From f7f86a4f864d30ebfd259a713366ab311c3aa476 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Alexandros Tsakos Date: Tue, 3 Dec 2024 18:36:33 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] tahatoday --- content/article/asmaataha.md | 146 ++++++++++++++++++----------------- 1 file changed, 76 insertions(+), 70 deletions(-) diff --git a/content/article/asmaataha.md b/content/article/asmaataha.md index 3071816..ab403fd 100644 --- a/content/article/asmaataha.md +++ b/content/article/asmaataha.md @@ -178,9 +178,9 @@ how Nubians are perceived by non-Nubian Egyptians eroding the cultural, social, and global identity of all Egyptian citizens. Participant 18, a thirty-year-old female, stated that she felt the brunt of the media's negative indexes and experienced racist and teasing responses while at -school. +school.[^12] -Taha,[^12] a Nubian applied linguistic researcher, asserts that media in +The present author,[^13] a Nubian applied linguistic researcher, asserts that media in Egypt has played a significant role in perpetuating negative stereotypes, such as depicting Nubians as speaking incomprehensible Arabic and occupying lower-class jobs. The case of Nubians\' portrayal @@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ Media influence people and their beliefs; conversely, the media itself is being influenced by several social, political, economic, and social values. Particular ideologies are propagated in the media industry and these values or agendas are carefully chosen and play a crucial -influential role in public discourse. Fairclough,[^13] an emeritus +influential role in public discourse. Fairclough,[^14] an emeritus linguist and pioneer in Critical Discourse Analysis, asserts that "media output is very much under professional and institutional control, and in general it is those who already have other forms of economic, political @@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ words, the media industry is controlled by certain institutions that have political, cultural, and economic power and immense influence. According to Fairclough, the media is a powerful tool that can shape government and parties, and influence "knowledge, belief, values, social -relations, and social identities."[^14] Thus, the media reflects our +relations, and social identities."[^15] Thus, the media reflects our societal and cultural values and ideologies. # Data @@ -248,14 +248,14 @@ thus reinforcing stereotypes and maintaining the status quo of social inequality. This analysis highlights the role of media in shaping perceptions and sustaining social hierarchies. -Ochs,[^15] a linguistic anthropologist, views indexicality as a spoken +Ochs,[^16] a linguistic anthropologist, views indexicality as a spoken property through which socio-cultural contexts (such as gender) and social activities (such as gossip) are formed by taking particular stances that are indexed through the language chosen. In other words, indexicality is interpreted in light of the semiotic associations between linguistic forms, social meanings, and identities. Ochs identifies two types of indexicality, direct and indirect, and each -performs different functions in discourse. According to Ochs,[^16] direct +performs different functions in discourse. According to Ochs,[^17] direct indexicality refers to interactional stances, including evaluative stances, while indirect indexicality points to social stances. @@ -263,13 +263,13 @@ Among those who refer to an index as contextualization cues are Hughes and Tracy, discourse analysts, emphasizing that signaling context and reinforcing pragmatic signs are crucial for effective communication. They define indexicality as "the function by which linguistic and -nonlinguistic signs point to aspects of context."[^17] According to +nonlinguistic signs point to aspects of context."[^18] According to Hughes and Tracy, indexicality is closely related to deixis and they could even be "sometimes interchangeable," but they consider deixis to be a specific type of indexicality, which helps participants navigate the oral or written discourse frame through understanding references. Indexical and cultural contextual cues are essential to properly interpret inferences -and understand the ideologies behind them Johnstone et al.,[^18] a group +and understand the ideologies behind them Johnstone et al.,[^19] a group of linguists, categorize indexes into two types; referential and non-referential. On the one hand, referential indexes include pronouns and demonstratives i.e., the term denotation is based on the utterance @@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ that convey or construct social meaning. They consider 'social meaning' to be a "concept that encompasses matters such as register (in the narrow sense of situation appropriateness), stance (certainty, authority, etc.), and social identity (class, ethnicity, interactional -role, etc.)"[^19] They also explain further that the relationship +role, etc.)"