ABSTRACT
This introduction presents Emmaus as a holistic movement made up of heterogeneous “communities” dedicated to a common mission of solidarity. The chapter formulates the book’s research questions on the reproduction of sameness and the creation of difference through language and discourse in local groups, with material consequences on individuals. It situates the ethnographic study theoretically, establishing the relevance of language and discourse for understanding social movements and transnational processes. From a critical sociolinguistic approach, this monograph scrutinises the construction of an imagined community in local Emmaus communities that engage in transnational practices within a social movement. The chapter also discusses the methodological decisions, the researcher’s access and positioning as well as the toolbox for her multi-sited ethnography of two Emmaus communities, one located in Greater London and another one in the Barcelona province. Finally, the book structure is presented through the common thread of solidarity.
