ERIC Number: EJ1143698
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-May
Pages: 31
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0167-8507
EISSN: N/A
"It's Not Comfortable Being Who I Am"--Multilingual Identity in Superdiverse Dubai
ONeill, Gary Thomas
Multilingua: Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication, v36 n3 p215-245 May 2017
This ethnographic case study examines the factors that contribute to multilingual choices and the construction of identities in a linguistically diverse family within a linguistically diverse city, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Based on interviews with a female Emirati in her early thirties, the article examines this young woman's dispositions (habitus), beliefs and practices with regard to the language and literacy resources at her disposal. It describes how she views English and several varieties of Arabic, focusing largely on her language practices, and the role that they play in the construction and management of her identities, within personal and professional relationships and in relation to the various tasks that she performs in daily life. The study finds that in this superdiverse society, existing language ideologies, indexicalities, stereotypes, and gender issues, may render the performance of multilingualism and the construction of identities potentially rewarding but also potentially disturbing, particularly for those individuals who, through birth and/or marriage, are members of several national or ethnic communities, and who may be, in some senses, icons of superdiversity.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Self Concept, Ethnic Diversity, Cultural Pluralism, Multilingualism, Ethnography, Case Studies, Language Minorities, Young Adults, Females, Semi Structured Interviews, Personality Traits, Beliefs, Language Attitudes, English (Second Language), Semitic Languages, Language Usage, Stereotypes, Gender Issues, Undergraduate Students, Student Characteristics, Family Characteristics, Educational Background, Work Environment
De Gruyter Mouton. Available from: Walter de Gruyter, Inc. 121 High Street, Third Floor, Boston, MA 02110. Tel: 857-284-7073; Fax: 857-284-7358; e-mail: service@degruyter.com; Web site: http://www.degruyter.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Arab Emirates
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A