This presentation reports on a study of a “Russian Circle”—a student club dedicated to Russian culture—established at a large Canadian university. This club aims to unite Russian students on campus, but also to broaden the knowledge of non-Russians about Russian culture. Given the monolithic notion of Russian “culture” implied in the club’s mandate, we sought to discover how this club could assist members in developing more complex hybrid intercultural identities. To answer these questions, we analyse six club members’ narrative evaluations of their experiences of belonging to “Russian Circle”. What emerges from this analysis is a kaleidoscope of identities, typically represented in the form of binaries (e.g., Russian-speaking students vs. locals). However, some members of the “Russian Circle” challenge these socially imposed representations. This leads us to ask: what aspects of identity become hybrid through the “culture club” model? What is the intercultural mission of these clubs?
Natalia Balyasnikova is a doctoral candidate at the UBC Department of Language and Literacy Education. Her research interests include adult education, intercultural communication and community-based learning.
