부산대학교 도서관

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Iranian women's gendered identities and language learning through the theoretical frameworks of feminist poststructuralism of gender and language, imagined communities, and communities of practice. Additionally, these theoretical constructs were linked to the concepts of agency and investment in second language learning. This qualitative study aimed at answering the following research questions: 1. How do the Iranian immigrant women' imagined communities and gender identities affect their investment in second language learning before coming to the United States? 2. How do these women view their positions as Iranian immigrant women in the current communities of practice in the United States? 3. Do the imagined communities they formed before coming to the United States match the realities of the current communities of practice? 4. In what ways do these women's present perceptions of being a woman affected their adoption of agentive roles for participation or nonparticipation in the United States communities of practice, and investment in second language learning? 5. How do these women's present imagined communities and gender identities shape their decisions about future participation in the United States communities of practice and investment in second language learning? For the research design of the present study, Seidman's (2013) three-series interview method was utilized to capture these women's past, present, and future life perceptions regarding their gender positioning and second language learning trajectories. The data obtained from the interviews were coded, thematically analyzed, and compared to answer the research questions of the study. The findings of the study revealed that although most of these Iranian immigrant women achieved higher academic and social statuses after their immigration to the United States, their journeys, both in their homeland, Iran, and in the United States, were not easy. In each of these contexts, they underwent various either gender or gender and racial discriminations. As the results of the study further displayed, such ambivalent positions in the American communities of practice had both positive and negative impacts on their second language learning trajectories. Those women who were marginalized due to their Iranian and immigrant identities invested less in second language learning. However, those participants whose language skills were not remarkable, perceived knowing English as the only way to gain the entry into the communities of the American society. The results further indicated that for those interviewees who had already been proficient in the English language before immigrating to the United States, knowing the language could not facilitate their access to the communities of practice. These women reported the most marginalization instances they experienced in the United States. The study provided some insights for the ESL educators to consider the unequal discourse of the host societies as a powerful hindrance to immigrants' socialization and language learning in a new culture. Knowing the language of the host community is not a guarantee to cross the threshold of the target communities of practice. As a matter of fact, the knowledge of the language can be an enlightening tool for understanding the hidden racism and antiimmigrant discourse of a society or a region. Having known the target language, the proficient language speakers had the confidence in their linguistic abilities to gain the full membership of the native speakers' communities. However, they lost their initiatives as they confronted the unequal power structures which marginalized these immigrants due to their nationality and race. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]