Minority language researchers and their role in policy development

Abstract

This paper deals with the role of researchers in the development of language policies for European minority languages. This question is placed in the context of a long-standing debate in sociology to which several authors have contributed; among them are Max Weber, Howard Becker and Alvin Gouldner. This article also briefly refers to the European Charter for Researchers. A summary is given of the local research settings of Friesland and the Basque Country where my studies into European minority languages, language policy and multilingual education are carried out. This article mentions three possible roles for a researcher: academic scholar, policy adviser and language activist. A key issue in all this is to find a balance between ‘detachment’ and ‘involvement’. There is a dynamic in the different roles and the balance shifts over time. This is further complicated by being a relative insider to one language group and relative outsider to the other.