Language as a diasporic stance

Drawing on longitudinal ethnographic observations, and on an evaluation of statistics on language provisions and self-declared language practice, we examine the role of the Polish language in shaping single transactions and durable social bonds and in demarcating interaction spaces among Polish immigrants in a UK metropolitan area. Language choice can be essential, in that it cannot be replaced by a substitute. Therefore, it is either constitutive of an action routine in the sense that it lends a particular performative character to a practice; or casual, in that it accompanies a routine but is of little symbolic function and contributes little to performing belonging. We identify a spread of features of language across different practices, prompting reflection on the role of language as a co-defining indicator of diaspora communities.

Goldstein, Piotr, and Yaron Matras. 2024. “Language as a Diasporic Stance: Polish in a Migrant Urban Space.” Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2024.2368846.

Full article available here.

Leave a Reply