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Article published In: Linguistic Landscape
Vol. 9:2 (2023) ► pp.181–210

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Language, translocality and urban change

Online and offline signage in four Gothenburg neighbourhoods

ORCiD logo with link | University of Gothenburg
 | University of Southern Denmark
 | University of Gothenburg
 | University of Gothenburg
 | Institute for Language and Folklore
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.

For any use beyond this license, please contact the publisher at rights@benjamins.nl.

This article was made Open Access under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license through payment of an APC by or on behalf of the authors.

Published online: 22 November 2022
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ll.22003.ros
Abstract
This article addresses the role of translocal interconnectedness between offline and online spaces by examining the varied presence of language displays in such spaces. Quantitative findings on language presence in the offline public spaces of four Gothenburg neighbourhoods are contrasted with the online presence found in three Swedish search portals, and the differences are interpreted in light of the broader socioeconomic processes of gentrification and segregation. The comparison between online and offline presence allows us to give a more holistic picture of the neighbourhoods; it reveals, among other things, the presence of semi-public spaces, with a multilingual presence of commercial enterprises and civil society organizations, and points out that some super-diverse neighbourhoods have more online than offline presence on search portals. Thus, the often-stereotyped mental picture of these neighbourhoods as being passive, static, ‘segregated’ and ‘problematic’ is challenged.
Résumé
Dans cet article nous examinons le rôle de l’interconnexion translocale entre la présence et la représentation des langues dans les espaces hors ligne et en ligne. Les résultats quantitatifs de la présence linguistique dans l’espace public hors ligne de quatre quartiers de Göteborg se distinguent de ceux de la présence en ligne fournie par trois portails de recherche suédois, et interprétées à la lumière des processus sociaux de gentrification et de ségrégation. La comparaison entre la présence en ligne et hors ligne nous permet de donner une image plus globale des quartiers : elle a révélé, entre autres, la présence d’espaces semi-publics, avec une présence multilingue d’entreprises commerciales et d’associations, et a souligné le fait que certains quartiers d’immigrants ont plus de présence en ligne que hors ligne sur les portails de recherche. Ainsi, l’image mentale souvent stéréotypée de ces quartiers dépeints comme passive, statique, isolée et ‘problématique’ est contestée.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theorizing online-offline relationships in relation to gentrification in LL studies
  • 3.Four unequal Gothenburg neighbourhoods
  • 4.Method and data
  • 5.Findings and discussion
    • 5.1Online and offline languages in the LL
    • 5.2Spatial dynamics in Gamlestaden and Gårdsten
    • 5.3Ongoing processes of socioeconomic change in the neighbourhoods
    • 5.4New forms of translocal connections
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
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