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The Impact of Punjabi Culture on Cultural Conceptualization of Balochi: A case study from an emic perspective

Athar Abbas, Adeel Ahmed, Abdullah Meer

Introduction :

In terms of area Baluchistan is the largest province of Pakistan. Baluchistan has been a cradle of world’s leading civilizations. There is sufficient evidence from the prehistoric and historic period that supports this argument. The area had remained a cross- road of civilization generally in South Asia and particularly in the sub-continent. The relationship between culture and language is a reciprocal one i.e., culture is always at the back of language and language is always a carrier of culture. This implies that Language is not just a part of culture but is also a medium of culture. Language influences the thought and perception of reality.The purpose of the research is to explore the impact of Punjabi culture on the Cultural Conceptualization of Balochi residing in Punjab. since society impacts a person’s local culture. The study will look into different dimensions of such impact. Balochi language culture is not well used in the areas of Punjab, so far we are researching the context. The importance of this research is to apply appropriate conditions to accommodate a person belonging to another culture and living in another culture. It includes language, rituals, values, and attitudes. The study is qualitative in nature as the data was collected via Formal Conversational interview. The data is collected form 1 interviewees by executing the purposeful sampling means.

Key words: Culture, Balochi, language, event, behavior, literature, art

Introduction:

It is an established fact that language is a social and cultural phenomenon not an “individual expression”. Language shift is a social phenomenon where one language substitutes another. In the social phenomenon of language attrition, strong reasons are needed to enable the action such as environmental, social, political, economic and geographical changes. The Baluchistan province is situated on the south west of Pakistan. Nevertheless, these ethnic groups are further divided into several sub-groups. Furthermore, the issue of intercommunity tensions is also present in Pakistan, with the smaller provinces concerned about their under-representation in civil and government, and a lack of cultural recognition and control over their indigenous resources. Furthermore, various groups inside the population hold a history of intolerance and violence towards each other because of political, cultural, linguistic and spiritual conflicts. (Dashti, 2007)

In research article “Cultural Diversity in Pakistan: National vs Provincial” published by Syed Afzal Moshadi Shah and  Dr. Shehla Amjad explained The purpose of the research was to investigate the cultural dimensions of the four provinces of Pakistan i.e. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan of Pakistan and their comparison with national culture. The research capitalizes upon the methodology devised by Hofstede et. al (2008) in order to investigate the cultural dimensions. A total 557 questionnaires were used in order to reach the final analysis by using descriptive statistics and test of significance. Research findings show an existence of a cultural diversity among different provinces of Pakistan, where Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) possessing the most distinctive culture. Beside provincial disparity with national culture on one to one basis, it does not affect the results on aggregate basis. Hence the national culture remains a true representation of the country. The nature of subcultures within provinces and the level of their impact was the major limitation of the research. (Moshadi Shah & Amjad, 2011)

In research article Language and Culture(With Special Reference to English Languageand Punjabi Culture) published by Ms. Sana Nawaz, Ms. Ayesha Umer, Ms. Fatima Anjum & Mr. Muhammad Ramzan explored the extent to which English language has influenced the culture of the Sub-continent. The assumption that any lexical item is a product ofcollaborative forces like economic scenario, ethical framework, political configuration,psychological makeup and religious approach of any culture inculcates the proposition that lexicon-adoption is not a purely linguistic phenomenon. Appropriation of the cultural background of the ‘Carrier’ word by the ‘Receiving’ culture is also the consequence of this lexicon-adoption. The assertion of this premise is established by data collection through a self-administered questionnaire with a sample size of 200 people. The result amplifies the validity of the idea that language arrogation can never be seen in isolation from its cultural implications. (MS. Sana Nawaz, 2012)

In research article Uprootedness and Groupness of Educational migrants amidst ethnic violence : a case study of the Bloch Students in Lahore published by Mohammad Ahsan Cheema aimed at understanding the dynamics of the individuals who migrate for social mobility to a perceived enemy territory amidst violent ethnic secessionist struggle. (Cheema, 2022)

