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"I'm a Greek Kiwi": Constructing Greekness in Discourse

Angouri, Jo

Authors

Jo Angouri



Abstract

The article reports on the preliminary findings of a project on the constructions of Greekness in modern diasporas. The discussion draws on data from the self-identified Greek community of Wellington, New Zealand. Interview data, ethnographic diaries, and everyday real-life spoken interactions were collected. The analysis of the data shows that the interactants move away from a "teleology of return" (Clifford, 1997) and reconceptualise the host/minority dimension, highlighting the dynamics and complexities of Greek identity. Special attention is paid in the analysis to the role of institutions, particularly the Greek Orthodox community, in constructing a Greek identity in this context. The standpoint taken considers identity not to be a stable, predefined entity but an ongoing dynamic process that is constantly negotiated and co-constructed between the interactants (De Fina, Schiffrin, & Bamberg, 2006). Identity is not something interactants are or have but rather something they actively do in discourse. The article closes by arguing that diasporas are not static "definable" communities, but dynamic systems shaping and being shaped in the discourse of their self-affiliated members. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Apr 1, 2012
Journal Journal of Language, Identity and Education
Print ISSN 1534-8458
Electronic ISSN 1532-7701
Publisher Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 11
Issue 2
Pages 96-108
DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2012.667303
Keywords Greek diaspora, New Zealand, Greekness, homeland, identity
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/951330
Publisher URL http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2012.667303



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