Document Type : Research
Authors
1 Associate Professor of Persian Language Education, Department of Persian Language and Literature, , Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
2 MA Student of Persian Language Education, Persian Language and Literature Department, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
Abstract
Women are often encouraged to remain silent by those around them in various situations. This enforced silence can lead to the infringement of women’s rights, humiliation, and a decline in their self-confidence within society. Analyzing the hidden cultural aspects of these silences can help mitigate these issues. Since the culture of each society influences its language, it is crucial to examine the phenomenon of ‘female silence’. This cultuling explores the hidden culture within the dialogues and utterances that urge women to remain silent. Drawing on the conceptual model of cultuling analysis, the present paper examines these utterances and identifies the hidden cultural features in them. To achieve this, 480 instances of utterances containing this cultuling were examined across various contexts. Results suggested that women are compelled to remain silent for such reasons as blame, shame, humiliation, advice and benevolence, threat and intimidation. Notably, the prevalence of this cultuling is high in Iranian society. An examination of the cultuling of female silence based on cultural patterns indicates the existence of a significant power gap, collectivism, male dominance, rigidity, and a strong cultural context in Iranian society. Iranian society is recognized as one that is holistic, shame-oriented, and rigid. Understanding these cultural characteristics can raise public awareness and help address issues such as women’s involuntary silence. This can lead to a more prominent presence of women in society, harnessing the strength of this large population for the country'’ development and cultural prosperity.
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