This issue of relationship inspires complexity in a bi/multilingual society, for here the matter of identity gains acceleration. Lustig and Koester relate cultural and social identity to the language. “Cultural identity refers to our sense of belonging to a particular culture or ethnic group. It is formed through a process that results from membership in a particular culture and it involves learning about and accepting the traditions, heritage, language, religion, aesthetics, thinking patterns and social structures of a culture. That is people internalize the beliefs, values, norms and social practices of their culture and identify with that culture as part of their self concept”self-identity usually depends on culture to such a great extent that immersion in a very different culture—with which a person does not share common ways of life or beliefs—can cause a feeling of confusion and disorientation. Anthropologists refer to this phenomenon as culture shock People in all types of societies organize themselves in relation to each other for work and other duties, and to structure their interactions. Although social culture, in its essence, has not been changed, there are superficial changes in social culture; mainly due to their relation to ‘culture’ and ‘civilization’ and ‘sophistication’. Joint family system — the most popular system in the Sub-continent—has transformed into a nuclear family. The complicated system of kinship that included a cluster of relations like ‘Mama’, ‘Chacha’, ‘Phupha’, ‘Khalu’, ‘Taya’ has been reduced to a simplified ‘Uncle’. Same is the case with ‘cousin’ that is a one-word substitute for ‘Taya-zaad-Bhai’, ‘Mamu-zaad-Behan’ and a lot more. Like all other fields of social patterns, art of this area could not remain immune from the aggressive advances of English art. In poetry, it made our native poetry more humane and more concerned with mundane concerns. Poetry, in the Sub-continent, was preoccupied with the obsession of love and other mystical and abstract themes. It was the influence of English poetry that revolutionized it and it started to deal with social, political and philosophical themes. The most popular literary genre in the pre-Anglo era was ‘Dastaan. The speech behavior in every community has deep marks of folk wisdom arising out of certain conventions and events that spring from universal human situations. Like stepping stones in a stream, indigenous and foreign proverbs give humans tried and tested means to help them in multifaceted domains. Sapir (2004) identified the language of proverbs as a symbolic guide to culture and vocabulary, a very sensitive index of it. As the vehicle of communication, proverbs can convey us far and long in mission.

Purpose:

The purpose of the research is to explore the impact of Punjabi culture on the Cultural Conceptualization of Balochi residing in Punjab. since society impacts a person’s local culture. The study will look into different dimensions of such impact.

Problem Statement:   

Balochi language culture is not well used in the areas of Punjab, so far we are researching the context. This research is for this purpose

Objectives: 

1.To analyze the impacts of Punjabi events and ritual in the term of cultural conceptualization.

2.Exploring the cultural differences between Punjabi and Balochi culture.

3.To identify the impact of language nonverbal behavior.

4.To examine the role of Punjabi literature and art in the term of cultural conceptualization.

Research Questions:

This research was designed to assign the following research questions.

Q1- How far does Punjabi culture impact a Balochi resident’s nonverbal behavior?

Q2- What are the impacts of Punjabi events and ritual in terms of cultural conceptualization.

Q3- How Punjabi and Balochi culture are different from each other?

Q4- How to examine the role of Punjabi literature and art in the terms of cultural conceptualization?

Limitations:   

This research is limited to only one Balochi result and not all cultures, one’s mother culture and another’s host culture. There is no interpretation of a third cultural language.

Delimitations:

This research is delimited to use only Punjabi and Balochistan culture and specific parts. There is a bicultural process and it is limited to only this process.

Significance:  

The importance of this research is to apply appropriate conditions to accommodate a person belonging to another culture and living in another culture. It includes language, rituals, values ​​, and attitudes

Research Framework:

This study analyzed the data collected in speech form. This study analyzed Balochi culture, their events, language ,literature & art. This study descriptively shows how Balochi feels and behave in Punjabi culture.

Research Type:

This research is based on qualitative exploration of Balochi behavior  towards Punjabi culture.

Population and Sampling :

In this study there is analysis and comparison in the term of cultural conceptualization in Punjabi and Balochi culture.

Sample Type:

The sample of this study is an interview in speech form.

Sampling Technique:

The technique of this study is informal conversational interview.

Sampling Criteria:

Sampling criteria is a person from Balochistan living in Faisalabad, Punjab.

Sample Size:

The simple size of this study is one person.

