A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF GENDER REPRESENTATION IN EMPATHY-RELATED PROVERBS IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK LANGUAGES
Abstract
This article explores the representation of gender in empathy-related proverbs in English and Uzbek from a linguocultural and cognitive perspective. Proverbs function as repositories of collective experience and cultural ideology, reflecting social expectations regarding emotional behavior and interpersonal relations. By analyzing metaphorical structures, imagery patterns, and implicit gender markers, this study demonstrates how empathy is conceptualized differently in the two linguistic traditions. The findings suggest that English proverbs often frame empathy within individual emotional control and moral responsibility, while Uzbek proverbs emphasize relational harmony, communal solidarity, and family-centered compassion. The research highlights how metaphor and imagery reinforce culturally embedded gender norms and contribute to the formation of social identity through language.
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