De-naturalizing the “predatory”: A study of “bogus” publications at public sector universities in Pakistan
Predatory publishing has recently emerged as a menace in academia. University professors and researchers often exploit this practice for their economic gains and institutional prestige. The present study investigates such existing predatory publishing practices in Pakistani public sector universities using Bourdieu’s (1991) concept of symbolic violence. For this purpose, we analyzed 495 articles published by 50 university professors in the social sciences and humanities over the period 2017-2021. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 postgraduate students to gather their perspectives on publishing practices. The study shows that 69% of the sample papers were published in pred…
Textbooks as ‘Neoliberal artifacts’: a critical study of knowledge-making in ELT industry
The present study examined the traces of neoliberal ideology in O-level English language textbooks taught in elitist private schools in Pakistan that follow the UK-based international educational system administrated by the University of Cambridge under the General Certificate of Education (GCE). Analysis in the study was informed by Fairclough's CDA writings. Moreover, Bourdieu's views on neoliberalism were also considered to shed some light on neoliberal ideology in the textbooks. Findings suggest that several neoliberal themes were evident in the textbooks under scrutiny, including marketization, consumerism, branding, celebrity culture, competition, individualism, self-responsibility an…
Regimes of patriarchy and faith : reflections on challenges in interviewing women and religious minorities in Pakistan
PurposeThis paper discusses the challenges that two doctoral researchers faced while researching religious minorities and women in a culturally sensitive society such as Pakistan. Their shared interest in sensitive topics related to gender and minorities in Pakistan led both researchers to collaborate in this study to provide a better understanding of issues in qualitative research in the same research context. They discuss the challenges of interviewing participants within the educational context. They also suggest some ways to overcome such challenges.Design/methodology/approachBased on Foucualt's writings on regimes of truth, discourse and systems of exclusion, the authors in this study …
Decolonizing English Language Pedagogy : A Study of Cultural Aspects in English Language Coursebooks and Teachers’ reflections in Pakistan
Language does not exist in a vacuum; it is deeply rooted in the structures reflecting and carrying dominant ideologies and social values. Likewise, foreign language teaching does not aim at a mere transmission of linguistic knowledge, but it also brings with it the ideological repercussions. In Pakistani society, English Language teaching either promotes the state-centric view of social reality or reproduces the cultural discourse(s) of colonialism. This study situated in Pakistani context points out the colonial construction of English language learners’ identities in elite Private schools drawing on Fairclough’s (2003) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework and Mignolo’s (2009, 2011)…