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Shifting African Narratives
  • ISSN: 2040-199X
  • E-ISSN: 1751-7974

Abstract

This study focused on identity formation and media consumption among first-generation young Africans in the diaspora. It investigated what it means to be African and the impact of multiple identities and forms of belonging within diasporic communities. Emphasis was on how they experience the diaspora as liminal spaces and subsequently negotiate relationships with other Africans in indeterminate diasporic spaces to construct, redefine, negotiate and even contest identities. Using snowballing and purposive sampling, the study analysed first-hand accounts and interviews informed by personal histories and lived experiences of (1) what they know about Africa; (2) their sense of belonging to Africa; (3) how Africa is represented in the media and (4) their views/attitudes on markers of African identity. Findings indicate that young Africans in the diaspora have a strong sense of belonging to Africa and are actively engaged with different forms of African media such as music and films.

Funding
This study was supported by the:
  • Africa No Filter
This article is Open Access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International licence (CC BY-NC-ND), which allows users to copy, distribute and transmit the article as long as the author is attributed, the article is not used for commercial purposes, and the work is not modified or adapted in any way. To view a copy of the licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
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/content/journals/10.1386/jams_00102_1
2023-08-17
2026-04-14

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