Kabgani, S. (2013). The Representation of Muslim Women in Non-Islamic Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis Study on Guardian. International Journal of Women's Research, 2(1), 57-78.
Sajad Kabgani. "The Representation of Muslim Women in Non-Islamic Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis Study on Guardian". International Journal of Women's Research, 2, 1, 2013, 57-78.
Kabgani, S. (2013). 'The Representation of Muslim Women in Non-Islamic Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis Study on Guardian', International Journal of Women's Research, 2(1), pp. 57-78.
Kabgani, S. The Representation of Muslim Women in Non-Islamic Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis Study on Guardian. International Journal of Women's Research, 2013; 2(1): 57-78.
The Representation of Muslim Women in Non-Islamic Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis Study on Guardian
MA in TEFL, Shiraz University, Department of Foreign Languages and Linguistics
Abstract
Providing analytical and social tools, critical discourse analysis (henceforth CDA) can be used to unravel the hidden ideologiesas well as biases in the webs of discursive practices involved in texts. In this paper, the van Leeuwen’s (1996) CDA framework is used to analyze an article from a British broadsheet newspaper, the Guardian. To have a more detailed analysis, eleven elements are chosen from the comprehensive framework of van Leeuwen. The focus of the study is on the representation of Muslim women in non-Islamic media, and the reason for which this British newspaper is used is that usually European countries have been accused of undemocratic behavior towards other ethnics and nationalities, and the reflection of this behavior is more observable in their media. Besides Muslim women, the representation of three other social actors has been analyzed so that a more comprehensive assessment can be achieved. The findings of this study indicate that Muslim women are depicted as active actors of Muslim community, remarkably determined in their beliefs, and as independent individuals who are in search of the resurrection of women’s identity. Although the Guardian author’s total depiction of Muslim women is a positive one, she finally concludes that the prevalence of the lack of critical thinking among them is the clearest drawback of all Muslim women. This last statement shows that although western media by the means of strategic tools try to depict minorities positively, in adopting such strategies they are not completely neutral.
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