VISUAL AND LINGUISTIC NARRATIVE STRUCTURES IN MIGRATION DISCOURSE: A SOCIO-COGNITIVE SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF MULTIMODAL PROJECTION OF AFGHAN MIGRANTS LIVING IN PAKISTAN

Abstract

The turmoil of 21st-century Middle Eastern and South Asian wars has resulted in a large group of people who have been displaced from their homeland. From this perspective, the Afghan community is the most protracted nation that has been subjected to the brutalities of Russian and American invasions. Pakistan being a generous neighbour has always welcomed their Afghan brothers and provided a makeshift home for them. Even though coming to Pakistan, has saved the Afghan migrants from the torturing war, their living conditions have struck rock bottom. The current study, using Muhammad Muheisen and UNHCR’s online multimodal galleries as data sets, reveals and investigates the counter-narrative represented in their virtual multimodal projection. The study, using Socio-Cognitive Approach to Visual Grammar analytical framework, reveals that the visual and linguistic narrative structures employed in the data sets reflect underlying social structures constructed on the domains of cognition. Finally, the study is an academic voice to the plight of Afghan migrants living in Pakistan.