Place identity construction in Greek neomigrants’ social media discourse
The phenomenon of brain drain migration from Greece, also known as Greek neomigration, has acquired an
astoundingly massive character due to the ongoing economic crisis in the country. Considering that a migrant’s identity is defined
by a physical move from one place to another, this paper aims at exploring the discourse practices of place-making by Greek
neomigrants, focusing on the role of social media in this endeavour. Drawing on discourse analysis (Myers 2010; Aguirre and Graham Davies 2015), identity
construction theories (Blommaert 2005; Benwell and
Stokoe 2006), environmental psychology (Proshansky, Fabian and Kaminoff
1983) and discourse-centred online ethnography (Androutsopoulos 2008), this
study presents and discusses empirical data from a Greek neomigrant settled in the UK, who writes about his migration experience
on his blog as well as on his Twitter and Facebook accounts. The analysis demonstrates that the Greek neomigrant place identity
construction can be realized through a complex of linguistic and discourse strategies, including comparison and evaluation,
construction of in-groups and out-groups, language and script alternations, entextualisation of other voices, and visual
connotations. It is shown that, for migrants, social media constitute significant outlets for place-making, constructing
place identity and asserting (or eschewing) belonging. In so doing, it also brings to the surface crucial social, cultural and
psychological aspects of the current Greek neomigration phenomenon and confirms the potential of social media discourses to
heighten awareness of neomigrants’ dis/integrating processes, placing discourse analysis at the service of global mobility
phenomena.
Keywords: brain drain, Greek neomigration, place identity, social media, discourse-centred online ethnography, multimodality
Article outline
- 1.Introduction: Social media, migration, and the Greek brain drain phenomenon
- 2.Theoretical perspectives
- 3.Research context
- 4.Constructing a neomigrant place identity on social media
- 4.1Flying the flag
- 4.2Naming specific places (or not)
- 4.2.1Evoking nostalgia
- 4.2.2Comparing and contrasting
- 4.2.3Labelling
- 4.2.4Evaluating
- 4.3Constructing in-groups and out-groups
- 4.4Using two languages/scripts
- 4.5Projecting other voices
- 4.5.1Identifying
- 4.5.2Critiquing
- 4.5.3Dramatising
- 4.6Visual place-making
- 5.Concluding remarks
- Acknowledgements
- Notes
-
References
Published online: 20 May 2019
https://doi.org/10.1075/ip.00026.geo
https://doi.org/10.1075/ip.00026.geo
References
Aguirre, Alwin C.
Aguirre, Alwin C., and Sharyn Graham Davies
Androutsopoulos, Jannis
2008 “Potentials and limitations of discourse-centered online ethnography.” Language@Internet 51, article 8. www.languageatinternet.org/articles/2008/1610 (accessed 10 Feburary 2017).
Barton, David, and Carmen Lee
Bate, Adam
2015 “Why is 4-4-2 thriving? Is it the key to Leicester and Watford’s success?” Sky Sports. www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/10107074/why-is-4-4-2-thriving-is-it-the-key-to-leicester-and-watford8217s-success (accessed 7 July 2017).
Beine, Michel, Frédéric Docquier, and Hillel Rapoport
Benson, Michaela
Benwell, Bethan, and Elizabeth Stokoe
Bozatzis, Nikos
2015 “Making sense of sense making: Greek neomigrants’ interview accounting for their migration and settlement in Melbourne.” Paper presented at the Identity, Otherness and Citizenship in Contemporary Europe Conference, 5 December 2015, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
De Fina, Anna
Dekker, Rianne, and Godfried Engbersen
Delanty, Gerard, Ruth Wodak, and Paul Jones
Diminescu, Dana
Dixon, John, and Kevin Durrheim
Doutsou, Ioanna
Fotakis, Kostas
2016 “Hellenic parliament minutes.” www.hellenicparliament.gr/UserFiles/e04622a9-2024-47fe-a2f4-dd557cef2882/29092016.docx (accessed 7 July 2017).
Hellenic Statistical Authority
2016 “Εργατικό δυναμικό [Workforce].” www.statistics.gr/el/statistics/-/publication/SJO01/- (accessed 7 July 2017).
Heyd, Theresa
Hiller, Harry H., and Tara M. Franz
Komito, Lee
Krzyżanowski, Michał, and Ruth Wodak
Kytölä, Samu
Kytölä, Samu, and Jannis Androutsopoulos
Labrianidis, Lois
Lampropoulou, Sofia
Lawson, Michele
Leppänen, Sirpa, Samu Kytölä, Henna Jousmäki, Saija Peuronen, and Elina Westinen
Leurs, Koen
Madianou, Mirca, and Daniel Miller
Myers, Greg
Proshansky, Harold, Abbe K. Fabian, and Robert Kaminoff
Stæhr, Αndreas
Svašek, Maruška
Twigger-Ross, Clare L., and David L. Uzzell
van Dijk, Teun A.
van Leeuwen, Teun
Vertovec, Steven
Wiley, Stephen B. C., Tabita Moreno, and Daniel Sutko
Witteborn, Saskia
Cited by
Cited by 2 other publications
Georgalou, Mariza
Georgalou, Mariza
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 15 april 2022. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.