Document Type
Article
Source of Publication
International Journal for the Semiotics of Law
Publication Date
1-1-2025
Abstract
In the digital era, the meaning of different kinds of veil, including the hijab, undertakes significant transformations due to the interaction between laws, norms, everyday practice, and digital technologies. At the same time, the digital sphere intensifies the manifestation of diverse cultural expressions, including veiling practices, leading to new trends, meanings, and layers of complexity. Through the lens of the semiotic of culture, this contribution aims to explore how these practices, traditionally associated with certain notions of modesty and religious identity, are now subject to new translations and dynamic reinterpretations within digital spaces. The digital sphere appears as a semiotic continuum where the veiling practices are negotiated, affecting their perception, and creating hybrid cultural identities. Furthermore, these digital interactions influence the relationship between laws and social norms surrounding veiling practices. The various veiled forms of female dress-code move across semiospheres, where they are revalorized and often recontextualized, challenging established norms and suggesting a new paradigm for the study of these conventions. In this sense, such digital interactions prompt a reassessment of regulatory frameworks and cultural expressions. Drawing on Lotman’s theory of cultures, these dynamics tend to be seen as cultural translation processes across semiotic boundaries. By exploring these dynamics through the semiotic analysis of a corpus of digital representations of the veiling practices within the MENA region, the research will contribute to a deeper understanding of the cultural adaptations that are leading to negotiated identities, offering a perspective on how the evolving nature of cultural symbols translates into legal frameworks and societal values.
DOI Link
ISSN
Disciplines
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Keywords
Laws, MENA region, Online veiling practices, Semiotics of culture, Social norms
Scopus ID
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Greco, Cristina and Leone, Massimo, "Wearing the Veil in the Web: Transformations of Social Norms and Everyday Practices in the Digital Sphere Within the MENA Region" (2025). All Works. 7339.
https://zuscholars.zu.ac.ae/works/7339
Indexed in Scopus
yes
Open Access
yes
Open Access Type
Hybrid: This publication is openly available in a subscription-based journal/series