BAHRIA UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (BUJHSS)
BUJHSS is an HEC Recognized Y Category Journal The ‘BUJHSS’ is an HEC Recognized Y Category Refereed Biannual Journal having an Advisory Panel from subject specialist of diverse academic platforms. The Journal welcomes articles in all areas of Humanities and Social Sciences. The Journal employs double blind and peer reviewed process. Its primary goal is to provide a platform to academicians and researchers from diversified disciplines of study to publish their papers in one source. ‘BUJHSS’ accepts research articles and discussions for publication. To bring quality to the published work in BUJHSS, we have established an internationally renowned large Advisory/Review Board. In order to ensure that the research published is filtered through double-blind peer review process, it is also put through desk evaluation under the Editor thereby ensuring accuracy, clarity and quality to the work published. In order to ensure research dissemination, besides a print version of the journal we are also maintaining an electronic archive of the published articles available in the downloadable form. Timeline of publication: First Half Yearly Issue (June Every Year) Second Half Yearly Issue (December Every Year) Paper Submission 1st January- 28th February 1st July – 30th August Review Process March to April September to October Acceptance/Rejection Notification to Authors May November Publication June December
EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ MEDIA EXPOSURE AND CONSERVATIONAL BEHAVIOR REGARDING WATER SCARCITY ISSUE IN PAKISTAN
The problem of water scarcity in Pakistan is attributed to; population increase that leads to reduced water availability for household use, over exploitation of the aquifer, limited supply of fresh water, high consumption of water in homes, pollution of water sources and losses of water that could have been put to use. These challenges affect the quality of life, wellbeing of the population and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal 6(clean water and sanitation) by 2030. To address these challenges media plays a crucial role in disseminating the news and raising awareness of the severity of water shortage to the public. The study investigated the relationships between university students’ exposure to water scarcity related media content and their water scarcity concerns, efficacy beliefs (with two dimensions: self-efficacy and collective efficacy), and water conservational intentions. A quantitative cross sectional survey design was utilized and data were collected online from 202 university students aged 19-29 using convenience sampling. The data were analyzed using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed a multimodal media exposure landscape where social media especially Facebook, along interpersonal sources play a dominant role in disseminating water scarcity concern. The results further indicate that media exposure played a central role in influencing water scarcity concerns, self and collective efficacy rather than directly affecting behavior alone. Water scarcity concern emerged as strongest predictor of water conversation behavior. Self Efficacy showed a significant negative relationship with water conservation behavior highlighting a suppression effect and a distinct attitude behavior gap under conditions of high concern. The study highlights the importance of strategic environmental communication in promoting sustainable water conservation behavior among university students.
Media exposure, Water Scarcity, Concerns, Efficacy, SDG 6, Conservation Behavior
REFINING WRITING: GRAMMARLY AS AN AUTOMATED CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK TOOL FOR PAKISTANI TERTIARY-LEVEL ESL LEARNERS
The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in education has opened new avenues for assisting English as a Second Language (ESL) students, particularly in situations where learners need regular feedback but the teacher has a large class size, a short time, and a heavy workload in terms of assessment. Students increasingly rely on computer-based writing assistance tools, such as Grammarly, to detect grammar, punctuation, spelling and stylistic errors while writing. But the benefit and effectiveness of such tools in Pakistan's higher education ESL classrooms needs empirical support. This pilot mixed-method research explores the use of Grammarly in the writing accuracy of Pakistani tertiary-level ESL learners, as well as students' feedback about its advantages and drawbacks. A total of 30 students were involved in the study, and were assigned to experimental and control groups -15 students each. Both groups participated in a six-week intervention, during which the experimental group used Grammarly to complete six writing tasks, while the control group completed similar writing tasks without Grammarly feedback. We compared errors in pre- and post-test writing samples for grammar, punctuation and spelling. The experimental group was also interviewed in semi-structured interviews to investigate their use of Grammarly. Descriptive results indicated that the experimental group made fewer total errors reduced from 25 to 12 for a 52.0% decrease, whereas the control group made only a slight decrease from 23 to 22 errors 4.3%. The most significant decreases in the experimental group were in punctuation and grammar errors. The qualitative results indicated that learners appreciated that Grammarly was easy to use, provided instant feedback and drew attention to common errors. But learners also indicated that Grammarly suggestions were too simplistic for advanced sentences, academic writing, coherence and argumentation. The study suggests that Grammarly can be employed as an additional feedback tool for improving surface-level writing accuracy for Pakistani ESL learners, but not as a substitute to teacher feedback. A blended approach to feedback - using automated, teacher, peer and reflective feedback - is suggested.
