LANGUAGE, REPRESENTATION AND IDEOLOGICAL STANCE OF BRAHUI IN COMPARISON WITH URDU AND ENGLISH NEWSPAPERS HEADLINES

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine language, representation and ideological stance in Baluchistan newspapers headlines in Urdu and English languages with comparison to Brahui language and simultaneously this research has interpreted and evaluated micro speech acts because hidden ideologies and representations are assumed and manipulated in newspaper reports in accordance with agenda of statements. It is also endeavored to reveal imbued ideological stance and discursive strategies that how the power relations are exhibited in micro propositions. To accomplish the agenda of this research van Dijk’s (2009) Critical Discourse Analysis Socio Cognitive Approach is merged with Speech Act Theory of Searle, J. R. (1969). The study adopted qualitative paradigms and random sampling techniques to get the results. The research is focused to fill up the gap in previous Brahui literature. For the selection of sample, forty statements are taken from three selected Baluchistan newspapers headlines i.e. Talar (Noshkay), Express (Quetta), and Baluchistan Time (Muhammad, R.et.al, 2020). These statements are initially interpreted according to Searle, J. R. (1969) taxonomy of speech acts which are then analyzed in the light of van Dijk’s (2009) Critical Discourse Analysis and Socio Cognitive Approach. The analysis shows prevalence of representative speech acts in all newspapers but frequency is less in Talar (Noshkay) as compared to other newspapers. The highest frequency of representative speech acts also indicates the current affairs have been expressed in all three selected news headlines and there is internal bias between government and opposition. They are also striving for negative “them” and positive “us” in the discourse for hidden ideologies.