Shrewd Calculation of Membership Benefits: Negotiation of Identity in Eastleigh by Somali Refugee Teenagers.

Abstract

The effect of mass displacement has been creation of completely new types of human beings: people who root themselves in ideas rather than places and people who have been obliged to define themselves in various ways because of their predicament. This paper reflects the various identities the Somali refugee teenagers portray in Eastleigh a suburb in Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi. The study uses interviews to uncover the language usage by the teenagers in various domains. Language is seen as signifying identity one wields at a particular point in time. Data is analysed using thematic content analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings show that the teenagers have multiple identities as survival strategies in Eastleigh.

Key words: Domain, Identity, Refugee, Power, Language