Publication Date
Fall 2025
Abstract
This study investigates how gender and social class influence the frequency and motivations for code-switching among young Tunisians. Following the French Protectorate (1881) and subsequent Arabization policies in the late 20th century, Tunisian youth are faced with a complex linguistic environment. This paper posits that the enduring legacies of prestige and gender norms drive variation in the frequency and motivation behind code-switching among Tunisian men and women. Based on a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews, this research examines how these social factors shape the function and meaning of language choice in post-colonial Tunisia. The findings suggest that social class creates a divide in linguistic competence, while gender analysis shows higher code-switching frequencies among women. Women appear to be more attuned to using French for overt prestige, while men align with the covert prestige of Tunisian Arabic. The study concludes that code- switching is a dynamic tool for youth and central to negotiating identity and social status in Tunisia.
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Recommended Citation
Mount-Cors, Evie, "Gender, Class, and Code-Switching Among Tunisian Youth" (2025). Tunisia and Italy: Politics and Religious Integration in the Mediterranean. 8.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/tnc3/8