Abstract
Dressing is one of the basic requirements of humans' life. Over time, the dressing pattern witnessed changes. The concept of dressing along with that observance of Pardah is considered as both social and religious obligation for both men and women which is evident from the holy Quran and Hadith. Social scientists, particularly sociologists are studying and researching for understanding the phenomena of change while reviewing life patterns and looking into human interactions & its nature which is getting the influence of modern-day forces shaping and altering attitude and behavior. While tracing the probable reasons of change in dressing shape and observance of Purdah; the concept of modernization cannot be overlooked in this regard. The researchers investigated the phenomena of change with the major objectives to ascertain the impact of modernization on dressing patterns especially the practice of Pardah in Pakhtun society. The qualitative research approach was used whereas the data was collected from different segments of Swat through stratified random sampling procedure while using focus group discussions and in-depth-interviews as research instruments. It was c oncluded that the overall dressing pattern and observance of Purdha are facing negative consequences of modernization.
Keyword(s)
Modernization, Dressing Pattern, Purdha, Socio-Cultural Dynamics, Pakhtun Society