ESL writing, corrective feedback, Pakistani learners, AI-assisted learning
Copyright (c) 2026 BAHRIA UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (BUJHSS)
MARITAL ADJUSTMENT AMONG CHILDFREE (VOLUNTARY CHILDLESS) WOMEN IN PAKISTAN: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
In Pakistan, traditional family structures and societal expectations place a strong emphasis on fertility and child-rearing as core components of marital success. Existing studies have explored marital adjustment, infertility, and satisfaction in various contexts but there is a specific research gap concerning the marital adjustment of childfree/voluntary childless women in Pakistan. This study aims to address the gap by exploring the marital adjustment of childfree women in Pakistan using semi-structured interviews followed by Braun & Clark’s (2006) method of thematic analysis. A sample of seven (N=7) childfree working women, aged between 30 and 45 years, was recruited to provide insights into their lived experiences and marital dynamics, resulting in three themes: (a) motivations for voluntary childlessness, (b) its impact on marital adjustment, and (c) the perceived consequences of remaining childfree. We found that voluntary childlessness was mutual between participants and showed high levels of marital satisfaction, even with social pressure.
WIFE LEFT BEHIND: PERCEPTION OF BURDENED WIFE
The wife (left behind) has been burdened with problems such as running the home, bringing up children, looking after their education and carrying out socio-cultural responsibilities of close and distant relatives like attending a wedding ceremony, funeral ceremony and other social gatherings. Hence, the study aims at digging out the nature and magnitude of problems being faced by the wife left behind. It was a qualitative research approach in which exploratory design was used. For this research, judgmental sampling has been used to conduct three FGDs and 10 IDIs with respondents (wives left behind) of different areas of Distract Khanewal in Punjab, Pakistan. The results reveal the husband’s absence has burdened wife with problems like, handling children, children’s poor performance at school, performing domestic chores, maintaining relationship with close and distant relatives and importantly wife empowerment at home. The results also highlight unfair interference of in-laws, unequal distribution of domestic chores, handling children’s problems, sexual harassment and deteriorating physical and mental health of wife.
Wife left behind, Perception, Burdened Wife, Domestics Chores, Children education, Sexual harassment
INDIAN OCEAN STRATEGIC COMPETITION: CHALLENGES AND CHOICES FOR PAKISTAN
Indian Ocean (IO) has emerged has theater of strategic completion between existing and emerging powers. Given the strategic significance of critical chokepoints, IO has been the hotly contested region specially for the China, India, and the U.S. Three-way contest among India, China and the U.S. is primarily meant for securing interests and extending area of influence. Owing to geostrategic location and varying nature of relations with three competing powers, Pakistan cannot remain unmoved in this friction. India aspiration of dominant role, growing strategic partnership with the U.S, and anti-CPEC are key challenges for Pakistan. Informed foreign and security policy along with the successful executive of CPEC, the capacity building of naval forces and multilateral regional approach will be critical for Pakistan to survive in the renewed strategic construct of the region.
WHO DECIDES FOR THE PATIENT?A REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON MEDICAL DECISION-MAKING IN PAKISTAN
Over the past two decades, a growing body of literature has examined medical decision-making in Pakistan across diverse clinical contexts, but the evidence remains fragmented because many studies are small in scale, disease-specific, or focused on a single stakeholder group. This review synthesizes published literature to identify prevailing attitudes, preferences, and practices concerning decision-making relating to the roles of patients, families, and physicians in medical decision-making. The analysis follows a stakeholder-centric framework comprising three interconnected lenses: patient/public perspectives, healthcare provider perspectives, and conceptual frameworks. The findings suggest that medical decision-making in Pakistan is shaped by socio-cultural and structural context in which care occurs. Rather than fitting neat binaries of individual autonomy versus collectivism, or a simple account of paternalism, decision-making appears to operate through a relational structure in which patients often want substantial information and recognition, families remain central to care and deliberation without necessarily being desired to lead, and physicians are trusted to provide both expertise and direction. The central task, therefore, is to make this relational process more ethically robust by further exploring patient and public perceptions and aligning decision-making practices with the cultural and socioeconomic realities of the Pakistani context.
