LINGUISTIC RACISM IN PAKISTAN: AN AFTERMATH OF GLOBALIZATION

Abstract

Linguistic racism in Pakistan is the result of a centered mindset influenced by colonialism and western influence. The West has instilled dominance over the East in every element, including language. Although Pakistan’s national language is Urdu, most official announcements are made in English. English supremacy has overpowered our educational system the most where every subject is taught in English and English has recurrently been associated with elitist culture and higher level of education. This is a qualitative study that aims to illustrate the role of language in molding people’s social perceptions and stereotypes, with Urdu as a less favored language in terms of social classification, professional capacity, and general social acceptance. It highlights the social complexities associated with Urdu and English language, as well as how they disrupt social cohesion within the country. The study was completed through a critical content analysis of existing literature and the use of a purposive sampling technique. The main focus was on identification of linguistic experts and to collect their perspectives based on professional experiences. Interviews are used as primary source of data for this study to analyze the linguistic prejudice in Pakistan and how globalization has affected linguistic prejudice. Data from 15 respondents (literature professors teaching in universities of Islamabad) is collected through the semi-structured interviews. Textual and thematic analysis is used for proceeding data analysis, as five themes are developed to check the linguistic prejudice and language discrimination in Pakistan. Out of 15 respondents, majority of the respondents (R1, R2, R4, R5, R6, R7, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, and R15) have agreed with the concepts in themes. On the contrary, few respondents (R3, R8, and R14) have disagreed with the concepts in themes. The analysis of data collected from literature professors teaching in universities of Islamabad has revealed that there is an issue of language discrimination in Pakistan. Moreover, it has also been found that people studying and teaching in universities of Pakistan face language prejudice, due to the difference in their national and native language.