Discourses of Distance and Dependency: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Remittance and Migration Talk Among Overseas Pakistani Worker Families

This study explores the discourses of families of overseas Pakistani workers (OPW) regarding migration and remittances in real-world contexts. Millions of Pakistani men work abroad, primarily in the Gulf countries, and remit funds to their families. Although much research has examined the economic impact of such remittances, little has examined the language families use when speaking about distance, money, and dependency. This paper uses critical discourse analysis to examine the experiences of ten families with a husband, father, or son working abroad in both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Wives, mothers, and adult children of migrant workers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. The analysis is based on Fairclough's three-dimensional approach to discourse, which considers the dimensions of text, discourse practice, and social practice. Results reveal that families employ a discourse that portrays the migrant as a provider and hero while expressing loneliness, waiting, and financial dependence. There is an implicit contradiction between the pride in the migrant's sacrifice and the stress of long separation. This study suggests that remittance talk is not solely a matter of money. It is a process through which power, gender roles, and family identity are constructed and reconstructed in everyday speech. The paper concludes with recommendations for policymakers and further research. Keywords: Labor migration, remittances, transnational families, Pakistan, discourse and power, left behind families.