Embracing Linguistic Diversity and Communicative Care
How do families maintain their bonds when divided by borders? This is the central question explored in Dr. Lynnette Arnold’s groundbreaking book, Living Together Across Borders: Communicative Care in Transnational Salvadoran Families. As a seasoned construction professional and interior designer, I’m deeply fascinated by the insights this work offers on the vital role of language and communication in sustaining relationships despite geographical separation.
Dr. Arnold’s research delves into the everyday interactions of two Salvadoran families, one residing in the United States and the other in El Salvador. By recording and analyzing their telephone conversations over four months, she uncovers a profound concept she terms “communicative care” – the ways in which language is used to enact care, forge emotional connections, and navigate the complex realities of transnational life.
“Communicative care is the most fundamental way that transnational families maintain collective intergenerational life in the face of continued, and seemingly endless, separation.” – Lynnette Arnold
At the heart of this concept lies the idea of “convivencia” – a Spanish term capturing the shared experience of “living together” despite physical distance. As families navigate the joys and challenges of maintaining relationships across borders, their communication becomes a lifeline, a means of sustaining the emotional bonds that transcend geographical barriers.
The Power of Telephone Calls
One of the fascinating aspects of Dr. Arnold’s research is her finding that, despite the proliferation of video-calling technologies, many of the families she studied preferred to communicate via traditional telephone calls. This, she explains, is because phone conversations allow for a certain emotional distance, a way of preserving a sense of intimacy without the constant visual reminders of physical separation.
“On the phone that is a little bit more held at bay. But you still have the intimacy of somebody’s voice, and you can really hear all of those cues of emotion and all of those things that are so important, especially in the sort of delicate communication that families are doing often on the phone.”
The telephone, it seems, provides a space for families to engage in what Dr. Arnold calls the “delicate communication” necessary to sustain their relationships. Through these regular conversations, they are able to share updates, coordinate practical matters, and, most importantly, express the emotional care that keeps them connected.
Challenging the Monolingual Ideal
Another crucial insight from Dr. Arnold’s work is the way in which educational language policies can serve as a tool of “state-sponsored family separation.” She argues that by prioritizing monolingualism in dominant languages like English, these policies often function to erode the linguistic diversity present in migrant communities.
“Instead of turning bilinguals into monolingual, language in education policy must be guided by what migrant families themselves need, which is the communicative resources to maintain ties across borders. This includes a recognition of the linguistic variety in migrant repertoires, which extend way beyond standard languages.”
By valuing and supporting the maintenance of home languages, educational institutions can play a vital role in empowering transnational families to sustain their connections and cultivate a sense of “convivencia” across borders.
Navigating the Complexities of Transnational Life
Dr. Arnold’s research also highlights the ways in which communication can both sustain and resist the inequities inherent in the global economic and political systems that shape the lives of transnational families. On one hand, the regular phone calls between migrants and their non-migrant relatives serve as a critical means of maintaining the flow of remittances that support the Salvadoran economy.
“So the communication is really shoring up some inequalities right at the interpersonal and kind of the global level. Even as it’s a lifeline for these families.”
At the same time, Arnold documents instances where women and young people use the communicative space to carve out more agency and influence within their families, challenging traditional gender and generational hierarchies.
Fostering Intercultural Understanding
As a construction and interior design professional, I’m deeply inspired by the broader implications of Dr. Arnold’s work. Her findings underscore the vital importance of cultivating linguistic diversity and intercultural understanding, particularly in the realm of the built environment.
“Thinking critically about the role of language in creating social reality allows us to become informed advocates for linguistic diversity. It enables us to think about issues of access, inclusion and ultimately social justice.”
By embracing the linguistic and cultural richness of our communities, we can design spaces that truly reflect and empower the diverse voices within them. This might mean considering the multilingual needs of residents in affordable housing developments, or ensuring that community centers and public buildings cater to the communicative preferences of all who inhabit them.
Conclusion: Building Bridges, Transcending Borders
Dr. Lynnette Arnold’s powerful exploration of “communicative care” in transnational Salvadoran families offers a profound lesson in the transformative potential of language and communication. Her work reminds us that the bonds that sustain us are not limited by geographical borders, but rather, are nurtured through the everyday interactions that forge a sense of shared experience and belonging.
As construction and design professionals, we have a unique opportunity to apply these insights, creating built environments that foster linguistic diversity, facilitate intercultural exchange, and empower families to maintain their connections across borders. By embracing the nuances of communicative care, we can help build bridges that transcend physical divides and strengthen the fabric of our increasingly interconnected world.
To learn more about Dr. Arnold’s groundbreaking research, visit her author page on the Local Builder London website.
