Linguistic barriers and socioeconomic mobility: the impact of language on the Bihari community in Geneva Camp

Abstract

The Bihari community of Bangladesh is a marginalized Urdu-speaking minority that faces challenges in social integration and economic opportunities. Languages are crucial for this deprived community in Geneva Camp to avail socio economic advantages. This thesis examines language's socio-economic impact on the Bihari community in Geneva Camp. It explores the implications of Urdu, Bangla, and English languages in their education, employment, and social mobility by assessing in what ways language acts as a barrier and, at the same time, how this enables access to economic resources and public services. Additionally, it seeks to find how linguistic identity, integration challenges, and generational language shifts shape their struggles and opportunities because all these are interrelated. Data was collected using a semi-structured interview to find the answers to this qualitative case study. Group discussions were conducted to collect adequate data. A purposive sampling technique was used to collect data from students, parents, and the CEO of the Council of Minorities. The findings reveal the choices of languages for economic and social survival, discrimination in Bangladeshi society, linguistic identity and integration, and generational language shift and tendency to code-switching. The findings of this research are crucial for policymakers. They provide recommendations to improve language learning policies for minority communities, thereby contributing to their social inclusion and empowerment.