Tools for data collection:

Data is collected through an informal conversational interview of a Balochi living in punjab.

Tools for data analysis: 

 This study was later qualitatively manually analyzed.

Interview Questions and Analysis:

Questions Answer
Did you experience any change in your Balochi dance after shifting to punjab?   There has been no change in our Balochi dance, but you will be familiar with the dances here. Our dance is quite different from the Punjabi dance.  Therefore, our dance has not changed and if our dance is celebrated, only the students celebrate it, because in Punjab students do events together and celebrate there. There is no change in the dance, but our Balochi dance is rarely celebrated.  Goes to Punjab.  Due to low numbers.  Here it is quite different from the rest of the dances.
Has Punjabi culture impacted your taste in Literature in any way? Balochi literature was actually affected in Punjab because there is no one who speaks Balochi. Balochi poetry is written where the Balochi live.  Therefore, no one is ready to write. The main reason for this is that Baloch is not in Punjab. For this reason, Balochi poetry and novels were greatly influenced in Punjab.
Have you felt any change in your emotions after shifting to Punjab? Do you think Punjabi culture has played a role in it? When I came to Punjab my emotions and feelings changed. And I feel a clear change/difference in my accent is changed somehow to Punjabi.
How do they celebrate their Balochi events while living in Punjab? We don’t celebrate Balochi events at all because our majority is less and it is difficult to celebrate because there is no place, If we celebrate then all the students together do events in a hotel there to celebrate together.
Have you learned the Punjabi language in Punjab? Yes, but not completely. Because there are few speakers in the hostel. Balochi students are there in the hostel. And there is not so much interest in learning Punjabi language.  And the words of daily life come, they just come. And it is completely different from our language. Therefore, it is difficult  If we learn anything, we learn from what we boys talk about in class and which are used in our daily life and that’s we learn this.
Did you find any change in Balochi and Punjabi facial gestures? Balochi culture is very different. In our culture we give specific gesture. we put our hand on chest to show/or do Adab. In Balochi Haal waal we sit in a circle and discuss different topics. There are very specific to only Balochi culture.
How Balochi feels proud or humiliated while living in Punjab? In Punjab I cannot express my opinion and emotions relating to anything. Neither we feel shame nor proud.

Participant Background Information :

My name is Abdullah Mir I got primary education from BASTl GUL Muhammad school Rakh Jar in Balochistan and went to High School Sakhi Sarwar for matriculation and then went  for higher education  in Ripah International University Faisalabad Campus now I am living here  since three years.

Analysis:

As he is living in Punjab but he has not adopted Punjabi culture, though “ he has experienced and participated in different Punjabi events but there is no influence on his dance and on his personality. I did not study Punjabi literature at all”. While living in Punjab he felt a clear change in his behavior , way of thinking and in his accent.

He does not celebrate any events of Balochi culture in Punjab because they are in minority. So only events they celebrate with the collaboration of friends those from Balochi is “Jhumar .Jhumar basically their ritual dance. As he said he has no friends from Punjab, with whom he does not speak Punjabi. The reason is lack of communication. This friend speaks Punjabi and he speaks Balochi. So they do not understand each other, so they choose Urdu for communication. Balochi has his own special gesture for greeting and for discussion they make a circle. As a Balochi, he is neutral while expressing himself.

Culture has a deep impact on individuals.  It is formed through a process that results from membership in a particular culture and it involves learning about and accepting the traditions, heritage, language, religion, aesthetics, thinking patterns and social structures of a culture. That is people internalize the beliefs, values, norms and social practices of their culture and identify with that culture as part of their concept, self-identity usually depends on culture to such a great extent that immersion in a very different culture, with which a person does not share common ways of life or beliefs, can cause a feeling of confusion and disorientation. This research aimed to show the notion of culture impacts on anyone particularly any What does a Punjabi feels living in Punjab. interviewing a Balochi showed that there is no such change in him while living for years. Balochi is not appreciated or humiliated in Punjab when he wears his particular cultural dress or when he performs dance. According to this research, he did not learn Punjabi language, but accent impacted his Urdu speaking accent. He adopted the Punjabi accent, not the language. This puts light on the notion that ethnicity and cultural impacts have great impacts on individuals living across specific regions. 

