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Article published In:
Media, Migration and Human Rights: Discourse and Resistance in the Context of the Erosion of Liberal Norms
Edited by Ekaterina Balabanova and Ruxandra Trandafoiu
[Journal of Language and Politics 19:3] 2020
► pp. 479–497

EU nationals in the UK after BREXIT

Political engagement through discursive awareness, reflexivity and (in)action

| Edge Hill University
ORCID logo | Edge Hill University

The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union has triggered a variety of forms of political engagement among EU nationals living in the UK. Our research, carried out in the North West of England, an area that has received little attention so far, demonstrates that the result of the 2016 Referendum sparked a new awareness of public discourse, has led to the emergence of new political and discursive attitudes and strategies, as well as persuasive reflexivity and incipient activism on the part of EU nationals. This article thus contributes to the existing literature on political engagement by analysing EU nationals’ cognitive, discursive and pro/re-active engagements with Brexit.

Keywords: Brexit, political engagement, EU nationals, civic participation, UK, referendum
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Migrants’ (political) engagement
  • 3.Emotion, awareness, critical reflexivity, activism
  • 4.Alternative forms of reaction: Mainstreaming and (Dis)engaging
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • References
Published online: 3 April 2020
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.19028.vat
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