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Infrastructures of superdiversity: Conviviality and language in an Antwerp neighborhood

Blommaert,Jan
Abstract
Based on fieldwork in the superdiverse neighborhood of Oud-Berchem (Antwerp, Belgium), this paper shows how vernacular varieties Dutch have become the lingua franca of the neighborhood, and are used in most cross-group interactions. This use of language contributes heavily to a high level of low-intensity empathy in the neighborhood - conviviality - and must be seen as an infrastructure which, in superdiverse contexts, enables a degree of social cohesion.
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2014-08-08
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Tilburg University Research Output Collection
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European_Journal_of_Cultural_Studies_2014_Blommaert_1367549413510421_1.pdf
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superdiversity, multilingualism, Dutch Language, social structuring, conviviality
Citation
Blommaert, J 2014, 'Infrastructures of superdiversity : Conviviality and language in an Antwerp neighborhood', European Journal of Cultural Studies, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 431-451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1367549413510421
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14602/63690
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