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4 - Framed

Portrayals of Afghan Women in the Popular Imaginary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 June 2020

Nivi Manchanda
Affiliation:
Queen Mary University of London
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Summary

If ‘tribal’ is the first word that comes to mind when talking about Afghanistan, the image of women in burqas forms its visual counterpart. The ‘plight of women’ is frequently invoked to inform the world of the backwardness and brutality of the government and people (especially the men) of Afghanistan. By examining an array of articles, commentaries and political testimonies, Chapter 4 underscores the problematic and politicised assumptions that guide ostensibly ‘neutral’ liberal discourses on saving Afghan women. Rather than making an ontological assertion about the (misread and misunderstood) character of Afghan women – not least because such a diverse group cannot be said to have a single character – this chapter focuses on discourse productivity as a process by which certain narratives sanction particular policies and validate some lifestyles and marginalise others.

Type
Chapter
Information
Imagining Afghanistan
The History and Politics of Imperial Knowledge
, pp. 143 - 179
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2020

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  • Framed
  • Nivi Manchanda, Queen Mary University of London
  • Book: Imagining Afghanistan
  • Online publication: 09 June 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108867986.005
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  • Framed
  • Nivi Manchanda, Queen Mary University of London
  • Book: Imagining Afghanistan
  • Online publication: 09 June 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108867986.005
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Framed
  • Nivi Manchanda, Queen Mary University of London
  • Book: Imagining Afghanistan
  • Online publication: 09 June 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108867986.005
Available formats
×