1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Pragmatics
  4. Volume 22, Issue 2
  5. Article
The interplay between professional identities and age, gender and ethnicity
  • ISSN 1018-2101
  • E-ISSN: 2406-4238
PDF

Abstract

This article examines the professional identity construction of three young 2 generation immigrant women of Moroccan descent who have university degrees and high-skilled jobs. More specifically, I focus on how they construct this professional identity in relation to their gender and ethnicity. The data consist of interviews in which the interviewer explicitly probes for the relation between these topics. Interestingly, all the interviewees construct their professional identities in relatively similar ways. Furthermore, they resist the interviewer’s projections of ethno-professional identities and replace these by professional identities, thus making ethnicity irrelevant for the discussion. Finally, when discussing gendered identities, they all orient to the Western hegemonic model of the struggle in finding a work-life balance. As such, these interviewees bracket ethnicity which may be related to the role of the interviewer, interviews as a genre, and the interviewees’ orientation to societal norms.

© 2012 International Pragmatics Association
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/prag.22.2.06mie
2012-01-01
2023-09-23

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/prag.22.2.06mie
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Andriessen, I. , E. Nievers , L. Faulk , and J. Dagevos
    (2010) Liever Mark dan Mohammed? Onderzoek naar Arbeidsmarktdiscriminatie van Niet-Westerse Migranten via Praktijktests. Online at: www.scp.nl/dsresource?objectid=24186&type=org. Accessed on 19 May 2010 .
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Antaki, C.
    (2002) An Introductory Tutorial in Conversation Analysis. Online at: www-staff.lboro.ac.uk/~ssca1/sitemenu.htm. Accessed on 1 December 2009 .
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Bamberg, M.
    (2004) Considering counter narratives. In M. Bamberg , and M. Andrews (eds.), Considering Counter Narratives: Narrating, Resisting, Making Sense. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp.351–372. doi: 10.1075/sin.4.43bam
     https://doi.org/10.1075/sin.4.43bam [Google Scholar]
  4. Baynham, M.
    (2006) Performing self, narrative and community in Moroccan narratives of migration and settlement. In A. De Fina , D. Schiffrin , and M. Bamberg (eds.), Discourse and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.376–397. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511584459
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511584459 [Google Scholar]
  5. Burr, V.
    (1995) An Introduction to Social Constructionism. London: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203299968
     https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203299968 [Google Scholar]
  6. Chilton, P.
    (2004) Analysing Political Discourse, Theory and Practice. London: Routledge.
     [Google Scholar]
  7. De Fina, A.
    (2003) Identity in Narrative, A Study of Immigrant Discourse. Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company. doi: 10.1075/sin.3
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/sin.3 [Google Scholar]
  8. (2006) Group identity, narrative and self-presentations. In A. De Fina , D. Schiffrin , and M. Bamberg (eds.), Discourse and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.351–375. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511584459
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511584459 [Google Scholar]
  9. (2009) Narratives in interview - The case of accounts; For an interactional approach to narrative genres. Narrative Inquiry19.2: 233–258. doi: 10.1075/ni.19.2.03def
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/ni.19.2.03def [Google Scholar]
  10. (2011) Researcher and informant roles in narrative interactions: Constructions of belonging and foreign-ness. Language in Society40: 27–38. doi: 10.1017/S0047404510000862
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0047404510000862 [Google Scholar]
  11. De Fina, A. , D. Schiffrin , and M. Bamberg
    (2006) Introduction. In A. De Fina , D. Schiffrin , and M. Bamberg (eds.), Discourse and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.1–23. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511584459
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511584459 [Google Scholar]
  12. De Standaard
    (2005) Allochtonen scheiden op z’n Vlaams, De Standaard, 8 October 2005.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. (2009) Gemeenschapsonderwijs voert algemeen hoofddoekenverbod, De Standaard, 11 September 2009.
     [Google Scholar]
  14. De Volkskrant
    (2010) ChristenUnie Noemt Allochtoon Liever ‘Biculturele Burger’. Online at: www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article1377420.ece/ChristenUnie_noemt_allochtoon_liever_biculturele_burger. Accessed on 19 May 2010 .
     [Google Scholar]
  15. Eggerickx, T. , C. Kesteloot , M. Poulain , K. Peleman , T. Roesems , and H. Vandenbroeke
    (1999) De Allochtone Bevolking in België. Online at: statbel.fgov.be/nl/binaries/11A_nl%5B1%5D_tcm325-57837.pdf. Accessed on 12 May 2010 .
     [Google Scholar]
  16. Edwards, D. , and J. Potter
    (1992) Discursive Psychology. London: Sage.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. Georgakopoulou, A.
    (2006) Thinking big with small stories in narrative and identity analysis. Narrative Inquiry16.1: 122–130. doi: 10.1075/ni.16.1.16geo
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/ni.16.1.16geo [Google Scholar]
  18. Goffman, E.
    (1979) Footing. Semiotica25.1/2: 1–29. doi: 10.1515/semi.1979.25.1‑2.1
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/semi.1979.25.1-2.1 [Google Scholar]
  19. Hofstede, G.
