1st Edition

Language, Ethnic Identity and the State

Edited By William Safran, J.A. Laponce Copyright 2005
    172 Pages 2 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    172 Pages 2 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    This new study powerfully asserts the pivotal importance of the interplay between language and ethnicity, which is often underestimated as a component for political stability.

    These leading scholars present five key case studies of South Africa, Algeria, Canada, Latvia and Senegal. All five countries are multilingual nations where language has been a central political issue that has challenged their unity and stability.

    These studies are underpinned by two general, comparative and theoretical discussions, which analyse how scholars consider social class and economic factors to be the primary sources for political cohesion or of malcontent with the system and the new avenues opened by a focus on issues of langauge.

    This book will be of great interest to all students and scholars of linguistics, language, politics and sociology.

    This is a special issue of the leading journal Nationalism and Ethnic Politics.

    Introduction: the Political aspects of Language, William Safran

    Minority Languages and Globalization, J.A. Laponce

    The Rise and Possible Demise of Afrikaans as Public Language, Hermann Giliomee

    Language and Politics in Algeria, Mohamed Benrabah

    The Limits of Bilingualism in Canada, Linda Cardinal

    Ethnic Politics and the Soviet Legacy in Latvian Post-communist Education: The Place of Language, Fredrika Bjornlund

    Senegalese "into Frenchmen" ? the French Technology of Nationalism in Senegal, Nancy Kwang Johnson

    Biography

    William Safran is Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado and Editor-in-chief of the journal Nationalism and Ethnic Politics.

    Jean A. Laponce is professor of political science at the University of British Columbia and director of the Institute of Interethnic Relations in Ottawa.