This book aims to expand the theoretical framework of and counter the Eurocentric narratives in language policy research, by comparing policies of EU and India and demonstrating the importance of taking a comparative perspective while studying language policies. This book challenges the notion of macro-level power in language policy research and offers evidence that, in democratic frameworks, macro-level power is not absolute. It is not uniform across policy domains, but rather susceptible to pressure, especially in the domains of healthcare and social welfare.
This book makes three important contributions to the theory of language policy by:
- Arguing for the need to reconceptualise macro-level power
- Proposing ‘Categories of Differentiation’ as a new analytical tool for policy research
- Demonstrating that socio-political changes are reflected at the textual level
This book is of interest to researchers working on language policies and those investigating language related legislation across different policy domains, to practitioners and policymakers in language policy, as well as to graduate students conducting comparative policy research.
“This is a much valued and timely book making a strong case for the subject of language policy across Europe and India. The large comparative case studies of four distinctive states across Europe and India in a simple descriptive mode makes the reading of this book enjoyable. The domains of administration, legislation, healthcare and social welfare are undoubtedly novel ways to deal within the concept of language policy in a wider sense. The author uses discourse analysis to bring out the relationship between intention, explanation and interpretation of a phenomenon like language policy and its implementation. The social diversity as expressed in linguistic mapping is well captured in the novel idea of “categories of differentiation” both as a normative methodological tool and its historical-empirical manifestation.” ― Asha Sarangi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Author(s): Abhimanyu Sharma
Series: Language Policy, 30
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2022
Language: English
Pages: 275
City: Cham
Series Editor’s Foreword
Language Policy Book Series: Our Aims and Approach
Preface
Reference
Acknowledgements
Abstract
Contents
List of Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
Part I: Introduction
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Prologue: Thinking Across Traditions. Of Cyclopes and Žižek
1.2 Why This Book? Or the Three Needs
1.2.1 The Need for Thinking Across Traditions
1.2.2 The Need for a Diverse Set of Theoretical Frameworks
1.2.3 The Need to Address the Text-Context Divide
1.3 Aims and Research Questions
1.4 Theories and Concepts
1.4.1 The Concept of ‘Power’ in the Social Sciences
1.4.2 The Concept of ‘Power’ in Language Policy Research
1.4.3 Ideology
1.5 Methods
1.5.1 Historical-Structural Analysis
1.5.2 Critical Discourse Analysis
1.6 Research Design
1.6.1 Selection of Case Studies from the European Union
1.6.2 Selection of Case Studies from India
1.6.3 Selection of Policy Domains
1.6.4 Selection of Policy Texts
1.6.5 Chapter Plan
References
Primary Texts
Secondary Texts
Part II: European Union, Luxembourg and Wales
Chapter 2: Power and Language Policies in the EU
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Historical-Structural Factors
2.2.1 History
2.2.2 Institutions and Agencies
2.2.3 Competences, Proportionality and Subsidiarity
2.3 Domain Based Policy Analysis
2.3.1 Administration
2.3.1.1 Legislative Powers
2.3.1.2 Official, Working, and Co-official Languages
2.3.1.3 Internal Language Arrangements
2.3.1.4 Language Use in EU Institutions and Agencies
Council of the EU
EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)
European External Action Service (EEAS)
2.3.1.5 Recruitment and Promotion of EU Personnel
2.3.2 Legal Safeguards for Minority Languages
2.3.3 Law
2.3.4 Education
2.3.5 Media
2.3.6 Healthcare
2.3.7 Business
2.3.8 Social Welfare