[^20] They also explain further that the relationship between linguistic forms and social meanings can be manifested at different levels of indexicality order. They consider the first-order indexes as unnoticeable and unintentional because they are common among @@ -293,7 +293,7 @@ In his seminal work, Silverstein, a leading linguistic anthropologist, explores the order of indexicality, distinguishing between first and second-order indexes. He notes that the second- order indexes are "creative or effective" and potentially can have ethno-metapragmatically -driven interpretation.[^20] This interpretation allows speakers to not +driven interpretation.[^21] This interpretation allows speakers to not only presuppose meanings based on existing social structures or stereotypes, but also to actively reshape and reinforce these meanings in dynamic, context-specific ways. In other words, the presupposed @@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ from unnoticed linguistic markers to socially meaningful symbols is central to how media perpetuates harmful stereotypes and embeds them into the cultural imagination. -Eckert,[^21] a prominent sociolinguist, emphasizes the close connection +Eckert,[^22] a prominent sociolinguist, emphasizes the close connection between speakers' ideologies and stylistic practices (both linguistic and non-linguistic) utilized to construct worldwide views and social meanings. I argue that the stylistic choices---such as dark skin @@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ with other lead characters enjoying his Arabic and Nubian songs. In episode 12 of the 'Friends' soap opera, the show featured a pretend Nubian wedding as a performance for tourists, intended to promote one of the lead characters' businesses by highlighting the cultural diversity -of Egyptians and showcasing a unique authentic tradition.[^22] Overall, +of Egyptians and showcasing a unique authentic tradition.[^23] Overall, two of the main characters spoke very highly of Nubians, expressing respect and appreciation for both the people and their culture. @@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ boats, and musical instruments. These elements offer a rich and genuine portrayal of Nubian heritage. For instance, episode 5 poignantly depicts the forced relocation of Nubians from their homeland villages, with characters dressed in traditional Nubian clothing, sorrowfully leaving -their own homes.[^23] This scene tries to emphasize both the cultural +their own homes.[^24] This scene tries to emphasize both the cultural and historical significance of the events, providing a glimpse into the struggles and resilience of the Nubian people, while grounding the narrative in real experiences and traditions. @@ -416,7 +416,7 @@ tricked with intelligibility issues or disabilities. The names of the characters are mainly *Othman*, *Idris, or Seliman*. In the *il-fa:nu:s ʔa-siħirj* 'The Magic Lantern,' a Nubian waiter fails to recognize that two pretend waiters, who are trying to retrieve magic lanterns, are not -Nubians.[^24] The two characters who only used a single word in Nubian +Nubians.[^25] The two characters who only used a single word in Nubian *maskagna* 'hello,' then make totally random sounds that do not belong to any language whatsoever. When asked if he understood the other two waiters, the Nubian waiter explains "I am not a fool, they are not from @@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ character and his family. Shockingly, some of these discriminatory remarks come from the character himself, who is impersonating a Nubian man in blackface. In one particularly offensive scene, the actor Ramez Galal addresses the Nubian character, saying, "Come on, you don't want -your heart to be black, just like your face."[^25] This film contains +your heart to be black, just like your face."[^26] This film contains numerous racist and discriminatory indexes, perpetuating harmful stereotypes @@ -455,15 +455,15 @@ law*ʔula: mabinħibʃ* 'We'd Be Lying to Say We Didn't Love,' streamed on TV in 2013, a major female actress, Ragaa Al-Giddawy, refers to the Nubian male character and his family as "barbarians" saying "Listen, I won't let you marry my daughter unless you bring all your barbarian -folks right here to ask for her hand in marriage."[^26] In another soap +folks right here to ask for her hand in marriage."[^27] In another soap opera *ħuru:f ilnasʕb* 'Letters of Fraud', released in 2000, the actor Hisham Selim impersonates a Nubian by wearing waiter apparel, darkening his face, and referring to himself as "Othman Abdel El-basset, the one -Egyptian barbarian."[^27] In a movie produced in 1998 *sʕeʕidi fi +Egyptian barbarian."[^28] In a movie produced in 1998 *sʕeʕidi fi ilgamʕa ilamerikja* 'An upper-Egyptian at the American University of Cairo', the actor Mohamed Henedi, tells a minor Nubian female character "No need to turn the light off. I cannot see your face already. Your -face is as dark as the night."