SENTIMENT ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC PERCEPTION TOWARDS ZOHRAN MAMDANI’S VICTORY IN THE NEW YORK MAYOR’S ELECTION
This study examines public reactions towards Zohran Mamdani’s victory in the New York Mayor’s election. For this purpose, the researchers have created a dataset of YouTube users’ comments on Mamdani’s speech. The sentiment analysis tool Orange has been used to analyze public reactions towards his victory speech. After a thorough analysis of the data, the researchers have found that the public holds strong positive views of Mamdani’s victory, though there is some negativity towards Mamdani’s Muslim identity. Sentiment scores were defined with the highest positive sentiment set to 1 and the negative sentiment to 0.893. Key themes that emerged from the public perception of Mamdani’s victory are hope for change and emotional uplift, viewers’ celebration, blessings, global support for Mamdani, anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant hate directed at Mamdani, and gender inclusivity. This research calls for further exploration of these findings to compare public reactions to previous mayors and to those in other U.S. cities whose identities are neither Muslim nor immigrant.
Zohran Mamdani, Sentiment Analysis, Orange Software, New York, YouTube, Public Perception.
RE-ORIENTALISM AND THE EXOTICIZATION OF PAKISTANI CULTURE: A CRITICAL STUDY OF QAISRA SHAHRAZ’S SHORT STORIES
This paper attempted to uncover the ways in which Pakistani diasporic writers with special reference to Shahraz’s short stories represent the Pakistani people and their culture. This research article investigates Qaisra Shahraz’s representations of Pakistani culture and gender through orientalist motifs in the selected short stories: A Pair of Jeans, Perchanvah, The Discovery, and The Elopement. Employing Lau’s (2009) theory of re-orientalism, the study explores the dual positionality of Shahraz as both insider and outsider, and how this duality informs her portrayal of a patriarchal, superstitious, and culturally regressive Pakistan in contrast to an idealized West associated with individual freedom, rationality, and modernity. The analysis reveals how Shahraz’s narratives reproduce orientalist binaries that align with global market demands for cultural otherness. Through McKee’s textual analysis, this article focuses on the ethical complexities of the diasporic representation and questions the potential of literary self-orientalization in Anglophone Pakistani fiction with reference to Shahraz’s short stories. In addition to the growing literature on re-orientalism, the paper is a contribution to the politics of cultural translation, authenticity, and narrator voice in postcolonial South Asian literature.
re-orientalism, Qaisra Shahraz, exoticism, diasporic literature, orientalist tropes, postcolonial studies
FROM GREEN TALENT TO GREEN TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANTAGE: THE INTERPLAY OF DIGITAL TASK INTERDEPENDENCE AND HRM INVESTMENTS ON EMPLOYEE TURNOVER INTENTION IN PAKISTAN'S SOFTWARE FIRMS
This research study focuses on how green talent management and green technological practices influences organization and employee’s performance in Software industry of Pakistan which is beneficial for the society in totality because adapting eco-friendly HR practices benefited the Organization as well as the Society which is supported by the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Human Capital Theory in this research study. These two dimensions are used to conceptualize green talent management and its dimensions which are green hard talent management and green soft talent management which is used as an independent variable in the study. Green talent management has an impact on employee turnover intention which is considered as dependent variable in the researches. Moreover, Digital task interdependence and HRM investments are presented as a moderator into the relationship between the green hard talent management, green soft talent management and employee turnover intention. Control variables are work environment and resource availability to be used to guarantee the strength of results. Based on the information obtained through the software companies that are in operation in Pakistan, this study offers the empirical evidence on the contribution of environmentally focused talent management practices to the sustainability-related performance results and lowering the tendency of employees to quit the company. It is anticipated that the findings will expand the green HRM literature as the results will provide the understanding of the strategic value of Digital task dependence and HRM investments in terms of capitalizing on green talent management as a useful, scarce and unique resource. The study has practical implication as well to managers who are interested in acquiring sustainable competitive advantage in knowledge-intensive industries.
