The Fluid Identity Construction of Non-Thai Male English-User Teachers in Thailand

Abstract

This research explores the construction of non-Thai male English-user teachers’ identities in Thailand, including their professional identities at work and their social identities in daily life. A total of seven non-Thai male English-user teacher participants were involved. Intersectionality was used to examine the intersecting factors that shaped the construction of non-Thai male English-user teachers’ identities. Post-structural discourse analysis was used to elicit the constructions of non-Thai male English-user teachers’ identities. The results first revealed three types of non-Thai male English-user teachers’ professional identities: oppressed, struggling, and privileged. Nationality was the primary factor that caused these three types of professional identities. It intersected with other factors, such as gender, culture, stereotype, and hierarchy. The results also found three types of non-Thai male English-user teachers’ social identities: as a foreigner, situational identity, and multicultural identity. Nationality and culture were the primary factors behind these three types of social identities. They intersected with other factors, such as gender, stereotype, social role, and language ability. The findings of this research revealed the fluidity of non-Thai male English-user teachers’ identities, offering deeper insight into the influence of power dynamics.