[^28] +face is as dark as the night."[^29] These examples highlight how media productions reinforce and perpetuate negative stereotypes about Nubians through both visual and literary @@ -496,9 +496,9 @@ resources of Nubian characters focusing on the stigmatized linguistic and pronunciation errors portrayed and derived from movies and soap operas. In particular, I analyze several examples of stereotypical language errors produced by characters portraying Nubians in movies and -cartoons.[^29] +cartoons.[^30] -## Actor Ali Kassar[^30] +## Actor Ali Kassar[^31] ![Gender confusion.](../static/images/taha/example1.jpg "Gender confusion.") **~~Example 1. Gender confusion.~~** @@ -506,11 +506,11 @@ cartoons.[^29] In example 1a, a Nubian character is talking to a female character in Arabic, but he mistakenly addresses her using a masculine possessive -form, which indicates that his Arabic is poor.[^31] Similarly, in +form, which indicates that his Arabic is poor.[^32] Similarly, in example 1b the Nubian character shows his lack of accuracy by using a feminine demonstrative with a masculine noun which is ungrammatical. -## Actors Gomaa Edriss and Ali Oraby[^32] +## Actors Gomaa Edriss and Ali Oraby[^33] ![Pronunciation error.](../static/images/taha/example2.jpg "Pronunciation error.") **~~Example 2. Pronunciation error.~~** @@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ singular form, rather than a plural form. Examples 2c and 2d are ungrammatical as the Nubian character uses plural and third person masculine forms, respectively, when he refers to himself. -## Actor Sayed Sulieman[^33] +## Actor Sayed Sulieman[^34] ![Gender confusion.](../static/images/taha/example3.jpg "Gender confusion.") **~~Example 3. Gender confusion.~~** @@ -543,7 +543,7 @@ there is gender disagreement. The following examples show the gender disagreement between determiners, quantifiers, and possessive markers and their modified nouns. -## Actor Ali Oraby[^34] +## Actor Ali Oraby[^35] ![Disagreement between modifiers.](../static/images/taha/example4.jpg "Disagreement between modifiers.") **~~Example 4. Disagreement between modifiers.~~** @@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ does not agree with the feminine noun. In a similar way, the Nubian character uses masculine possessive markers when talking to his sister, rather than the feminine using possessive markers *bita:ʕek* 'your'. -## Actor Mohamed El Adendani[^35] +## Actor Mohamed El Adendani[^36] ![Noun-verb disagreement.](../static/images/taha/example5.jpg "Noun-verb disagreement.") **~~Example 5. Noun-verb disagreement.~~** @@ -585,7 +585,7 @@ look for job opportunities had some language difficulties when learning Arabic due to the influence of their mother tongue. For example, Rouchdy, a linguistic researcher, noted in her research study in 1991, that non-competent Fadija bilingual speakers had a tendency to add the -suffix -a to borrowed Arabic words such as *aneeda* 'stubborn.'[^36] +suffix -a to borrowed Arabic words such as *aneeda* 'stubborn.'[^37] Nevertheless, do Nubians, considering all the generations that have emerged since the early relocations because of the Aswan Dam construction in @@ -650,6 +650,10 @@ with Fadija Nobiin speakers to show how they perceive the negative indexes attributed to themselves and the Nubian language in the Egyptian media. +![An example of the pictures shown to the participants to start the discussion. The image depicts two characters — Ismail Yassine on the right and Abdel Ghani El Nagdi on the left — who painted their faces black to impersonate Nubians. Source: Ilfa:nu:s ʔa-siħirj ‘The Magic Lantern’ (1960).](../static/images/taha/fig2.jpg "An example of the pictures shown to the participants to start the discussion. The image depicts two characters — Ismail Yassine on the right and Abdel Ghani El Nagdi on the left — who painted their faces black to impersonate Nubians. Source: Ilfa:nu:s ʔa-siħirj ‘The Magic Lantern’ (1960).") +**~~Figure 2. An example of the pictures shown to the participants to start the discussion. The image depicts two characters — Ismail Yassine on the right and Abdel Ghani El Nagdi on the left — who painted their faces black to impersonate Nubians. Source: Ilfa:nu:s ʔa-siħirj ‘The Magic Lantern’ (1960).~~** + + # Discussion: Results and findings summary To analyze the discussion data, I coded the discussion data and then @@ -678,7 +682,7 @@ On the other hand, Dr. Mohammad Ali-Bik asserts that media makers consistently presented a stereotypical exaggerated image of Nubians portrayed as less sophisticated and naïve, even though, in reality, they are recognized within the Egyptian society for their honesty and -straightforwardness.[^37] He further stated that Egyptian media has +straightforwardness.