Published April 2009
ISBN-13: 9780521108614
This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to the relations between
power and language. Many societies are 'multilingual' throughout their
history, but there is often a hierarchical ordering of their languages,
dialects and ways of speaking. These are rarely of equal status, power
or authority. Through a detailed and systematic comparison of Britain
and France, Ralph Grillo examines the concept of language dominance,
and the causes and consequences of linguistic hierarchy.
In both France and Britain language has been a major political
battleground, and the study traces the history of their various
conflicts from the late Middle Ages to the present day. By relating
these linguistic struggles to the principal social, economic, cultural
and political factors at work in society as a whole, the book
demonstrates the continuity between small-scale, 'local' even
interpersonal relationships and general, large-scale processes. The
investigation brings together an unusual and rich combination of
material from a wide range of sources and a variety of academic
disciplines.
Content :
Preface;
1. Introduction: the politics of communicative practice;
2. The view from the centre: France;
3. And England;
4. A view from the periphery - Occitanie;
5. The politics of language in Wales, Ireland and Scotland;
6. Immigrants and language: the 'Mother Tongue';
7. Immigrants and language: the issue of competence;
8. Language and social differentiation;
9. Barbarous tongues: the hierarchical ordering of difference;
10. Language, class, power, education;
11. Authoritative discourse;
Bibliography; Index.