Disparities through a Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Paid Obituaries of Pakistani English Newspapers

Sajid M Chaudhry,Anne A Christopher,Hariharan A/L N Krishnasamy

doi:10.7575/aiac.alls.v.5n.2p.29

Sajid M Chaudhry, Anne A Christopher + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.7575/aiac.alls.v.5n.2p.29

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Abstract

The study examines the issue of gender discrimination in the post death scenario of obituarial discourse. It aims to identify the way Pakistani newspaper obituaries recognize and project males and females after their deaths. A total of 601 paid obituaries published in a year’s time span in Pakistani English newspapers were evaluated for the purpose. 10 qualitative interviews were also conducted to supplement the findings and discussion. Quantification of the data suggests that males not only get more obituaries but also get added projection when compared to females. To understand the reasons behind this varied treatment, the participants’ responses were analyzed. The findings reveal that the observed differences in the death reportage of both genders do not purely fall in the line of gender discrimination. Males get situational advantage due to the factors like familial traditions, religious beliefs, cultural traditions and socio-economic environments.

Highlights

Obituary announcements are community oriented social texts authored according to certain accepted and established social and, in many cases, religious conventions
It is widely believed that religious beliefs, cultural values and societal practices of a particular society form the basis of the language employed and content written by the writers of these socio-cultural and religiously oriented announcements
Considering the newspaper obituary a socio-cultural product, which reflects the societal norms, the current study aims at exploring the way Pakistani society remembers and honors its male and female populace in the post-death scenario of obituarial discourse

Summary

Introduction

Obituary announcements are community oriented social texts authored according to certain accepted and established social and, in many cases, religious conventions. Being social and cultural products, these announcements help their readers understand social realities and measure prevailing societal norms, trends and change in these practices of the societies they belong to. Researchers consider these necrology twins (obituaries and death notices) as an undisputable data source for the purpose since these “summarize what is said about and done for people immediately after death” Considering the newspaper obituary a socio-cultural product, which reflects the societal norms, the current study aims at exploring the way Pakistani society remembers and honors its male and female populace in the post-death scenario of obituarial discourse. The current study is an effort to cover this existing lacuna by exploring the circumstantial actualities that influence content, format and appearance of these announcements

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