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Journals / Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi / 2026 / Sayı: 73

Adah’s Negotiated Identity: Stigmatization and Migration in Emecheta’s Novel Second-Class Citizen

Mehmet Faruk Toson(RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-2784-6295
Hasan Baktır(erciyes üniversitesi)0000-0002-1078-8589
Pages
160–168
Publication Date
2026-09-21
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The article evaluates the dynamics of stigmatization and migration in Emecheta’s work from the perspectives of postcolonial feminist theory and diaspora studies.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Buchi Emecheta’s novel Second-Class Citizen (1974) explores a Nigerian woman’s dream of migrating to London and the multidimensional experiences of stigmatization she encounters as her dream unfolds.
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Key Findings & Data:By analyzing Adah’s struggle with identity through the concept of “negotiated identity,” the article aims to demonstrate how a migrant individual endeavours to strike a balance between the expectations of both the host society and her own community.
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Conclusion & Impact:The article evaluates the dynamics of stigmatization and migration in Emecheta’s work from the perspectives of postcolonial feminist theory and diaspora studies.
🔬Design:Sanat ve Edebiyat
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Damgalama · göç · kimlik müzakere

Abstract

Buchi Emecheta’s novel Second-Class Citizen (1974) explores a Nigerian woman’s dream of migrating to London and the multidimensional experiences of stigmatization she encounters as her dream unfolds. This article studies the types of stigmatization which are faced by the novel’s protagonist within the framework of her intersecting identities as a migrant, a Black woman, and a wife. By analyzing Adah’s struggle with identity through the concept of “negotiated identity,” the article aims to demonstrate how a migrant individual endeavours to strike a balance between the expectations of both the host society and her own community. The article evaluates the dynamics of stigmatization and migration in Emecheta’s work from the perspectives of postcolonial feminist theory and diaspora studies.

Özet

Buchi Emecheta'nın İkinci Sınıf Vatandaş (1974) romanı, Nijeryalı bir kadının Londra'ya göç etme hayalini ve bu hayalin gerçekleşme sürecinde karşılaştığı çok katmanlı damgalanma deneyimlerini ele almaktadır. Bu makale, romanın başkarakteri Adah'ın, göçmen, siyahi, kadın ve eş olarak kesişen kimlikleri çerçevesinde maruz kaldığı damgalama biçimlerini incelemektedir. Makale, Adah'ın kimlik mücadelesini, "müzakere edilen kimlik" kavramı üzerinden analiz ederek, göçmen bireyin hem ev sahibi toplumun hem de kendi topluluğunun beklentileri arasında nasıl bir denge kurmaya çalıştığını göstermeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışma, Emecheta'nın eserinde damgalama ve göç dinamiklerini, postkolonyal feminist teori ve diaspora çalışmaları perspektifinden değerlendirmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Toson, M. F., Baktır, H. (2026). Adah’s Negotiated Identity: Stigmatization and Migration in Emecheta’s Novel Second-Class Citizen. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, Sayı: 73, 160–168. https://doi.org/10.53568/yyusbed.1918693

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