Published In

International Journal of the Sociology of Language

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2011

Subjects

Sociolinguistics -- Africa, French-speaking Anthropological linguistics -- Africa, North Tunisia Sociolinguistics -- Africa, North

Abstract

This paper seeks to describe and account for a common ideology among Tunisians and North Africans more broadly that associates the use of French with women, thereby symbolically associating the use of Arabic with men. In this regard, the use of French can be said to be "gendered" there. In an effort to historicize this phenomenon, I sketch the social history of French in Tunisia, particularly in regards to the access female and male Tunisians would historically have had to it through the institution of schooling. I then consider the different relationships contemporary Tunisian men and women have with French. Finally, I seek to contextualize these relationships in light of other ideologies that are part of Tunisian daily life, particularly notions of "authenticity" and "openness", tropes of many forms of discourse in Tunisia.

Description

The final publication is available at www.degruyter.com

DOI

10.1515/IJSL.2011.039

Persistent Identifier

http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/8491

Download

Share

COinS