This 18 October I will be presenting in the panel "Postmigration as reflexive turn in literary studies" at the 8th Conference on Migration Research in Austria, in Innsbruck.
For more information:https://www.conftool.net/migrationsforschung-at-2024/index.php?page=browseSessions&form_session=12
The abstract of my talk:
The journey of Maghrebi French characters to success: A postmigrant analysis of French fiction
Postmigrant societies mark a paradigm shift where migration influences not just individuals with a migration background but entire societies (Espahangizi 2015). Foroutan (2019) observes that identities in such societies are increasingly shaped by attitudes towards migration, plurality, and diversity, rather than ethnicity, indicating a significant change in the perception of migration. This paper explores how this paradigm shift is reflected in literature, focusing on French fiction by authors including Michel Houellebecq, Sabri Louatah, Farid Boudjellal, and Dominique Manotti. Employing a methodology that treats literary texts as expressions of language acts, I present a case study on the gradual emergence of economically mobile Maghrebi French characters in French literature. It examines a range of Maghrebi French character prototypes, including businessmen, detectives, and politicians, analyzing their connection to social realism and specific former literary tropes, such as colonial narratives, while also highlighting narratives that challenge and subvert these conventions. This approach, grounded in character studies, sheds light on the evolving representation of Maghrebi French identities in contemporary French fiction, offering insights into the changing portrayal of the Other and broader cultural narratives of France. This research aims to deepen our understanding of how contemporary French literature not only reflects but also influences the dynamics of postmigrant societies, providing a nuanced perspective on the interplay between literature, identity, and societal transformation. The study underscores the importance of literary analysis in understanding cultural and social shifts in the postmigrant era.