Linguistic stereotypes in short-and long-term migrants' discourses on Argentina, Germany and Austria

Abstract

This paper focuses on short- and long-term migrants between Argentina and Germany, as well as between Argentina and Austria, and their discourses about their lives between their host and home countries. Blogs, journalistic articles, and in-depth interviews are analysed from a qualitative perspective in order to examine hetero- and auto-stereotypes. How can these stereotypes be described from a linguistic and discursive point of view? How do speakers express or avoid the responsibility of uttered stereotypes? To answer these questions, we draw on an overarching Critical Discourse Studies framework. At the same time, Pümpel- Mader's (2010) approach is helpful to better understand the linguistic properties of stereotypes, as it distinguishes between social categories, the characteristics attributed to them, and a series of modifiers. Within this framework, forms and contents of stereotypes, as well as phenomena like subgrouping and the use of personal experience are referred to. Further, some rhetorical strategies used to display stereotype awareness or leading to actual stereotype avoidance are pointed out.