 Now you will know the process of transformation. When we become part of social practices in a COP, we are labelled. We get identities. These identities define ourselves. How this process takes place, let's try to understand it. These ideas have come that we are defined, we are given meaning through social practices by joining local groups at micro level. They are micro cause, many societies in other words. We can't relate directly with larger society. This is a way to get connected with larger society that we join COPs. So these ideas which we are talking about in this module, they have roots in anthropological linguistics. What is that? The study of language in relation to social groups are COPs. These ideas of COPs and on the basis of COPs to understand gender, identity and other social categories, all these things have discussed by anthropological linguists. We participate in multiple COPs. The process starts from here. First of all, we get membership at a given time and over time. This is not one time joining. We come, join a COP, we live there, we leave it and then we join another COP. Sometimes simultaneously we join multiple COPs and it does not happen at a particular time. Rather it goes on throughout our lifespan. We are a member of a family, a support team, a religion and so on. Simultaneously at the same time we are members of these multiple COPs. These communities offer different forms of participation for men and women. Now on the basis of gender, how gender involves in these participations? On the basis of being a male and female, our participation is decided. Its level is decided. Our view of gender is constructed in such participation. So this is how as a man and as a woman, we will understand ourselves and others. Sex differences are constructed through linguistic and social practices in COPs. In the previous modules too, we have said that when we take part, active part in social activities within the COP as a player, as an athlete, we are part of our team. We take part in sports actively. We know how to play certain games, how to know their norms and rules. This knowing takes place through language, through instructions. Our coach uses language to tell us all these things. We construct ourselves as different from and similar to others. So when we are involved in COPs as men and women by using different language patterns, different language styles and going through different, on the basis of gender, different social activities, we understand that we are different from others, why we are different from others and if are the same, why we are similar to them. For example, we may understand I am a heterosexual, middle class, Pakistani, professional and man. Being a man, I am believer of heterosexuality, opposite sex relations according to the norms of the society. I belong to middle class, I may be socio-economically related with a white color class, middle class people. I, by nationality, I am Pakistani. I am a professional person doing some job. So all these things are constructed through language and participation. This is the way, what you are doing, this is your definition. You are giving meaning to yourself, this is what is meant by the topic of this module, constructing meaning, constructing self, you construct your meaning, meaning of yourself by joining COPs. Gender is not matter of two similar social groups. Now through this participation, rather participation, we know that gender is not a simple state forward dichotomy, dichotomy that you are male, you are female. No, it is a complex of social categories because gender is not isolated. Gender comes through, comes to physical form through race, through age, through all these factors. So if we want to study gender, we have to study it as a complex of factors. These categories, what would happen? All these categories, they would make us kinds of people, types of people. They would categorize us, they would give us identity, they would give us meaning. Language is a tool that provides labels for these kinds of people. When you classify people into kinds on the basis of these social categories, definitely you need some label. It is language that provides that label. For example, language calls you hippy, druggy, phony, shoy person, and snops, liberals, and the khiladi, and jaleh, etc. So this is how language provides you labels. It defines yourselves. These categories are not directly visible. We create them, maintain and transform them when we join some COP. When we take part in social activities of a social group, that group may be our school, that group may be our club, that group may be a sports team. So through these activities, we create such categories. And we maintain them through these activities and through our talk about them. And we transform them with the passage of time. These categories are not static, they are not defined once for all. They go on changing and then language labels them. The categories are often, sometimes you go to COPs to define these categories, to get some label for yourself, and sometimes these categories themselves become basis for a COP. On the basis of these categories, COPs are formed. So this is again a mutual relationship between an individual self and a COP. To conclude, we can say that language labels us and labels give identity and meaning to us. We have talked about this process, but practically I want to involve you in some reflection through this task. People categorize and judge us through the labels they give us. Labels like Khiladi's, Jala's and Hippie and Druggie etc. which we have talked about in this module. Now recall your school days to agree or disagree to this statement. How in your student group, student COP in your school, how you labeled each other and how these labels led you to make certain judgments and opinions about each other. With the help of this task, you would understand the practical forms of what do we mean by this constructing meaning and constructing self.