Iranian Journal Of Antheropology

Iranian Journal Of Antheropology

Representation of Iranian Regionally Accented Persian in Animated Film Dubbing: An Analysis of Social Meanings and Narrative Roles

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Department of English Language Translation, Faculty of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
10.22034/jasi.2026.2091878.1640
Abstract
Linguistic diversity in audiovisual media functions not only as a marker of linguistic difference but also as an important resource for characterization, meaning-making, and the representation of cultural and social identities. Against this backdrop, the present study investigated the representational patterns of Iranian regionally accented Persian in Persian-dubbed animated films. To this end, twelve animated films were selected according to the sampling criteria, and thirty-eight accent-bearing characters were analyzed. The study adopted an integrated theoretical framework drawing on the concepts of representation, social indexicality, and symbolic power. The findings indicated that accent-bearing characters were predominantly portrayed as positive or neutral, and overtly negative portrayals were relatively uncommon. Nevertheless, most of these characters occupied secondary or supporting narrative roles, whereas leading and central narrative roles were predominantly voiced in Standard Persian. In addition, varieties of regionally accented Persian were commonly linked to meanings such as intimacy and humor, and they were less frequently associated with institutional authority and leadership. Overall, these findings suggest that Persian dubbing contributes not only to the transfer of content but also to the production and reproduction of social meanings associated with different varieties of Persian, including Standard Persian and regionally accented Persian; moreover, through its representational patterns, Persian dubbing participates in shaping the symbolic relations among these varieties.
Keywords
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