Full Description
The volume presents a selection of contributions related to integration, adaptation, language attitudes and language change among young Russian-speaking immigrants in Germany. At the turn of the century, Germany, which defined itself as a mono-ethnic and mono-racial society, has become a country integrating various immigrant groups. Among those, there are three different types of Russian immigrants: Russian Germans, Russian Jews and ethnic Russians, all three often perceived as "Russians" by the host country. The three groups have the same linguistic background, but a different ethnicity, known as "nationality", a separate entry in Russian official documents. This defined the immigration paths and the subsequent integration into German society, where each group strives to position itself in relation to two other groups in the same migrant space. The book discusses the complexities of belonging and (self-/other) assignment to groups as well as the attitude to language maintenance among young Russian-speaking immigrants.
Contents
1. Acknowledgements; 1. Acknowledgements; 2. Introduction (by Isurin, Ludmila); 3. Chapter 1. Russian-Germans: Historical background, language varieties, and language use (by Riehl, Claudia Maria); 4. Chapter 2. Ethnic German and Jewish immigrants from post-Soviet countries in Germany: Identity formation and integration prospects (by Dietz, Barbara); 5. Chapter 3. Generation 1.5 of Russian-speaking immigrants in Israel and in Germany: An overview of recent research and a German pilot study (by Remennick, Larissa); 6. Chapter 4. When networks tell just half the story: Social networks, language and social identity among Russian German and Russian Jewish migrants in Germany (by Irwin, Vera); 7. Chapter 5. From Russian motherland to German fatherland: Young Russian immigrants in Germany (by Isurin, Ludmila); 8. Chapter 6. Young Russian-German adults 20 years after their repatriation to Germany (by Meng, Katharina); 9. Chapter 7. Language attitudes and linguistic skills in young heritage speakers of Russian in Germany (by Anstatt, Tanja); 10. Chapter 8. Lost in transmission?: Family language input and its role for the development of Russian as a heritage language in Germany (by Brehmer, Bernhard); 11. Conclusion. Integration, identity, and language maintenance in young immigrants: Future research directions (by Isurin, Ludmila); 12. Index