Copyright (c) 2025 BAHRIA UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES (BUJHSS)
MEDIA ECOLOGIES: AN ECOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS OF CNN WEATHER REPORTS
This study examines how weather events are represented in CNN’s 2024 coverage through the lens of ecolinguistics, with five selected stories from Stibbe’s (2021) stories we live by framework: narrative, metaphor, framing, evaluation, and erasure. The corpus consists of 250 weather reports and total 108, 215 words. The data was selected through purposive sampling to ensure coverage of diverse events such as hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and heatwaves. Manual thematic coding was combined with keyword frequency analysis using AntConc version 4.3.1 (Anthony, 2024), and the results were visualized through Microsoft Excel (2025) to identify discourse patterns. The findings reveal a dominant event-based narrative structure, frequent use of militaristic and anthropomorphic metaphors, and framing that prioritizes human and economic impacts over ecological concerns. Evaluative language emphasizes human loss, while erasure of climate change attribution and environmental consequences is present in the majority of reports. These results highlight the need for more ecologically integrated reporting that foregrounds systemic climate connections and environmental impacts alongside human-centered narratives. Implications are discussed for improving public understanding of weather within the context of the climate crisis.
GENDERED SURVEILLANCE IN THE DIGITAL AGE: A FEMINIST POSTHUMANIST ANALYSIS OF SANDRA NEWMAN'S JULIA (2023)
The present study examines the reconstructions of the concepts of surveillance, embodiment, and agency in Julia (2023) by Sandra Newman, guided by the theoretical perspective of Feminist Posthumanism as developed by Rosi Braidotti. The paper examines how Newman reimagines the dystopian world of George Orwell’s 1984 through a feminist lens, articulating the gendered experience of being surveilled in the twenty-first century—an era characterised by algorithmic visibility, digital surveillance, and affective regulation. Specifically, the study anticipates the way modern regimes of digital surveillance selectively and systematically regulate women and their bodies, emotions, and virtual presence, and replicate patriarchal structures of control using technology. In examining such dynamics, a close reading of the novel has been conducted based on the framework introduced by Braidotti, focusing on the posthuman aspects of Julia's character as she navigates power through her body, emotions, and relational networks (Braidotti, 2022). This discussion reveals that surveillance, as practised by Orwell, was both institutional and ideological; however, Newman predicts twenty-first-century controls based on data, emotion, and connectivity. Furthermore, the study reveals that surveillance in Julia functions as a form of domination where care, embodiment, and moral resistance are redefined. This research contributes to feminist Posthuman scholarship and surveillance research by demonstrating how Julia, in Newman’s work, critically engages with gendered forms of algorithmic and affective government, shedding new light on agency and resistance in the monitored realities of the twenty-first century.
CHANGING THE WORLD THROUGH HASHTAGS: SOCIAL MEDIA AND CLIMATE CHANGE COMMUNICATION.
In the contemporary era of digitalization, social media has emerged as a powerful and influential tool for communication and activism. With climate change being a pressing global issue, social media also plays its part as a medium of communication to amplify the awareness of this urgent global concern. Social media has not only become a medium to enable individuals and organizations to raise climate change concerns, but it has also established itself as a platform to hold decision-makers and people in power accountable for their actions. This paper explores social media's multifaceted role in enabling and empowering climate action while also studying the shortcomings of social media that hinder climate communication. By employing a qualitative research approach, the researchers analyze how climate change communication is facilitated or hampered through the content analysis of posts from four active Facebook pages dedicated to climate activism, chosen on the basis of the number of followers, accessibility, and the group's engagement. Additionally, this study also analyzes various ways through which social media empowers and enables social activism, such as calls to action, fostering awareness, organizing protests, and other strategies. This research aims to investigate the influence social media has on empowering activism by raising awareness about climate change. However, the researchers acknowledge social media limitations like echo chambers and the dissemination of misinformation.
CHALLENGES IN BUSINESS WRITING FACED BY UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY IN PAKISTAN
In this paper, the article explores the problems encountered by business writing among undergraduate students in one of the privately owned universities in Pakistan. With qualitative research design, data were gathered by use of semi-structured interviews with business communication course students and instructors. Thematic analysis also indicated that there were challenges in organizing and formatting of documents as well as balancing on tone and professionalism as well as grammatical accuracy and clarity. The lack of writing practice, the lack of feedback and the lack of prior preparation have been determined as some of the key contributing factors. Even though AI applications, like ChatGPT, help to generate ideas and fix language, overuse impedes the development of independent skills. The research results emphasize the significance of the effective pedagogy, positive feedback, and learning oriented practice in enhancing the proficiency of business writing. The research provides useful recommendations to teachers and curriculum developers to enhance teaching writing, critical thinking, and students’ preparedness to academic and professional communication needs.
