Age, Narrative and Migration

The Life Course and Life Histories of Bengali Elders in London

By: Katy Gardner

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Paperback | 31 March 2021 | Edition Number 1

At a Glance

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264 Pages

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21.6 x 13.8 x 1.4

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Whilst the vast majority of recent research on identity and ethnicity amongst South Asians in Britain has focused upon younger people, this book deals with Bengali elders, the first generation of migrants from Sylhet, in Bangladesh. The book describes how many of these elders face the processes of ageing, sickness and finally death, in a country where they did not expect to stay and where they do not necessarily feel they belong. The ways in which they talk about and deal with this, and in particular, their ambivalence towards Britain and Bangladesh lies at the heart of the book. Centrally, the book is based around the men and womens life stories. In her analysis of these, Gardner shows how narratives play an important role in the formation of both collective and individual identity and are key domains for the articulation of gender and age. Underlying the stories that people tell, and sometimes hidden within their gaps and silences, are often other issues and concerns. Using particular idioms and narrative devices, the elders talk about the contradictions and disjunctions of transmigration, their relationship with and sometimes resistance to, the British State, and what they often present as the breakdown of traditional ways. In addition to this, the book shows that histories, stories and identity are not just narrated through words, but also through the body - an area rarely theorized in studies of migration.

Industry Reviews

"Fascinating ... a much-needed contribution to our understanding of the ways in which first generation Bangladeshis perceive the process of migration. It is also an important engagement with wider debates about the issues confronting minority ethnic groups in this country and their transnational networks." --Journal of Ethnic and Racial Studies

"Gardner's study is an important contribution to the migration literature and it can be hoped that the theoretical insights generated by studying the relationship between life course and migration inspire similar research among other migrant communities. It is a pleasant and useful read not only for scholars but for the wider community interested in issues of migration and the life course." --Asian and Pacific Migration Journal

"The book begins with an excellent review of the main theoretical debates and empirical research undertaken since the 1970's, which leads to an outline of the book's key themes... In the concluding chapter, Katy Gardner returns to the main theme of the book - the relationship between Sylhet and Britain (desh/bidesh) - and powerfully draws on her interviews to summarize her arguments in the various chapters about place, home, migration, lifecourse and the myth of return. The book makes a much-needed contribution to our understanding of the ways in which first generation Bangladeshis perceive the process of migration. It is also an important engagement with wider debates about the issues confronting minority ethnic groups in this country and their transnational networks." --Ethnic and Racial Studies

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