Papers by Aftab Nasir
Liverpool University Press eBooks, Apr 1, 2023
Pakistan is a multilingual and multi-ethnic country: all provinces have their own regional langua... more Pakistan is a multilingual and multi-ethnic country: all provinces have their own regional languages as lingua franca, while Urdu is the national language and English the official language. This means Urdu is the language of the majority of public schools and of the media; whereas English, owing to its colonial past, is the language of official transactions, the constitution, law and higher education. Such division means that individuals may have to switch from one language to another when they move from home to school, to work settings, or to official business in public or private offices. This paper explores the effects of the lived reality of multilingualism in the everyday practices of the members of Pakistani society. In particular, the existence of patterns of marginalization, identity construction, and hegemony along linguistic lines in the context of Pakistan is under investigation. Thematically, this research aims to analyse the sociological processes, psychological effects and political implications that may arise from the distribution of linguistic resources among the diverse ethnic groups that make up one nation called Pakistan. Hence, this research is an attempt to find answers to the problems related to multilingualism that are prevalent in Pakistani society. The data collected from different sites reveals how and why the discourses of differential use of languages, created and shaped by educational institutions, are affected by the overall linguistic attitudes existing in society towards different languages. This research shows that on the societal level, this differential language system excludes those who do not know English, and disempowers them structurally from getting their due share of state services, such as justice and education. According to Ethnologue, a linguistic encyclopaedia, there are 73 living languages in Pakistan, out of which Urdu and English are reported as 'principal languages' [Simon & Fenning 2017]. The population of Pakistan in 2015 was estimated to be 189 million [UNDESA 2015]. Almost half of the total population, 76 million (44%) speak Punjabi, 26 million (15%) speak Pashto, 24 million (14%) speak Sindhi, 18 million (10%) speak Saraiki, 0.6 million (4%) speak Balochi, and the rest of the languages are spoken in small communities located in various parts of Pakistan. In addition, 13 million (8%) are native speakers of Urdu, and around 0.4 million (3-4%) are fluent in English throughout Pakistan [Government of Pakistan 2017]. In total, the literacy rate for Pakistan is 60%, with 70% of men, and 49% of women being literate [MoF 2016]. According to the 2016 Global Education Monitoring report published by UNESCO, Pakistan's education lags 50 years behind world standards with 5.6 million children out of primary schools, second only to Liberia [UNESCO 2016]. Furthermore, it establishes that another staggering 5.5 million children are out of secondary schools (48% of lower secondary school age children), followed by 10.4 million adolescents out of upper secondary school. According to a 2018 UNDP Report, Pakistan ranks at 150 out of 187 countries on the Human Development Ranking [UNDP 2018]. To address these issues, the Ministry of Planning, Development, and Reform of the Government of Pakistan came up with a comprehensive plan in 2013 to decide what path should be taken for the development of Pakistan. A range of stakeholders were involved in the rigorous deliberations, including parliamentarians, representatives of political parties, federal ministries, provincial governments, business leaders, international institutions, universities, think tanks, NGOs, and independent experts. The output of this exercise was consolidated in the form of an aspirational document called Vision 2025 [GoP 2013]. This document envisages placing Pakistan among the 25 top most economies of the world by the year 2025 and among the 10 top most economies of the world by 2047, the centennial anniversary for the foundation of Pakistan. Vision 2025 delineates the conceptual framework for national development that includes sound economic planning, good governance, and consistency in policy implementation, with the aim to transform Pakistan from an agrarian economy to a knowledge economy. Education emerges as key in to achieve such a goal. However, the data cited above demonstrate the current dearth of human capital and skilled labour in Pakistan due to low literacy rates. The task of achieving the
Canadian Journal of Development Studies / Revue canadienne d'études du développement, 2021
Despite more than two decades of critical scholarly engagement, “development” is far from sheddin... more Despite more than two decades of critical scholarly engagement, “development” is far from shedding its hierarchical, patriarchal, and colonial underpinnings. In academic research and teaching, powe...