ARE TEACHERS READY TO TEACH GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP? INSIGHTS FROM PAKISTANI PRESERVICE TEACHERS ABOUT TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS
Citizenship education is, arguably, an important part of all education. It is important that the teacher trainees be aware of the concepts involved and be ready to teach them. This study explored how a Masters in Education course prepared trainee teachers to teach citizenship. Perceptions of thirteen trainee teachers enrolled in a Master in Education course were taken through an open-ended questionnaire at the beginning and end of their one year course. The study reveals that the participants’ conception of the purpose of education in general broadened over time and they reported to have grown intellectually and psychologically as teachers. However, the respondents were unable to properly define citizenship education and global citizens even after 11 months in the course. On the basis of the findings, we argue that teacher education courses are not well-equipped to prepare trainee teachers to teach global citizenship. It is therefore, recommended that further research be carried out in other contexts to check the generalisability of this study.
AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS FOR STUDY OF INFLUENCE FACTORS TO EFFECTS ON P-VALUES AND TESTS CRITERIA
This paper aims to identify the key statistical factors that influence the threshold and interpretation of p-value significance levels. Our empirical analysis provides evidence to better understand the range of high significance, moderate significance, and non-significance levels. We thoroughly discuss several contributing factors, including sample size (large vs. small datasets), standard error, the quality and utility of statistical tests, statistical power, effect size, sampling procedures, data collection quality, and the use of both qualitative and quantitative research data. Consideration is also given to challenges presented by big data. Additionally, we review contributions from prominent researchers regarding factors that influence p-values. To support our analysis, we generate sets of random sample data (n = 10, 100, 500, 1000, 5000, and 10000) from well-known continuous and discrete distributions, along with observed secondary data, to examine the behavior of p-values under different conditions. This study also investigates the question: “Is p-value a reliable measure of unknown population characteristics?” We conclude with findings, recommendations, and possible remedies based on our empirical results. All analyses were conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 24).
ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES BEING FACED BY TURKIYE AND PAKISTAN’S TOURISM SECTOR: CAUSES AND IMPACTFUL SOLUTIONS
Turkiye and Pakistan are regarded as highly diverse tourist destinations due to the picaresque landscapes, high mountains, rivers, lakes, glaciers, ever flowing streams and the UNESCO recognized world historical heritages, Turkiye, a European-Asian country, is ranked as the 5th whereas Pakistan, an Asian country, stands at number 104 out of 119 international tourist destinations. Both countries are extremely popular as tourist revenue generating destinations; however, they face multiple environmental challenges due to many reasons, and thus, are the victims of the environmental degradation, Comparatively, Pakistan is more vulnerable than Turkiye. It is observed that mainly overtourism, besides other causes, is badly affecting the Tourism sector and have caused the climate change. The environmental degradation such as Infrastructure depletion, Climate change like rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of natural disasters, Pollution such as noise, air, water and land, and Conservation like inability to protect natural resources, such as forests, wildlife, and water bodies. The tourists’ negative and positive behaviour plays a vital role in shaping a destination. Thus, the Ministries of Tourism in Turkiye and Pakistan have laid down certain regulatory frameworks and strategies to overcome the environmental issues, to control the tourists’ influx at certain hotspots and to divert it to the other discovered locations, to put emphasis on urging the tourists to abide by the laws and regulations, to install warning boards, to impose a penaltyon the rule violation and issue an advisory to have a control over the environmental challenges. Certain strategies like walk a cause, races,Do it Yourself (DIY) appeal, clean the beach and rivers competitions, awareness programmes, educating and training the tourists, hotel and staff management and the local communities are under way to let Tourism industry thrive as one of the most generating revenue sectors in Turkiye and Pakistan. If not controlled, it might result into losing popularity as favourite international destinations.
LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING IN EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHER JOB SATISFACTION IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS OF KARACHI
This quantitative research investigates the combined effect of principals’ leadership and decision-making styles on job satisfaction of teachers. Data were gathered through stratified random sampling from 194 teachers at private secondary schools located in Karachi. Respondents were required to complete measures of transformational and transactional leadership, decision-making preferences, and job satisfaction. Pearson correlation test was used to examine multicollinearity among the predictors, which was found to be limited. Using hierarchical regression analysis, it was indicated that rational and avoidant decision-making styles significantly influence teacher satisfaction. Results highlighted transformational leadership as a strong positive predictor, while transactional leadership style being a moderator but still significant indicator of job satisfaction. Moreover, job satisfaction levels were higher when principals employed rational decision making, whereas avoidant style was found to be negatively associated with teachers’ job satisfaction. Teachers had more responsive behaviors towards inspirational and supportive principals’ leadership style with participatory decision-making process and clear expectations. The programs that cultivate the adaptive combination of leadership and decision-making processes are likely to facilitate more resilient and satisfactory educational outcomes.
