Multilingualism, (Im)mobilities And Spaces Of Belonging

The movement of people and their linguistic repertoires has contributed to increasing pressure on the model of the nation-state and notions of linguistically and culturally homogeneous societies. Divided into three thematic sections, this book explores the ways in which language and heritage are linked, the contestation of spaces and the notion of borders, and examines themes of mobility and struggle and the ways in which language can be linked to notions of belonging, authenticity and aspirations for augmented mobility. With emerging findings based on ethnographic research in Africa, Asia, Australasia and Europe, it explores how language potentially functions as both site of struggle and as a means of overcoming struggle. The book will interest scholars taking ethnographic and critical approaches to the study of language, power and agency in the context of globalization.