Code-Switching as a Marker of Identity Mediation

The case of Shumona Sinha

Abstract

This paper examines the complex dynamics of language, identity, and power in postcolonial contexts, particularly focusing on the phenomenon of code-switching among individuals with hybrid cultural identities. Drawing on theoretical frameworks from postcolonial studies and sociolinguistics, the paper explores how individuals negotiate their identities through language use in liminal spaces, challenging conventional notions of cultural purity and authority. Through an analysis of a literary work and theoretical perspectives, the paper elucidates the ways in which code-switching serves as a tool for resistance, subversion, and negotiation of authority.