Language and Identity Politics: A Cross-Atlantic Perspective / Edition 1

by Christina Sp ti

Overview

In an increasingly multicultural world, the relationship between language and identity remains a complicated and often fraught subject for most societies. The growing political salience of questions relating to language is evident not only in the expanded implementation of new policies and legislation, but also in heated public debates about national unity, collective identities, and the rights of linguistic minorities. By taking a comprehensive approach that considers both the inclusive and exclusive dimensions of linguistic identity across Europe and North America, the studies assembled here provide a sophisticated look at one of the global era’s defining political dynamics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782389422
Publisher:	Berghahn Books
Publication date:	11/01/2015
Pages:	228
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Christina Späti is Associate Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Fribourg and Dean of the Faculty of Historical Sciences at Universityäre Fernstudien Schweiz. Her research focuses on language politics in multilingual states, institutional and societal bilingualism, anti-Zionism and antisemitism, and 1968 in Western Europe.

Table of Contents

List of Figures vii

Acknowledgements viii

Language and the Rise of Identity Politics: An Introduction Christina Späti 1

Part I Language and Identity Politics: Theory and Concepts

Chapter 1 Language and Collective Identity: Theorizing Complexity Peter Ives 17

Chapter 2 The Politics of Linguistic Identity in Europe: Between the Expression of Power and the Power of Expressivity Peter A. Kraus 38

Part II Language and Collective Identity in Multilingual States

Chapter 3 Language and Identity Politics in Belgium Claude Javeau 61

Chapter 4 Plurilingualism and Identity Politics: The Case of Switzerland Christina Späti 73

Chapter 5 Languages and Collective Identities in Switzerland: The Case of Bilingual Cantons (Bern, Frihourg, Valais) Manuel Meune 93

Chapter 6 Language Rights and Language Endangerment in Canada: The Case of Indigenous Languages Donna Patrick 119

Part III Language and Identity Politics in Immigration Societies

Chapter 7 Immigrants and the Reframing of Language and National Identity Politics in the United States Ronald Schmidt Sr. 139

Chapter 8 Challenges of Diversity: Language and Immigration in Switzerland Damir Shenderovic 158

Chapter 9 Language and the Transformation of Identity Politics in Minority Francophone Communities in Canada: Between Collective Linguistic Identity and Individualistic Integration Policies Nicole Gallant 177

The Problematic Nexus of Language and Identity: Some Concluding Remarks Robert Gould 198

Index 213

Editorial Reviews

“This is a very interesting and well-written volume that brings together a number of theoretical stances on multilingualism as well as empirically grounded case studies. The applied focus of examples from both North America and Europe ensure that the book will not be of interest to only linguists and policy-makers.” · Philip McDermott, University of Ulster

“This book is thought-provoking and thorough in its insights. It is a welcome addition to the existing literature on language and identity politics and introduces new case studies that have not been previously explored or compared.” · Bernadette O’Rourke, Heriot-Watt University

From the Publisher