Language use in women’s magazines as a reflection of hybrid linguistic identity

Abstract

Moroccan women, like women in many postcolonial societies, are under particular pressure to perform their traditional role as wife and mother, whilst aspiring towards a more ‘modern’ model of femininity. These conflicting desires are often expressed in terms of language use, where French is perceived as the language of modernity and globalisation, whilst Arabic, in its various forms, represents tradition and ‘authenticity’. In this chapter I propose to examine the French language women’s press to show how language use can reflect the hybrid linguistic identities of Moroccan women today. I will begin with a brief overview of the role and status of the French language, before focusing on the growth of the French language women’s press over the last decade, and analysing a cross-section of magazines.

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