Description
Book SynopsisThis book examines the intersectionality of gendered, religious identity among Muslim women in Catalonia, and illustrates how this identity is brokered through language use in a multilingual and diasporic context. Drawing on a mixed methods study of 1st and 2nd generation immigrant women, this book also examines how acculturation is a transgenerational process reflected in linguistic behavior. Through the use of questionnaire and interview data, the author constructs a story about informants’ experiences navigating life vis-à-vis language use; specifically through the use of Spanish, Catalan and native/heritage languages. This book offers a unique lens through which we can further our understanding of the role of language in the acculturation process in Catalonia. It adds to the ongoing discussion about language and migration in Catalonia and provides a valuable contribution to debates about immigrant women’s language learning and use.
Trade ReviewThis book is a great and engaging work on Muslim immigrant women living in Catalonia. One of the most interesting aspects is the sources used in this research, since it is based on real data from fieldwork. It will be an important milestone for an under-researched area of sociolinguistic studies on women's linguistic attitudes. * Ángeles Vicente, University of Zaragoza, Spain *
With tenacity, rigor, and originality, Dr Farah Ali explores the intersectionally complex lives of Muslim immigrant women in Catalonia – lives that are too often ignored or misrepresented. Empirically rich, the volume illuminates how several generations of these women creatively use their multilingual repertoires to carve out spaces for belonging and to fight their own marginalization.
* Inmaculada Ma García-Sánchez, UCLA, USA *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Language Use and Language Policy in Catalonia
Chapter 3. Acculturation and Negotiating Identity
Chapter 4. Research Design
Chapter 5. Spaniard on Purpose: Narratives of First Generation Informants
Chapter 6. In Two Worlds: Narratives of Second Generation Informants
Chapter 7. Catalan, Spanish and Heritage Languages: Reported Language Use and Attitudes
Chapter 8. Implications for Sociolinguistic Research
Chapter 9. Implications for Language and Immigrant-Targeted Policies
Appendix A: Questionnaire
Appendix B: Interview Questions
References
Index
