Identity in Narratives of Arab and African Refugees (2012-2016): A Sociolinguistic Perspective

Abstract

Abstract The present study examines narratives of Arab and African refugees from 2012 to 2016, to highlight how the refugees’ identity is constructed in their narratives. Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and have crossed international borders, searching for safety in another country. Employing Lieblich et al.’s holistic-content perspective (1998), the Appraisal framework developed by Martin and White (2005), Labov’s structural model (1999; 2006), the model of Speech and Thought Presentation (S&TP) developed by Short (1996), and Bucholtz and Hall’s identity framework (2005), the study shows that, in terms of the narratives’ thematic concerns, the refugees’ intense suffering and their tortuous journeys are developed as the narratives’ principal foci. From an Appraisal-framework perspective, tokens of negative affect are excessively depicted, marking Arab and African refugees’ deep sense of insecurity, whereas tokens of positive judgement are noted, representing the refugees as determined and hopeful. In addition, tokens of negative appreciation are identified, exploring the complex situation in Arab and African countries leading to the refugees’ unbearable experience of suffering. Incorporating Labov’s structural model within the model of S&TP, it is noted that orientation, complication and evaluation are the most dominant elements used to explore refugees’ identity features through the categories of DS & NRA (Speech Presentation) as well as NRTA and NRT (Thought Presentation). As for Bucholtz and Hall’s identity framework, analyzing the features of the indexicality principle explores the various identity roles occupied by refugees, illuminating their representation as powerless agents who are forced to leave their homeland and search for a safer place (Arab refugees) and as hapless victims who display a strong sense of belonging to cultural and African traditions (African refugees). Thus, the study’s major linguistic models intertwine discursively to highlight the constructed refugees’ identity, making their voices heard and appealing for the public’s attention.