    (2001) Culture’s Consequences, Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions, and Organizations Across Nations. Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Holstein, J.A. , and J.F. Gubrium
    (2003) Active interviewing. In J.A. Holstein , and F. Gubrium (eds.), Postmodern Interviewing. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, pp.67–80.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Johnstone, B.
    (1996) The Linguistic Individual. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Labov, W. , and J. Waletzky
    (1966) Narrative analysis: Oral versions of personal experience. In J. Helm (ed.), Essays on the Verbal and Visual Arts. Seattle: University of Washington Press, pp.12–44.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Lesaffer, P.
    (2011) Hema ontslaat winkelbediende voor hoofddoek. De Standaard, 8 March 2011.
     [Google Scholar]
  24. Leudar, I. , V. Marsland , and J. Nekvapil
    (2004) On membership categorization: ‘us’, ‘them’ and ‘doing violence’ in political discourse. Discourse & Society15.2-3: 243–266. doi: 10.1177/0957926504041019
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926504041019 [Google Scholar]
  25. Linde, C.
    (1993) Life Stories, the Creation of Coherence. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Moita-Lopes, L.P.
    (2006) On being white, heterosexual and male in a Brazilian school: Multiple positionings in oral narratives. In A. De Fina , D. Schiffrin , and M. Bamberg (eds.), Discourse and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp.288-313. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511584459.015
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511584459.015 [Google Scholar]
  27. Mullany, L.J.
    (2006) Narrative constructions of gender and professional identities. In T. Omoniyi , and G. White (eds.), The Sociolinguistics of Identity. London: Continuum, pp.157–172.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Mullany, L. J.
    (2009) Gender studies and business discourse. In F. Bargiela-Chiappini (ed.), The Handbook of Business Discourse. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp.213–225.
     [Google Scholar]
  29. Ochs, E. , and L. Capps
    (2001) Living narrative, Creating Lives in Everyday Storytelling. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  30. OECD
    [Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development] (2010) OECD Social, Employment and Migration Working Papers. Online at: www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2009doc.nsf/LinkTo/NT00006976/$FILE/JT03273143.PDF. Accessed on 17 May 2010 .
     [Google Scholar]
  31. Paoletti, I. , and G. Cavallaro Johnson
    (2007) Doing “being ordinary” in an interview narrative with a second generation Italian-Australian woman. In M. Bamberg , A. De Fina , and D. Schiffrin (eds.), Selves and Identities in Narrative and Discourse. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp.89–105. doi: 10.1075/sin.9.06pao
     https://doi.org/10.1075/sin.9.06pao [Google Scholar]
  32. Potter, J.
    (1996) Representing Reality; Discourse, Rhetoric and Social Construction. London: Sage. doi: 10.4135/9781446222119
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446222119 [Google Scholar]
  33. Potter, J. , M. Wetherell , and A. Chitty
    (1991) Quantification rhetoric – cancer on television. Discourse & Society2.3: 333–65. doi: 10.1177/0957926591002003005
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926591002003005 [Google Scholar]
  34. Schiffrin, D.
    (1996) Narrative as self-portrait: Sociolinguistic constructions of identity. Language in Society25: 167–203. doi: 10.1017/S0047404500020601
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0047404500020601 [Google Scholar]
  35. Schnurr, S.
    (2009) Constructing leader identities through teasing at work. Journal of Pragmatics41: 1125–1138. doi: 10.1016/j.pragma.2008.10.002
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2008.10.002 [Google Scholar]
  36. Tajfel, H.
    (1981) Human Groups and Social Categories. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  37. Tannen, D.
    (1989) Talking Voices, Repetition, Dialogue, and Imagery in Conversational Discourse. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Timor, U. , and R. Landau
    (1998) Discourse characteristics in the sociolect of repentant criminals. Discourse & Society9.3: 363–86. doi: 10.1177/0957926598009003004
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0957926598009003004 [Google Scholar]
  39. Van De Mieroop, D.
    (2011) Identity negotiations in narrative accounts about poverty. Discourse & Society22.5: 565–591. doi: 10.1177/0957926511405423
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926511405423 [Google Scholar]
  40. Verschelden, W. , and P. De Lobel
    (2006) Geen hoofddoeken aan loket; Coalitie hakt knoop in diversiteitsluik door. De Standaard, 29 November 2006.
     [Google Scholar]
  41. Wagner, I. , and R. Wodak
    (2006) Performing success: Identifying strategies of self-presentation in women’s biographical narratives. Discourse & Society17.3: 385–411. doi: 10.1177/0957926506060251
     https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0957926506060251 [Google Scholar]
  42. Zimmerman, D.H.
    (1988) On conversation: The conversation analytic perspective. InCommunication Yearbook 11 (published annually for the International Communication Association). Newbury Park: Sage, pp.406–432.
     [Google Scholar]
  43. (1998) Identity, context and interaction. In C. Antaki , and S. Widdicombe (eds.), Identities in Talk. London: Sage, pp.87–106.
     [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1075/prag.22.2.06mie
Loading
  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): 2nd generation immigrants; Ethnicity; Gender; Interviews; Moroccan women; Narrative; Professional identity

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error