LINGUISTIC IDENTITIES OF AMERICAN MUSLIM ADOLESCENT GIRLS

Elassi, Amal Mahmoud Rizk

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Description

Title

LINGUISTIC IDENTITIES OF AMERICAN MUSLIM ADOLESCENT GIRLS

Author(s)

Elassi, Amal Mahmoud Rizk

Issue Date

2023-04-25

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

McCarthey, Sarah

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

McCarthey, Sarah

Committee Member(s)

• Dyson, Anne
• Möller, Karla
• Davila, Liv
• Gonzalez, Monica

Department of Study

Curriculum and Instruction

Discipline

Curriculum and Instruction

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Sociolinguistic Repertoires
• Liturgical and Heritage Languages
• Identity Negotiation
• Local Communities
• Orientalism.

Abstract

This dissertation study explored how Muslim adolescent girls negotiate their sociolinguistic repertoires of dominant, liturgical, and heritage languages to navigate weekend Islamic schools within their local community and public schools within their larger society. It also examined how these linguistic negotiations intersect with Muslim adolescent girls’ racial, gender, and religious identities. Fishman’s (2006) principles of the sociology of language and religion guided my examination of the linguistic interactions of liturgical, heritage, and dominant languages. I utilized Said’s (1978) work on Orientalism to frame the linguistic, racial, and gender negotiations of Muslim adolescent girls within its larger historical and political contexts. I used purposeful sampling to select three cases studies from diverse racial and linguistic backgrounds. I conducted thematic analysis using the inductive thematic approach developed by Braun and Clarke (2006). The study showed the participants’ longing for and pursuit of in-between spaces that connect their local communities and larger societies. The study also revealed that students of non-Arab descent had a harder social and educational experiences due to the lack of liturgical Arabic proficiency. In some public-school settings, speaking only standardized English was seen as a key indicator of being an “American.” The study stressed the need for a stronger collaboration between schools and local communities to help minoritized students see commonalities between what could be superficially perceived as separate worlds.

Graduation Semester

2023-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/120550

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2023 Amal Elassi

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