Conclusion:

Culture is always at the back of language and language is always a carrier of culture.This implies that Language is not just a part of culture but is also a medium of culture. Language influences the thought and perception of reality. It is an established fact that language is a social and cultural phenomenon not an “individual expression”. This research explored the impact of Punjabi culture on the Cultural Conceptualization of Balochi residing in Punjab. Since society impacts a person’s local culture. This research showed that individuals have deep impacts of ethnicity on them, wherever they go their culture, language, behavior, literature and norms remain the same. Balochi; research sample, did not change by Punjabi culture or people in any way. Balochi people according to research study are very truthful, trustworthy, honest and hospitable. In hospitality even the poorest among them share whatever they had at the time of meal with the other. In that culture, the chiefs were very lavish in entertaining the guests. The Baloch coming to the chief’s village for any of their jobs were fed from the house of the chiefs. So, this research study showed Balochi’s behavior toward Punjabi culture and any change if he had in himself.

References:

Alizai, K. (2021). A Case Study of Punjabi Lnguage Diglossia and Language Shift in Balouchistan Province. Pedagogika Spoteczna Nova, 163-181.

Dashti, N. (2007). AN EXPLORATION OF THE CULTURAL CONTEXT AND CONCEQUENCES OF PRECEPTIONS OF ILLNESS AND HEALTH-SEELKING BEHAVIOUR OF THE BALOCH.

Dr. Abdul Razzaq Sabir, W. R. (2010). MULTICULTURALISM: A CASE STUDY OF BALOCHISTAN. BI-ANNUAL RESEARCH JOURNAL “BALOUCHISTAN REVIEW” ISSN 1810-2174, 17 to 25.

KHAN, L. K. (2020). CONCEPTULIZATION OF SPEECH IN ORAL CULTURE: A LINGUO-CULTURAL STUYDY OF YORUBA AND PUNJABI PROVERBS. Islamabad .

MS. Sana Nawaz, M. A. (2012). Language and Culture(With Special Reference to English Lnguager and Punjabi Culture). GLOBAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN SOCIAL SCIENCE LINGUISTOICS & EDUCATION.

Muhammad Fiaz Anwar, S. K. (2018). Nineteeth Century Libertarian and Enlightened Social and Cultural Organization of Baloch Tribes of Dera Ghazi Khan . Pakisytan Socisal Sciences Review, 187-195.

Shah, S. A. (2011). Cultural Diversity in Pakistan: Nationmal vs Provincial. Mediterranean Jornal of Social Sciences, 330 to 343.

Bibliography

Alizai, K. (2021). A Case Study of Punjabi Lnguage Diglossia and Language Shift in Balouchistan Province. Pedagogika Spoteczna Nova, 163-181.

Cheema, M. A. (2022). Uprootedness and Groupness of educational migrants amidst ethnic violemce: a case study of the Baloch students in Lahore. 1-62.

Dashti, N. (2007). AN EXPLORATION OF THE CULTURAL CONTEXT AND CONCEQUENCES OF PRECEPTIONS OF ILLNESS AND HEALTH-SEELKING BEHAVIOUR OF THE BALOCH.

Dr. Abdul Razzaq Sabir, W. R. (2010). MULTICULTURALISM: A CASE STUDY OF BALOCHISTAN. BI-ANNUAL RESEARCH JOURNAL “BALOUCHISTAN REVIEW” ISSN 1810-2174, 17 to 25.

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KHAN, L. K. (2020). CONCEPTULIZATION OF SPEECH IN ORAL CULTURE: A LINGUO-CULTURAL STUYDY OF YORUBA AND PUNJABI PROVERBS. Islamabad .

Moshadi Shah, S. A., & Amjad, D. S. (2011). Cultural Diversity in Pakistan: National vs Provincial. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 331-344.

MS. Sana Nawaz, M. A. (2012). Language and Culture(With Special Reference to English Lnguager and Punjabi Culture). GLOBAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN SOCIAL SCIENCE LINGUISTOICS & EDUCATION.

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Shah, S. A. (2011). Cultural Diversity in Pakistan: Nationmal vs Provincial. Mediterranean Jornal of Social Sciences, 330 to 343.

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