Identity Positioning in Dialogues Between the “Local” and the “Global”: Challenges and Strategies in Sociolinguistic Academic Writing and International Publication
Abstract: This article discusses challenges and corresponding strategies for Chinese scholars in sociolinguistic academic writing and international publication. Sociolinguistics, with its characteristics of an applied social science, is sensitive to ideological differences, which poses an objective challenge to local scholars. Yet a subjective issue is identity positioning at various levels, including the national or regional, cultural, ideological, theoretical orientation, research approach, and more. The positioning includes not only the author, but also targeted readers and publications. Some related common problems are identified: 1) self-talk; 2) lack of theoretical perspective; 3) absence or dislocation of positions; 4) absolute dichotomies in categorization; 5) researchers’ seeming “invisibility”. Finally, suggestions are given as responses to these challenges.