EUROPEAN COLONIZATION AND EROSION OF AFRICA POLITICAL CULTURAL HERITAGE: A COMPARITIIVE ANALYSIS OF PRE-COLONIAL AND COLONIAL YORUBA POLITICAL ADMINISTRATIVE SYSTEM
The study examines the profound impact of European colonialism on the political and cultural heritage of the Yoruba people of West Africa. Before the colonization process, the Yoruba had developed an intricate political system that was decentralized as well as democratic and entailed the integration of cultural customs and practices. Through qualitative methods such as focus group discussions (FGDs) and documentary analysis, the research examines the pre-colonial Yoruba governance structure, the changes imposed under British colonial rule, and the extent to which indigenous institutions and customs were eroded. Research findings reveal that the pre-colonial Yoruba system was highly decentralized, involving councils serving as checks on traditional rulers within a dispersed federation of towns, reflecting democratic accountability. The advent of colonialism however led to a centralization of power, limited democratic practices like council oversight functions and suppressed customary laws and traditions. The imposition of English education system undermined the Yoruba language as an important tool and vehicle for cultural transmission. Although resilient in preserving its heritage, the effects of colonialism created challenges for the Yoruba in revitalizing its political autonomy and recouping disregarded customs. Through this study, the colonial impacts on African societies and the complicated nature of cultural persistence alongside pressures of subjugation are illuminated. By examining this case, the research serves to underscore the importance of promoting indigenous governance in Africa as well as cultural preservation.
UNPACKING THE EMPOWERING NARRATIVE OF LINDA M CRATE’S POEM WOMEN AREN’T WEAK, YOU ARE: A FEMINIST CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS
The researcher applies Lazar’s feminist critical discourse analysis in the poem ‘Women aren’t weak, you are’ by Linda M Crate. The poem showcases different aspects of gender discrimination and expresses a socially constructed ideology about males and females. Male is always dominant and female comes under the sheds of man. Male represents power and the female shows weakness. There are a few elements of FCDA in the poem such as power abuse, victim of the patriarchal system, objectification, oppression, hegemony, dependency, and marginalization of women. Women are slaves in this patriarchal system that always considers women as weak, having lack of skills, and powerless. The study explores the discourse behind the representation and treatment of women in the poem. The researcher deals with the content of the poem along with other related research articles to support his topic under study
FCDA, gender discrimination, patriarchal system, power abuse.
COMPARING GRAMMARLY AND CHATGPT FOR AUTOMATED WRITING EVALUATION OF ESL LEARNERS
Despite the growing prevalence of AI-driven tools in language education, there is limited research on their implementation within the Pakistani context. This study is grounded in Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) and Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theory to examine the efficacy of Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) tools, specifically Grammarly and ChatGPT, in enhancing the writing skills of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners. The primary objectives are to assess the impact of these tools on writing proficiency and to explore learners' perceptions of feedback quality. Employing a mixed-method approach, the study integrates quantitative analysis of writing improvement with qualitative insights into learner preferences, offering a comprehensive understanding of these tools’ roles in the ESL classroom. The scope encompasses ESL learners in Pakistan, focusing on how such AI tools can be effectively integrated to improve writing skills. Results indicated that while the ChatGPT group had slightly higher mean ranks than the Grammarly group, the differences in writing performance were not statistically significant, with p-values for the pre-test (p=0.276) and post-test (p=0.398), both greater than 0.05 (p>.05). Nonetheless, learners reported varied preferences, with some favoring Grammarly’s accuracy and others valuing ChatGPT’s comprehensive feedback. The study underscores the complementary nature of these tools and advocates for their informed incorporation into ESL writing instruction.
Automated Writing Evaluation, ChatGPT, Grammarly, ESL learner.
