The role of English in multilingual online transgender communities
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Nottingham
Department Name: School of English
Abstract
n this project, I will investigate the hitherto unquestioned role of the English language in international online transgender (trans) communities, specifically its role in identity construction and its potential for connectedness but also exclusion. The emergence of English-medium online spaces - i.e., spaces where English is the dominant or only language - for trans people has considerably increased trans people's access to spaces with other trans people, and they are a lifeline for those who are otherwise disconnected from trans-specific resources and safe spaces. However, the dominance of English-medium spaces excludes those who cannot, or do not want to, use English to connect with trans communities. Moreover, English-medium communities may prioritise discourses of transness and trans issues that are misaligned with the discourses that people need to navigate their (non-Anglophone) home context.
Research on trans identities and online trans communities has in recent years increased, but this research has largely been based on English-medium data without questioning the role of English on international spaces such as social media. As such, the incredible multilingualism of the userbase of such platforms is often overlooked. In my project, I aim to bring an investigation of English as a characteristic rather than a given into research on trans communities, thus combining trans studies with work on English as a Lingua Franca and on multilingualism.
To better understand the role that English plays for trans people, whether English is a language they grew up using or one they acquired later in life, I will analyse and compare trans-specific online spaces in which English is the dominant language, in which another one language is the dominant language, and in which multiple languages are used alongside each other. Specifically, I investigate subreddits (subforums of the social platform Reddit) by and for trans people. For my analysis, I draw on discourse analysis to address the following research questions:
1. How, and to what extent, do trans people in these online spaces use English when engaging with trans-specific resources and communities?
2. How do trans people use English in these online spaces to construct their trans identity, and are there differences in how they do so among the different languages, online spaces, and/or among users?
3. Are there differences between the dominant narratives of transness and trans issues on different subreddits (whether English-medium, non-English-medium, or mixed-language)?
My analysis will be carried out in the qualitative analysis software Atlas.ti. Atlas.ti has a coding system which, by allowing for on-line code updating and grouping, is particularly well suited to adaptive and reflective inductive analyses. As such, it will facilitate the qualitative analysis of large amounts of data, organised into different language contexts, whilst giving the user an overview of the various themes that emerge from the data.
Research on trans identities and online trans communities has in recent years increased, but this research has largely been based on English-medium data without questioning the role of English on international spaces such as social media. As such, the incredible multilingualism of the userbase of such platforms is often overlooked. In my project, I aim to bring an investigation of English as a characteristic rather than a given into research on trans communities, thus combining trans studies with work on English as a Lingua Franca and on multilingualism.
To better understand the role that English plays for trans people, whether English is a language they grew up using or one they acquired later in life, I will analyse and compare trans-specific online spaces in which English is the dominant language, in which another one language is the dominant language, and in which multiple languages are used alongside each other. Specifically, I investigate subreddits (subforums of the social platform Reddit) by and for trans people. For my analysis, I draw on discourse analysis to address the following research questions:
1. How, and to what extent, do trans people in these online spaces use English when engaging with trans-specific resources and communities?
2. How do trans people use English in these online spaces to construct their trans identity, and are there differences in how they do so among the different languages, online spaces, and/or among users?
3. Are there differences between the dominant narratives of transness and trans issues on different subreddits (whether English-medium, non-English-medium, or mixed-language)?
My analysis will be carried out in the qualitative analysis software Atlas.ti. Atlas.ti has a coding system which, by allowing for on-line code updating and grouping, is particularly well suited to adaptive and reflective inductive analyses. As such, it will facilitate the qualitative analysis of large amounts of data, organised into different language contexts, whilst giving the user an overview of the various themes that emerge from the data.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES/P000711/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2027 | |||
| 2873142 | Studentship | ES/P000711/1 | 01/10/2023 | 30/09/2027 | Max Reuvers |