From Headline to Hashtag: A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Hijab in Transcultural Media

Abstract

This empirical study examines the hijab as a linguacultural phenomenon through a comparative critical discourse analysis of its representation across three distinct contexts: Pakistani English language media, Western international news outlets, and digital self-representation on Instagram. Addressing the gap between theoretical discussions of the hijab and analysis of its actual mediated discourse, the research employs Geertzian thick description as an interpretive lens to uncover the layered cultural meanings embedded in language. A curated corpus of 120 text based items (news articles, opinion pieces, and Instagram captions) from 2020 2023 was analyzed using a qualitative, interpretive framework. Findings reveal three dominant but divergent framing paradigms: 1) Western media discourse predominantly utilizes politicized and securitized frames that associate the hijab with conflict; 2) Pakistani media navigates a complex narrative of religious identity, modernity, and cultural preservation; 3) Digital spaces manifest a paradigm of personal agency, aesthetic expression, and community building. The study concludes that these conflicting framings constitute significant barriers to transcultural communication, as interlocutors operate from incommensurate meaning systems. It argues that thick description, applied to mediated discourse, provides a crucial methodological tool for deconstructing simplistic binaries and fostering intercultural understanding. The research contributes to intercultural communication theory by demonstrating how symbolic meaning is contested and negotiated in an increasingly mediated global sphere.