ماحولیاتی علامتیت اور ثقافتی اظہاریہ: اردو افسانوں میں دیہی سماجی بیانیہ

Abstract

This interdisciplinary study investigates how ecosemiotics and cultural expressivity shape rural social narratives in Urdu short stories. By employing a semiotic framework, the research analyzes key signifiers—natural landscapes, agricultural practices, folk rituals, and vernacular symbolism—to reveal how ecological signs articulate communal values, social structures, and environmental awareness. Drawing on ecocriticism, cultural theory, and narrative analysis, the study conducts close readings of selected texts by prominent Urdu writers, including Prem Chand, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, and Mansha Yaad. The methodology combines semiotic analysis with theoretical synthesis to contextualize rural narratives within broader socio-environmental frameworks. Examination of their depiction of village life showcases a dynamic interplay between human communities and natural environments, where symbolic representations foster cultural resilience and sustainable paradigms. The findings demonstrate that rural social narratives in Urdu fiction not only preserve traditional ecological knowledge but also engage contemporary environmental concerns, constructing narratives of resistance, adaptation, and stewardship. Ultimately, this research underscores the capacity of literary ecologies to inform interdisciplinary dialogues on sustainability and cultural identity, highlighting imaginative ecological praxis approaches