The relationship between language(s) and identities are described by three generations of Mozambicans, in Southern Africa, from 1975 to modern times. How are languages used to (re)create national and social identities in post-colonial Mozambique? Portuguese, the former colonial language, continues to be an identity marker of social and political dominant position in society, particularly in urban settings, giving access to political power and modernity, reinforcing race stereotypes. Conversely, national languages represent social and political resistance described by the 18 life histories collected over three generations, alongside with ethnographic fieldwork done in southern Mozambique. The three generations are divided within a specific historic and ideological setting (i.e., socialism, democracy, and neoliberalism). The periods are based upon the notion of generation understood as a space and time of identity and political construction, in which biography and history meet. In addition, a gender approach is also described with different identity outcomes and strategies.

I would like to thank Robert Kenedy for comments and suggestions on the manuscript,Fernando Nunes as co-editor of this special issue, and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript.

Mozambique,Language,National identity,Anthropology,Life history

• Psicologia - Ciências Sociais
• Sociologia - Ciências Sociais
• Línguas e Literaturas - Humanidades
• Antropologia - Ciências Sociais

Esta publicação é um output do(s) seguinte(s) projeto(s):

• Centro em Rede de Investigação em Antropologia