CULTURAL SEGMENTATION OF PAKISTANI WOMEN

Abstract

Social change is a ubiquitous process. The post-colonial societies have attempted to accelerate the process of social change through the project of national development. This often results in the increased social differentiation and the widening of cultural divides in a society. This is what has happened in Pakistan. While the forces of modernization and development are well known as the drivers of cultural change, what is not commonly recognized is that Islamization has also contributed to the cultural segmentation of Pakistani society. This article examines the cultural segmentation of Pakistan through the lens of women’s narratives, beliefs and practices. They are divided in three cultural segments linked together by family, class, and clan institutions. The article further explores the factors that have contributed to the segmentation of women along cultural lines.