Abstract
This paper deals with the constructed image of Colombian immigrant women living in Spain. The analysis is based on the life stories that are published by a cultural association in a blog. The purpose of the article is to examine the features of this mediated identity and to determine the extent to which this identity includes social traits that coincide with the social features that are assigned to this group by the host society. The hypothesis, that some features would be reformulated and others confirmed, is upheld in this study. Topics and social values behind the life stories are analyzed employing a discourse and narrative analysis approach. The results are compared with the descriptions of this social group provided in an anthropologic study of the media. These results display that, in fact, some features, such as the association of this group with poverty, are confirmed. Other features are modified: for example, the commitment to care for others which appears in the family setting in relation to maternity, but not in the work setting. Finally, other features are denied: dependence on the male and sexuality as means for survival. All these characteristics constitute aspects of identity that are, ultimately, the product of media construction.
| Translated title of the contribution | Woman, immigrant an Colombian. The construction of identity in mediated life stories |
|---|---|
| Original language | Spanish |
| Journal | Discurso & Sociedad |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Pages (from-to) | 462-481 |
| Number of pages | 20 |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Faculty of Humanities