2.4 Textual Analysis
2.5 Conclusion
References
Primary Texts
Court Cases
Statutes
Secondary Texts
Chapter 3: Power and Language Policies in Luxembourg
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Historical-Structural Factors
3.2.1 The ‘Foreign’ in Luxembourg’s History
3.2.2 The ‘Foreign’ in Contemporary Luxembourg
3.2.3 Lëtzebuergesch and Luxembourgish Identity
3.2.4 Resurgence of Luxembourgish
3.3 Domain Based Policy Analysis
3.3.1 Administration
3.3.2 Legal Safeguards for Minority Languages
3.3.3 Law
3.3.4 Education
3.3.5 Media
3.3.6 Healthcare
3.3.7 Business
3.3.8 Social Welfare
3.4 Textual Analysis
3.5 Conclusion
References
Primary Texts
Secondary Texts
Chapter 4: Power and Language Policies in Wales
4.1 Introduction
4.1.1 Language Policies of the UK
4.1.2 Devolution
4.2 Historical-Structural Factors
4.3 Domain Based Policy Analysis
4.3.1 Administration
4.3.2 Legal Safeguards for Minority Languages
4.3.3 Law
4.3.4 Education
4.3.5 Media
4.3.6 Healthcare
4.3.7 Business
4.3.8 Social Welfare
4.4 Textual Analysis
4.5 Conclusion
References
Primary Texts
UN Documents
Statutes Related to the UK and Wales
Secondary Texts
Part III: India, Manipur, and Tamil Nadu
Chapter 5: Power and Language Policies in India
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Historical-Structural Factors
5.2.1 The Problem of Measuring Linguistic Diversity
5.2.2 Federal Structure and Distribution of Powers
5.2.3 History
5.2.3.1 Hindi, Hindustani, Urdu or English
5.2.3.2 Development of a National Policy
5.2.3.3 Elite Interests
5.2.3.4 ‘May’ or ‘Shall’
5.2.3.5 The Category of ‘Eighth Schedule’
5.2.3.6 Classical Languages
5.2.3.7 Subaltern Language Policy
5.3 Domain Based Policy Analysis
5.3.1 Administration
5.3.1.1 Official vs National Language
5.3.1.2 Language Use in the States
5.3.1.3 Language Use in the Parliament
5.3.1.4 Language of the National Gazette
5.3.1.5 Language Use in Public Services
5.3.2 Legal Safeguards for Minority Languages
5.3.3 Law
5.3.4 Education
5.3.5 Media
5.3.6 Healthcare
5.3.7 Business
5.3.8 Social Welfare
5.4 Textual Analysis
5.5 Conclusion
References
Primary Texts
Court Cases
Statutes
Secondary Texts
Chapter 6: Power and Language Policies in Manipur
6.1 Introduction
6.1.1 Outline
6.1.2 Meitei: The Official Language
6.1.3 Non-official Languages
6.2 Historical-Structural Factors
6.2.1 Advent of Hinduism and Christianity
6.2.2 Language Conflicts
6.2.3 Insurgency and Secessionist Movements
6.3 Domain Based Policy Analysis
6.3.1 Administration
6.3.2 Legal Safeguards for Minority Languages
6.3.3 Law
6.3.4 Education
6.3.5 Media
6.3.6 Healthcare
6.3.7 Business
6.3.8 Social Welfare
6.4 Textual Analysis
6.5 Conclusion
References
Primary Texts
Secondary Texts
Chapter 7: Power and Language Policies in Tamil Nadu
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Historical-Structural Factors
7.2.1 Outline
7.2.2 Language Issues Before the Independence of India
7.2.3 Language and Caste
7.2.4 Language, Caste and Race
7.2.5 The Dravidian Movement and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
7.2.6 Purification and Deification of Tamil
7.2.7 Topophilia and Spatial Fabulation
7.2.8 Current Tendencies
7.3 Domain Based Policy Analysis
7.3.1 Administration
7.3.2 Legal Safeguards for Minority Languages
7.3.3 Law
7.3.4 Education
7.3.5 Media
7.3.6 Healthcare
7.3.7 Business
7.3.8 Social Welfare
7.4 Textual Analysis
7.5 Conclusion
References
Primary Texts
Court Cases
Statutes
Secondary Texts
Part IV: Conclusions and Future Prospects
Chapter 8: Conclusions and Future Prospects
8.1 Conclusions
8.1.1 Reconceptualising Power
8.1.2 Categories of Differentiation
8.1.3 Power Constellations and Internal Language Arrangements
8.1.4 Policies as a Balancing Act
8.1.5 Statistics Do Not Tell the Complete Story
8.1.6 Sociopolitical Changes Are Reflected in Texts
8.1.7 ‘May’ for Minorities, ‘Must’ for Majorities (Mostly)
8.1.8 Rethinking Modal Verbs
8.2 Limitations of Comparative Research
8.3 Avenues for Further Research
References
Primary Texts
Secondary Texts
