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‘Passing Unnoticed in a French Crowd’: The Passing Performances of British SOE Agents in Occupied France

Pattinson, Juliette S (2010) ‘Passing Unnoticed in a French Crowd’: The Passing Performances of British SOE Agents in Occupied France. National Identities, 12 (3). pp. 291-308. ISSN 1469-9907. (doi:10.1080/14608944.2010.500469) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:40733)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2010.500469

Abstract

This article examines the dissimulation, construction and assumption of national identities using as a case study male and female British agents who were infiltrated into Nazi-Occupied France during the Second World War. The British nationals recruited by the SOE's F section had, as a result of their upbringing, developed a French ‘habitus’ (linguistic skills, mannerisms and knowledge of customs) that enabled them to conceal their British paramilitary identities and ‘pass’ as French civilians. The article examines the diverse ways in which individuals attempted to construct French identities linguistically (through accent and use of vocabulary, slang and swear words), visually (through their physical appearance and clothing) and performatively (by behaving in particular ways).

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1080/14608944.2010.500469
Additional information: questionable eprint id: 32130;
Uncontrolled keywords: French identities, British identities, passing, habitus.
Subjects: D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D731 World War II (1939-1945)
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Arts and Humanities > School of History
Depositing User: Stewart Brownrigg
Date Deposited: 07 Mar 2014 00:05 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:15 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/40733 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Pattinson, Juliette S.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6726-4727
CReDIT Contributor Roles:
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