ABSTRACT
This paper attempts to critically analyze the feminist constructions of traditional discourses and practices about spousal sexual relationships as discussed and debated in online Urdu weblogs in Pakistan. Using critical discourse analysis framework, the paper conducts a detailed textual analysis of an article published
in online Urdu weblog “humsub.com.pk”. CDA is used here to present an exposition of underlying ideologies, discourse strategies and textual tactics used by feminist authors to subvert traditional discourses of sexuality, power relations and sexual ethics. These ideological and power aspects of written texts are studied through various methodologies however the present paper has used Fairclough’s (2003) three-dimensional model of discourse analysis. This paper is part of an ongoing doctoral research study in which three online Urdu Weblogs are selected as data sources for the period of two years (March 2019 to March 2021). For the purpose of the paper only a selected article is analyzed within the context of a larger data set. The selected media text is was published in Urdu language in June 2021 on humsub.com.pk. This paper aims at describing how liberal secular feminist discourses of sexuality and sexual freedom criticize traditional discourses and practices but these critical feminist discourses fail to engage in rational debates and mainly remain emblems of denial and refusal.
