An Insiders' Outside Perspective on the Flemish-Walloon Conflict: The Role of Identification and Disidentification for the German-Speaking Minority.

Frank Asbrock,Alain Van Hiel

doi:10.5334/pb.347

Abstract

In this study we analyzed the opinions of citizens of the German-speaking minority in Belgium on the linguistic conflict between the Walloons and the Flemish, as well as their attitudes towards these linguistic communities. We were especially interested in the effects of identification with the local community and disidentification with Belgium. We distributed a survey questionnaire in Eupen, the capital of the German-speaking community, and received replies from 129 inhabitants. Results showed that identification with the German-speaking community was associated with positive attitudes towards the German-speaking community and with demands for more autonomy of the community within the federal Belgian state. Disidentification with Belgium was not positively correlated with these constructive and positive outcomes, but with negative perceptions of all three Belgian communities, the perception of strong conflicts among these communities, and demands for the separation of the Belgian federal state into independent regions. The results are in line with previous research on these processes and point to unique, positive aspects of a strong local identity.

Highlights

In public perception, especially from an international viewpoint, Belgium is a country which is divided into two linguistic and culturally distinct subgroups, the Flemish and the Walloon communities
In line with Hypothesis 1, identification with the German-speaking community was positively associated with attitudes towards the ingroup (β = .36, p < .001), but not with attitudes toward the other two groups
As predicted in Hypothesis 2a, disidentification had a negative effect on attitudes towards the Walloon (β = –.48, p < .001) and the Flemish communities (β = –.36, p = .003), and on attitudes toward the German-speaking community (β = –.22, p = .01)

Summary

Introduction

Especially from an international viewpoint, Belgium is a country which is divided into two linguistic and culturally distinct subgroups, the Flemish and the Walloon communities. Asbrock and Van Hiel: Identification and Disidentification are part of the superordinate group by being Belgian, their ingroup is not involved in the major societal conflict Up to this point, the perspective of the German-speaking community has hardly received any scholarly attention, at least among (political) psychologists. As a community in Belgium, which has not been directly involved in the conflict, but is affected by reforms negotiated by the Flemish and Walloon communities, we consider it important to add a focus on the German-speaking community to the existing body of research Given this unique insider’s outside perspective, we want to focus our analysis on the relationship between identification processes and attitudes towards the linguistic conflict, as well as towards the other linguistic communities. Young men had to join the German armed forces, and not less than 3,200 of them would never return to their homes

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