Katja (2015): Vartan bhanji-exchange practices and social (im-)mobility: Exploring the coping str... more Katja (2015): Vartan bhanji-exchange practices and social (im-)mobility: Exploring the coping strategies of low-income households of different biraderis in rural Punjab. In: Crossroads Asia Working Paper Series, No. 29.
This paper assesses whether vartan bhanji exchange practices are a boon or a burden, an enabling ... more This paper assesses whether vartan bhanji exchange practices are a boon or a burden, an enabling or
disabling factor, a pass or an impasse for social mobility of the poor households of biraderis living in
rural areas of Pakistan. Vartan bhanji is an umbrella term that comprises highly obligatory, unfailingly
regular and reciprocal social exchange practices in the forms of gifts that are performed over various
life-cycle occasions, such as marriage, death, birth, and circumcision ceremonies among biraderi
members. Biraderi groups can be conceptualized as a figuration of interdependence. The results of
the current study establish that the poor households perceive vartan bhanji more as a necessary evil;
a system that they cannot go without, but also the one that they cannot afford to live without either.
Even though this very institution restricts their movement in society in subtle ways, it also provides
them identity, support, and protection that is essentially needed for their survival and mobility within
their social networks. This paper shows that the social mobility of an individual is rather a function of
and is restricted to his/her positionality within a biraderi. The limits of one’s exchanges, via vartan
bhanji, mark the limit of one’s social (im-)mobility in society as well.
Peer-reviewed articles by Aftab Nasir
Canadian Journal of Development Studies / Revue canadienne d'études du développement, 2021
Despite more than two decades of critical scholarly engagement, “development” is far from sheddin... more Despite more than two decades of critical scholarly engagement, “development” is far from shedding its hierarchical, patriarchal, and colonial underpinnings. In academic research and teaching, power relations are continuously perpetuated – both implicitly and explicitly. Grounding our arguments on post- and decolonial critiques and our own experiences, we contend that how, why, and by whom “development” research is carried out must remain under constant scrutiny. We propose a reflexive and sociopolitically conscious approach of “knowledge co-construction”. Thus, we seek to decouple the myths of objective production of knowledge around “development” and provide (especially) students and early career researchers with a critical gaze.
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Papers by Aftab Nasir
disabling factor, a pass or an impasse for social mobility of the poor households of biraderis living in
rural areas of Pakistan. Vartan bhanji is an umbrella term that comprises highly obligatory, unfailingly
regular and reciprocal social exchange practices in the forms of gifts that are performed over various
life-cycle occasions, such as marriage, death, birth, and circumcision ceremonies among biraderi
members. Biraderi groups can be conceptualized as a figuration of interdependence. The results of
the current study establish that the poor households perceive vartan bhanji more as a necessary evil;
a system that they cannot go without, but also the one that they cannot afford to live without either.
Even though this very institution restricts their movement in society in subtle ways, it also provides
them identity, support, and protection that is essentially needed for their survival and mobility within
their social networks. This paper shows that the social mobility of an individual is rather a function of
and is restricted to his/her positionality within a biraderi. The limits of one’s exchanges, via vartan
bhanji, mark the limit of one’s social (im-)mobility in society as well.
Peer-reviewed articles by Aftab Nasir
disabling factor, a pass or an impasse for social mobility of the poor households of biraderis living in
rural areas of Pakistan. Vartan bhanji is an umbrella term that comprises highly obligatory, unfailingly
regular and reciprocal social exchange practices in the forms of gifts that are performed over various
life-cycle occasions, such as marriage, death, birth, and circumcision ceremonies among biraderi
members. Biraderi groups can be conceptualized as a figuration of interdependence. The results of
the current study establish that the poor households perceive vartan bhanji more as a necessary evil;
a system that they cannot go without, but also the one that they cannot afford to live without either.
Even though this very institution restricts their movement in society in subtle ways, it also provides
them identity, support, and protection that is essentially needed for their survival and mobility within
their social networks. This paper shows that the social mobility of an individual is rather a function of
and is restricted to his/her positionality within a biraderi. The limits of one’s exchanges, via vartan
bhanji, mark the limit of one’s social (im-)mobility in society as well.