This document discusses theories of gender and analyzes a ghazal poem through those lenses. It outlines three main theories of gender: as essence, as a social construct, and as a performance. Each theory views gender differently - as innate vs constructed vs fluid. The document then analyzes several couplets of a ghazal poem, applying the three theories to identify traits like emotionality, carelessness, and sensitivity that are portrayed or challenged. It concludes that gender is performed and fluid rather than fixed, as males and females can perform each other's expected roles.

1. Language And Gender
REJA FATIMA
3655
DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED LINGUISTICS GCUF

2. Language and gender
GHAZAL & GENDER AND ESSENCE, CONSTRUCT AND PERFORMANCE

3. Theories of gender
There are three theories of gender as follows.
 Gender as essence
 Gender as construct
 Gender as performance

4. Gender as essence
This theory, gender as essence says that gender is
fixed and biological factor. It is pre-social and pre
determined. It is innate one. It is a fixed dichotomy. Gender
is essential, universal, stable and is reflected in one’s
personality. This view says that males and females should
not be different but they are different.

5. Gender as construct
This theory, gender as construct is in view that it is
constructed through language and culture, language of our
society. It is not an innate quality. It’s a social phenomena.

6. Gender as performance
This theory says that gender is fluid one. Gender is not
that we inherently have, but they are effects that we are
perform by our activities. Gender is under constant
construction, a series of performances, a work in progress.
Gender is not an identity, someone just has, rather it
involves what people “do"

7. Ghazal
A ghazal is a short lyric poem composed of a series of
about 5 to 15 couplets, each of which stands independently
on its own as a poetic thought. Themes usually are
connected to love and longing, either romantic desire for a
mortal beloved, or a spiritual longing for communion with a
higher power. The closing signature couplet of a ghazal
often includes the poet’s name or an allusion to it.

8. Application of gender as essence, construct and
performance on ghazal

9. Couplet 1
wo agr ban sanwar gay hoon gy
Daikhny waly mar gay hon gy

10. Application of couplet 1
This ghazal is closely relevant to romantic love of male for
female. This couplet shows following negative qualities of
males.
 illogical (gender as performance)
 unboastful (gender as performance)

11. Couplet 2
zara unki shokhi daikhye ky zulf-e-kham shuda hath main
mery pas aa ky aby daby mujy sanp keh ky dara dia

12. Application of couplet 2
This couplet carries the negative traits of males.
 coward (gender as performance)
 non- practical (gender as performance and construct)
 emotional (gender as performance)
 expressive (gender as performance)

13. Couplet 3
hazroon wada-e-shab us ny is sort taaly han
kabhi mehndi lgai hy kbhi gaasu sambhaly han

14. Application of couplet 3
This couplet carries negative traits of females as follows:
 diplomatic (gender as performance)
 careless (gender as performance)
 clever (gender as performance)

15. Couplet 4
mareezon ka dam ankhon mein hay aur vo hein mahev
araish
whan honton pe laaali hy yhan janoon kay laaly hain

16. Application of couplet 4
This couplet shows the traits of males and females:
 beauty (female) (gender as essence)
 self grooming (gender as construct)
 extra emotional(male) (gender as performance)
 non aggressive(male) (gender as performance)

17. Couplet 5
dil mera ly ky zalim ny kaha
jao rasta lo tumhara kuch nahi

18. Application of couplet 5
This couplet describes the traits of male and female.
 helplessness (male) (gender as performance)
 coward (male) (gender as performance)
 attitude (female) (gender as essence and
performance)
 carelessness(female) (gender as performance)

19. Couplet 6
kaam aay na mushkil mein koi yhan, matlabi dost hain
matlabi yaar hain
es jhan mein nahi koi ahl-e-wafa, aay fana es jhan se
kinaara kro

20. Application of couplet 6
The last couplet of ghazal shows the sensitive sense of
narrator and describes positive and negative traits of males
as follows:
 sensitive (gender as performance)
 helpless (gender as performance)
 emotional (gender as performance)
 expressive (gender as performance)
 logical (gender as performance)

21. Two Cultural Approach
 it challenged deficit model and dominance model
 Based upon the deficiencies in males and females
speech patterns

22. Conclusion
As the analysis shows that gender is what that we perform in our
activities. It is not a fixed dichotomy. It is fluid one as male can perform
the roles of females and female can perform males roles.