Abstract
It is human nature that we tend to stereotype certain individuals and groups based on their ethnicity, race, religion, and even looks, among other attributes. That is the case with Pakhtuns as well. Non-Pakhtuns, within and outside Pakistan, do not have a very positive notion about them; more so about their treatment of women. In this paper, I demonstrate that there is no doubt that the Pakhtuns are restricted, in some cases, by their cultural boundaries but then everyone, irrespective of their ethnic, racial, and/or religious backgrounds have their limitations. In order to prove my stance I have first of all interviewed some native Pashto speakers to get a general understanding about and usage of Pashto tappa and contemporary poetry composed by women. Using Althusser’s framework of ideology and Ideological State Apparatus, as the theoretical foundation, I argue that Pakhtun women are culturally interpellated but they have their own ways of practicing their agency. These women may not be able to totally challenge structural and cultural norms but they definitely know how to use their quotidian agency. Finally, I conclude that agency should not be understood in the narrow sense; it can have different meanings for different people in different contexts.
Anoosh W. Khan. (2018) Pakhtun Women And The Creative Expression: A Means Of Quotidian Agency, Pakistan Journal of Gender Studies, Vol. 16, Issue 1.
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