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Narratives of migration on Facebook: Belonging and identity among former fellow refugees

Publication ,  Journal Article
Baran, DM
Published in: Language in Society
April 1, 2018

This article brings together research on migration and identity in translocal and superdiverse contexts, and the recently expanding interest in narratives and interaction in social media, by examining the construction of identities in narratives shared in a private Facebook group message. The participants are former fellow refugees from Poland who reconnected on Facebook after two decades. The article analyzes three narratives produced in response to the researcher's question about ethnic and national affiliations. Using Bucholtz & Hall's (2004) tactics of intersubjectivity framework, this study examines the complex and conflicting ways in which individuals position themselves with respect to various contexts of belonging and difference (Meinhof & Galasiński 2005) that emerge in their narratives. I argue that the narratives show a link between essentialist or nonessentialist views of ethnicity/nationality, and the teller's assumed agency over her identity. The study also discusses new possibilities for discursive practices in social media contexts. (Narrative, migration, social media, identity, belonging)

Duke Scholars

Published In

Language in Society

DOI

EISSN

1469-8013

ISSN

0047-4045

Publication Date

April 1, 2018

Volume

47

Issue

2

Start / End Page

245 / 268

Related Subject Headings

  • 4704 Linguistics
  • 4703 Language studies
  • 2004 Linguistics
  • 2003 Language Studies
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Baran, D. M. (2018). Narratives of migration on Facebook: Belonging and identity among former fellow refugees. Language in Society, 47(2), 245–268. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404518000027
Baran, D. M. “Narratives of migration on Facebook: Belonging and identity among former fellow refugees.” Language in Society 47, no. 2 (April 1, 2018): 245–68. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404518000027.
Baran DM. Narratives of migration on Facebook: Belonging and identity among former fellow refugees. Language in Society. 2018 Apr 1;47(2):245–68.
Baran, D. M. “Narratives of migration on Facebook: Belonging and identity among former fellow refugees.” Language in Society, vol. 47, no. 2, Apr. 2018, pp. 245–68. Scopus, doi:10.1017/S0047404518000027.
Baran DM. Narratives of migration on Facebook: Belonging and identity among former fellow refugees. Language in Society. 2018 Apr 1;47(2):245–268.
Journal cover image

Published In

Language in Society

DOI

EISSN

1469-8013

ISSN

0047-4045

Publication Date

April 1, 2018

Volume

47

Issue

2

Start / End Page

245 / 268

Related Subject Headings

  • 4704 Linguistics
  • 4703 Language studies
  • 2004 Linguistics
  • 2003 Language Studies