Sociolinguistic Perspectives on Migration Control

Language Policy, Identity and Belonging

Edited by Markus Rheindorf, Prof. Ruth Wodak

Publication date:

30 January 2020

Publisher

Multilingual Matters

Dimensions:

210x148mm
6x8"

ISBN-13: 9781788924672

In the midst of an international crisis in migration policy – widely referred to as a ‘refugee crisis’ – this book brings together timely analyses of the manifold and yet specific ways in which migration affects globalized societies, set against the background of the rise of nationalist and populist movements. The voices of migrants and refugees are rarely heard in this context: usually, they are debated about, summarized and reported but their agency is denied. Each contribution to this volume adds an empirical perspective to our understanding of how language relates to migration in a specific national context. The chapters use innovative combinations of multimodal, qualitative and quantitative analyses to examine a broad range of genres and data related to the voices of migrants and reporting about migrants.

The current political discourses on processes of globalization, migration and social participation capitalize on feelings of fear and insecurity. They demonize ‘the other’, thereby turning the spotlight away from the systemic problems of social inequality and poverty. Based on concrete cases, this ‘must read’ book deconstructs the covert and overt mechanisms of migration control, exclusion and discrimination.