ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the relationship between identity dynamics and the sociolinguistic landscape in Jordan after the Arab Spring. The Arab Spring has introduced noticeable socioeconomic and demographic changes in Jordan, and it is therefore important to examine how these changes influence the identity-language nexus in this country. The sociolinguistic analyses reported in this chapter are based on three data sources: (1) ethnographic observations made by the author over two summers, (2) semi-structured interviews with eight undergraduate students at a Jordanian university, and (3) authentic materials from political discourses and print media obtained through the internet. The data suggest that the Arab Spring and the subsequent influx of many Arab migrants into Jordan has fueled Jordanian nationalist discourses and created a sense of pride in Jordanian belonging, which sociolinguistically translates into more recognition of the colloquial Jordanian dialect as a marker of Jordanian identity. At the same time, the aftermath of the Arab Spring has contributed to weakening the discourses of pan-Arab nationalism and its symbols, including Standard Arabic, possibly because pan-Arabism has become associated with regional conflicts, political powerlessness, and economic instability. Moreover, Standard Arabic has receded in key social spheres, including formal contexts, whereas English and the colloquial Jordanian dialect are gaining ground in some of these same domains (e.g., education). Standard Arabic is also undergoing a socio-affective decline, which is reflected in the Jordanian youth’s not-very-enthusiastic attitudes toward this language variety in comparison to their attitudes to English and Colloquial Arabic (CA). While some of these patterns may have been evolving long before the Arab Spring, they seem to be more visible in the post-Arab Spring era, possibly because of the relatively drastic socioeconomic and demographic changes in the region.