[^38] He further stated that Egyptian media has marginalized Nubians in many ways, including associating them with exaggerated negative portrayals, and primarily depicting them in low-income jobs such as doorkeepers and workers in houses, hotels, and @@ -789,14 +793,14 @@ and cultures. Several recently produced documentaries about Nubians are available on YouTube, covering topics like food, the Nile River sacredness, handicrafts, weddings, homescapes, and customs. -Notable examples include *aj-ga ʤilli* 'Remember me',[^38] uploaded in -2011 and *Sono* 'roots' in 2020,[^39] both of them offering viewers a +Notable examples include *aj-ga ʤilli* 'Remember me',[^39] uploaded in +2011 and *Sono* 'roots' in 2020,[^40] both of them offering viewers a more accurate and respectful look at the richness of Nubian culture. ## Depictions of Nubians in documentary movies Similarly, music video clips have an essential and promising role in -maintaining the Nubian language and cultural heritage.[^40] These music +maintaining the Nubian language and cultural heritage.[^41] These music videos are also accessible on YouTube and discuss vital issues such as migration, relocation, family bonds, solidarity, religion, and other inspirational themes. Figure 7 presents question five discussion @@ -858,7 +862,7 @@ Nubian customs and home lifestyles. In an interview with the Egyptian pop singer, Eyre asked Mounir about -his Nubian roots and history during his lifetime.[^41] In responding to +his Nubian roots and history during his lifetime.[^42] In responding to this question, Mounir asserts that he does not > understand why the words \"Nubia\" and \"Nubian\" have become such a @@ -1072,7 +1076,7 @@ established by and for Nubians, aimed at promoting their culture and heritage while reviving their language. Among the YouTube social forums are "Nub Tube" and "I and "Nuba -Channel."[^42] Through these initiatives, Nubians are creating a +Channel."[^43] Through these initiatives, Nubians are creating a positive stance, emphasizing their identities, their language and cultural values, and their true characteristics and traits. By refusing to accept stereotypes and negative indexes, they leverage these @@ -1098,7 +1102,7 @@ Nubians and non-Nubians who appreciate and admire the Nubian language and culture actively challenge negative stereotypes by voicing their opinions, condemning such biases, and creating platforms that authentically represent their identity and heritage. One example is the -Art of Nubia website,[^43] which features a variety of sections +Art of Nubia website,[^44] which features a variety of sections dedicated to the Nubian language, books about the language, proverbs and wisdom, courses and lessons, songs, history, Nubian literature, dance, and weddings. This impressive initiative was founded and is maintained @@ -1114,7 +1118,7 @@ ethical values, and simplicity". Through this initiative, she hopes to raise awareness of this remarkable culture and combat racism and discrimination. -Another example is the NAPATA website,[^44] which is currently +Another example is the NAPATA website,[^45] which is currently undergoing redesign. Similar to the Art of Nubia, NAPATA provides information on Nubian poetry, music, language, history, and heritage. As a non-profit organization, NAPATA is dedicated to serving the needs of @@ -1225,10 +1229,10 @@ them and elaborate on the target questions. How are Nubians represented in the cartoon? Do you believe that their representations are realistic? -# Appendix 2: IPA transcription of Arabic[^45] +# Appendix 2: IPA transcription of Arabic[^46] ![Table with IPA transcription of Arabic.](../static/images/taha/appendix2.jpg "Table with IPA transcription of Arabic.") -**~~~~** +**~~Table with IPA transcription of Arabic.~~** # Bibliography @@ -1317,63 +1321,65 @@ Arabic in Egypt." *Dotawo* 6, 1 (2019): pp. 113--48 [^11]: Bassiouney, Constructing the Stereotype: Indexes and Performance of a Stigmatized local dialect in Egypt, p.3. -[^12]: Taha, From Nub to Dahab: The Lexical Shift of Fadija Nobiin to +[^12]: Detailed information about the participants and their backgrounds can be found in Table 1. + +[^13]: Taha, From Nub to Dahab: The Lexical Shift of Fadija Nobiin to Arabic in Egypt, p. 118. -[^13]: Fairclough, Language and Globalization, p. 40. +[^14]: Fairclough, Language and Globalization, p. 40. -[^14]: Fairclough, Language and Globalization, p. 2. +[^15]: Fairclough, Language and Globalization, p. 2. -[^15]: Ochs, Indexing Gender. +[^16]: Ochs, Indexing Gender. -[^16]: Ibid. +[^17]: Ibid. -[^17]: Hughes and Tracy, Indexicality, p. 1. +[^18]: Hughes and Tracy, Indexicality, p. 1. -[^18]: Johnstone et al., Mobility, Indexicality, and the Enregisterment +[^19]: Johnstone et al., Mobility, Indexicality, and the Enregisterment of 'Pittsburghese'. -[^19]: PAGE NUMBERS +[^20]: PAGE NUMBERS -[^20]: Silverstein, Indexical order and the Dialectics of +[^21]: Silverstein, Indexical order and the Dialectics of Sociolinguistic Life, p. 194. -[^21]: Eckert, Variation and the Indexical field. +[^22]: Eckert, Variation and the Indexical field. -[^22]: See +[^23]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0EE24Pc02E (accessed May 2021). -[^23]: See +[^24]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYfif7sAnpw&list=PL4ZQAyKFoBc-GzgfgRN8M9HJe152WYJ9D&index=5 -[^24]: See +[^25]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLW3gDcVzak (accessed in May 2021). -[^25]: See +[^26]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7L8zMTxsYc (accessed in June 2020). -[^26]: See +[^27]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G-5gKXOkNQ (accessed May 2021). -[^27]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctImkHHP9x4 +[^28]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctImkHHP9x4 (accessed August 2021). -[^28]: See +[^29]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A90OVqQtSM (accessed September 2021). -[^29]: Glossing abbreviations used in this paper: 1- first person; 2- +[^30]: Glossing abbreviations used in this paper: 1- first person; 2- second person; 3- third person; IMP- imperative; PR- proper noun; DEM- demonstrative; PRS- present; PST- past; FUT- future marker; SG- singular; PL- plural; PREP- preposition; NEG- negation; WH.Q- WH question; Q- question particle; QUANT- quantifier ; PCP- participle; PM- possessive marker; M- masculine; F- feminine; VOC- vocative. -[^30]: He was a non-Nubian Egyptian actor born in 1887. He was one the +[^31]: He was a non-Nubian Egyptian actor born in 1887. He was one the earliest actor to stigmatize and grossly exaggerate Nubians in movies and plays. His style of portraying Nubians, that includes ridiculing their Arabic fluency and accuracy, is still used in @@ -1381,20 +1387,20 @@ Arabic in Egypt." *Dotawo* 6, 1 (2019): pp. 113--48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAPYImuAK_g (accessed June 2021). -[^31]: Arabic is a grammatically gendered language in which verbs, +[^32]: Arabic is a grammatically gendered language in which verbs, nouns, and adjective always assign either a male or female case based on the person addressed. For example, nouns and adjectives or nouns have to agree in gender. -[^32]: See +[^33]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_18m7gWKQM (accessed July 2021). -[^33]: See +[^34]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLW3gDcVzak (accessed May 2021). -[^34]: See +[^35]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmgjwTZ6aRMfor 4a; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryWp_nqybmI @@ -1402,39 +1408,39 @@ Arabic in Egypt." *Dotawo* 6, 1 (2019): pp. 113--48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF8dncakq7k for 4c (accessed August 2021). -[^35]: See +[^36]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixZ9YtVLU3Q (accessed September 2021). -[^36]: Rouchdy, *Nubians and the Nubian Language in Contemporary Egypt*, +[^37]: Rouchdy, *Nubians and the Nubian Language in Contemporary Egypt*, p.27. -[^37]: I would like to thank my dear uncle Dr. Mohammad Ali-Bik, a +[^38]: I would like to thank my dear uncle Dr. Mohammad Ali-Bik, a professor of Mineralogy and Geochemistry at the Department of Geological Sciences in the Egyptian National Research Center, for all his insights and feedback. I am also very grateful to all my family members and friends who helped me with the survey study. -[^38]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X5bm0m-2SA (accessed in September 2024). +[^39]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X5bm0m-2SA (accessed in September 2024). -[^39]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU0clu5ft-E (accessed in September 2021). +[^40]: See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU0clu5ft-E (accessed in September 2021). -[^40]: In this study, music video refers to video recorded or filmed +[^41]: In this study, music video refers to video recorded or filmed performances usually accompanied by dancing, visual images, and musical instruments intended to promote and showcase artists and cultures and marketing for their albums. -[^41]: Afropop Worldwide interviewed Mohamed Mounir in July 2011 and +[^42]: Afropop Worldwide interviewed Mohamed Mounir in July 2011 and published in April 2012. Banning Eyre and Sean Barlow wrote and conducted the radio broadcasted interview with Mounir discussing the Egyptian revolution. -[^42]: See https://www.youtube.com/%40NubaTubeChannel (accessed September 2021) and http://www.youtube.com/%40%D9%82%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B77%D8%B9 +[^43]: See https://www.youtube.com/%40NubaTubeChannel (accessed September 2021) and http://www.youtube.com/%40%D9%82%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A9%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%B77%D8%B9 (accessed September 2021) respectively. -[^43]: https://artofnubia.com/index.html +[^44]: https://artofnubia.com/index.html -[^44]: https://www.napata.org/language.html +[^45]: https://www.napata.org/language.html -[^45]: Appendix 2 provides a description of the Arabic IPA Arabic sounds +[^46]: Appendix 2 provides a description of the Arabic IPA Arabic sounds used in this paper.