Abstract
After exploring the representation of Muslim women as non-speakers of English in the previous chapter, this chapter examines how Muslim women’s supposed lack of English is then associated with various social problems in the input texts and media reports. This is in recognition of the fact that limited English proficiency in the data is not so much constructed as a problem per se but as an index of social problems. This chapter, therefore, explores the nature of these social problems that are pinned onto a lack of English language proficiency.
The social problems that lack of English indexes include their patriarchal oppression, radicalisation, and social exclusion. The analysis presented here follows the same structure as the previous chapter, beginning with an analysis of the way that the English language is linked to social problems in the input texts (Sect. 4.1). This is followed by an exploration of how this link is further reinforced in the media reports (Sect. 4.2). Finally, the summary of the chapter is presented (Sect. 4.3).
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Neelam, M. (2022). Discourses of Muslim Women’s Social Problems. In: Muslim Women as Speakers of English. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-16231-2_4
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