THE POWER OF FEMVERTISING IN ENGAGING FEMALE GEN Z CONSUMERS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN UNIVERSITY OF KARACHI
In the ever-evolving world, femvertising has emerged as a transformative tool and trend that target gender norms and tends to empower women. This study demonstrates the impact of femvertising on females’ perceptions. Following a posttest-only control group experimental design, fem and non-fem advertisements were shown to female Gen Z students selected from two departments of the University of Karachi to calculate the effects of these distinct advertising strategies being approached and adopted. This research examines the attitude and emotional connection of participants with the brand and also the overall perceptions for advertisements of Pakistan comparing both groups, those exposed to fem ads to those who participated in the control group, exposed with non- fem ads. A quantitative study utilized purposive and convenience sampling technique to select 50 female Gen Z students from two departments of University of Karachi excluding the faculty of Social Sciences to eliminate the influences of other external factors. The findings of the study incorporate a valuable insight providing significant differences in the results of experimental and control groups. This study adds in the existing knowledge highlighting the role of femvertising and reveals its potential in changing consumer behavior challenging stereotypes and empowering women.
femvertising, female portrayal, attitudes towards ads, gen Z, emotional connection, women empowerment
FROM PAGE TO PERCEPTION: EXPLORING THE DEPTHS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THROUGH TEXTUAL AND READERS’ INFERENCES WITH REFERENCE TO HOOVER’S ‘IT ENDS WITH US’
The current textual-empirical study explores how the text demonstrates the theme of domestic violence and how the readers transact with the text and connect the theme with their personal and social observations with reference to It Ends with Us (2016). Since the study is textual-empirical in its nature, to get insights about domestic violence in the text, Walker’s theory of violence has guided the textual part. To critically analyze the perceptions of readers to the theme of domestic violence, Rosenblatt’s model of reader response theory has directed the empirical part of the study. The literature review on It Ends with Us (2016) has broadly evaluated its exploration of domestic violence, the behavioral complexity of its characters, and its role in raising awareness about violent and oppressive relationships, emphasizing the novel’s influence on contemporary discussions on trauma and healing. The empirical data was collected from 6 participants through semi-structured interviews using Kallio’s model (2016). The first part of the study was analyzed through close reading of the text, whereas, Braun and Clarke’s model of thematic analysis (2006) helped to analyze the empirical data. The findings of the study revealed that all the phases of the Cycle of Violence were reflected in the novel and the participants demonstrated a profound engagement with the thematic relevancy and proximity, showcasing a nuanced ability to connect with the core themes of the study. These results are important for curriculum designers, literature instructors, and researchers in reader response as they provide significant insights into students’ perceptions in relation to fiction.
Domestic Violence; Reader Response Theory; Cycle of Violence
EXPLORING SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES: AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF RELAPSED DRUG ADDICTS IN KARACHI
Annually, global drug addiction disrupts public health, safety, and societal development. In Karachi, drug use among college and university students poses a severe threat to well-being. This study investigates the socioeconomic conditions, health status, social connections, and living circumstances of relapsed drug addicts across six administrative districts, covering streets, bridges, slums, and major drug treatment centers. A descriptive approach with purposive sampling involved 100 respondents using structured questionnaires. Quantitative analyses, including frequency, percentages, and chi-square tests, revealed significant socio-economic challenges, mental health issues, and stress among relapsed individuals, with 87% facing financial difficulties and 64% experiencing strained family relationships. Additionally, negative attitudes from family, friends, and neighbors further exacerbated their struggles. Findings emphasize the urgent need for increased awareness of drug abuse consequences to reduce addiction risks. The study recommends targeted educational campaigns, government action against drug traffickers, and expanded law enforcement to combat addiction. Addressing the physical and psychological challenges of withdrawal through comprehensive support systems is crucial to ensuring long-term recovery and societal reintegration for affected individuals.
Drug Use, Relapse, Drug Trafficking, Black Market, Prevalence
The researcher applies Lazar’s feminist critical discourse analysis in the poem ‘Women aren’t weak, you are’ by Linda M Crate. The poem showcases different aspects of gender discrimination and expresses a socially constructed ideology about males and females. Male is always dominant and female comes under the sheds of man. Male represents power and the female shows weakness. There are a few elements of FCDA in the poem such as power abuse, victim of the patriarchal system, objectification, oppression, hegemony, dependency, and marginalization of women. Women are slaves in this patriarchal system that always considers women as weak, having lack of skills, and powerless. The study explores the discourse behind the representation and treatment of women in the poem. The researcher deals with the content of the poem along with other related research articles to support his topic under study.
FCDA, gender discrimination, patriarchal system, power abuse