A Critical Discourse Analysis of Carlo‟s „The Muslim Woman‟

Abstract

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is concerned with analyzing social practices by demystifying specific patterns in different kinds of discourse. CDA encompasses three important elements i.e. discourse, language and power so as to unroll the hidden discourses and meanings for the sake of common people who are not apprised like power groups. The study analyzed a journalistic article, „The Muslim Woman‟ written by Shariffa Carlo, printed in The Slate Magazine and Zawaj.com, using Anabella Carvalho‟s framework for journalistic writing. This framework stands as the methodology of this study. The purpose of the study was to extract the hidden meanings in the discourse that reflect a particular thinking about women especially the Muslim women. The writing at many places seems to enforce prescriptive existence for the Muslim women that chains them to household and family only, which is not always real. It in fact reflects a peculiar mind-set about female units of a society. The conclusion of the analysis is that different discourses use specific discursive strategies to pose thematic views in the relevant contexts thus the article is an enforcement of the theoretical movement that advocates a bifurcation between genders which may not be healthy in an array of modern situations.