Ethnolinguistic Minorities Research Articles

Gender and ethnolinguistic lawfare

This article treats the concept of lawfare in relation to gender and ethnolinguistic identities, examining how legal systems are employed to perpetuate power imbalances and suppress marginalized communities. By focusing on various case studies and theoretical frameworks, the study explores the role of ideologies and how moral panic and moral injury manifest in legal responses to gender nonconforming individuals, women, and ethnolinguistic minorities. The article critiques how the law is weaponized as a tool of oppression, particularizing in areas such as language rights, gender equality, and access to justice. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the authors demonstrate how legal frameworks and institutional actions often reinforce societal norms that exclude vulnerable groups, rather than protecting them. As a framework to the special issue Gender and Ethnolinguistic Lawfare, this article offers a critical perspective on the relationship between law, identity, and power, contributing to a deeper understanding of how the rule of law perpetuates or challenges social hierarchies.

ADAPTATION PROBLEMS OF ETHNOLINGUISTIC MINORITIES FROM SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIETAL PERSPECTIVES

ABSTRACT: Aim: The aim of this article is to present adaptation problems faced by bilingual representatives of ethnolinguistic minorities – from a socio-psychological perspective. Methods: This text is a review of literature on the subject matter under discussion. Results: Referring to the results of research conducted in the field, attention is paid to the most common adaptation problems from a socio-psychological perspective experienced by representatives of various ethnolinguistic minorities in bilingual education. The text also discusses issues related to the concept of bilingualism as well as its typology, outlining the differentia specifica existing between additive bilingualism and subtractive bilingualism. Conclusion: Bilingual education is an active, creative process that draws on linguistic, communicative and cognitive resources of the developing child (F. Genesee 2003). For that reason, quite a few studies have been carried out on simultaneous acquisition of two languages; equally interesting would be research results conducted among representatives of ethnolinguistic minorities in trilingual or quadrilingual language acquisition. Originality: The issues described are important for practical applications in the second language acquisition process. Keyword: bilingualism, immersion, submersion, biculturalism, ethnolinguistic minorities, adaptation problems

The Armenian Community and Changing Iranian Perceptions of Minority

Until a decade ago, it was unusual for officials in the Islamic Republic to use the word aqaliat (minority) to refer to ethno-linguistic minorities or Muslim sect minorities. Efforts to cast Sunni Muslims as a minority, or Azeri speakers, were treated with hostility, as the state, following a specific proclamation on ethnicity and sectarianism by Ayatollah Khomeini, viewed these concepts as divisive to the ummah and ultimately a threat to national security. Aqaliat was instead reserved for non-Muslims, specifically those recognized as minorities in the constitution: Assyrian, Chaldean and Armenian Christians, and Zoroastrian and Jewish Iranians. It is therefore worthwhile to examine how one such minority community, Iranian Armenians, has reacted to these changes.

Language Policies and Minority Language Maintenance: The Case of Circassian in Turkey

Guided by language maintenance and shift (Fishman, 1991) as a theoretical construct, this study explored the sociolinguistic situation and the maintenance of Circassian, a Northwest Caucasian language, spoken in Turkey since the Ottoman Era. To explore the impacts of official language ideologies and policies on the maintenance of Circassian, five participants from different age groups and regions of Turkey were interviewed using linguistic life story interviews (Atkinson 1998). As part of its socio-historical focus, the study first highlights some of the Circassian initiatives that played an important role in maintaining the language during the Ottoman Era and addresses the changes in language ideologies and policies after the declaration of the Turkish Republic. Similar to other ethnolinguistic minorities' experiences in Turkey (Aslan, 2007; Seloni & Sarfati, 2013), the life story interviews revealed the impacts of assimilationist language policies in educational and social settings. Findings also revealed the long-lasting impact of the Citizen Speak Turkish policy (1928-1945) on the maintenance of Circassian and its negative impact on the generational transfer which has not been explored by former research. The findings have implications for language policymakers, Circassian NGOs, and Circassian speakers in Turkey to maintain and transfer the language to future generations.

Constitutions and Modernity in Post-Colonial Afghanistan: Ethnolinguistic Nationalism and the Making of an Afghan Nation-State

AbstractIn recent decades, the rule of law has not been commonly associated with Afghanistan. Instead, its politics have been more likely to be framed in terms of lawlessness and ungovernability. But this trope does not do justice to Afghanistan's longer history of statehood or experiences of constitution-making. Over the course of the twentieth century, Afghan leaders drafted seven constitutions (in 1923, 1931, 1964, 1976, 1980, 1987, and 1990). These constitutions represented leaders’ attempts to assert their legitimacy and enforce their vision of an Afghan nation-state. This article sheds fresh light on Afghan elites’ top-down framing of Afghan national identity through ethnolinguism, exploring the legalization of Pashto as both an official and national language in Afghanistan's constitutions. Reformers intended Pashto to transgress community, kinship, and regional boundaries and act as a source of unity (though one in which ethnolinguistic minorities had little say). Tracing Afghanistan's constitutional history from 1923–90, this article reveals language as a constitutional arena for debating Afghan modernity and identity. As such, this article integrates Afghanistan into legal histories of South Asia while emphasizing how Afghan constitutionalists engaged in the process of law-making as a means of expressing Afghanistan's own independence and ideas of modernity.

From the Alps to the Mediterranean and beyond: genetics, environment, culture and the "impossible beauty" of Italy.

Since prehistoric times, Italy has represented a bridge between peoples, genes and cultures. Its peculiar geographical position explains why: it is located in the center of the Mediterranean Sea, flanked by the Balkans and the Hellenic Peninsula to the east, Iberia to the west and surrounded by North Africa to the south and central Europe to the north. This makes Italy of extraordinary interest for the study of some different aspects of human diversity. Here we overview current knowledge regarding the relationships between the structure of the genetic variation of Italian populations and the geographical, ecological and cultural factors that have characterized their evolutionary history. Human presence in Italian territory is deeply rooted in the past. Lithic artifacts produced by the genus Homo and remains of Homo sapiens are among the earliest to have been found on the continent, as shown by the lithic industry of Pirro Nord (between 1.3 and 1.6 Mya) and the dental remains of the "Grotta del Cavallo" (between 45 and 43 Kya). Genetic and genomic studies relating to existing and extinct human groups have shed light on the migrations from Europe, Africa and Asia that created the ancient layers of the genetic structure of today's Italian populations, especially before the Iron Age. The important role of isolation (genetic and cultural) in shaping genetic structure is clearly visible in the patterns of intra- and inter-population diversity observed among Italian ethno-linguistic minorities that settled on the peninsula and on the major islands until the 19th century. Finally, selective pressures have likely driven the distribution of originally adaptive variants and haplotypes that now confer protection or susceptibility to major diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease (in northern Italy) and tuberculosis and leprosy (in the south). What emerges is a picture where the combined effects of migration, isolation and natural selection generated by the interplay of geography, environment and culture have shaped a complex pattern of human diversity that is unique in Europe and which goes hand in hand with today's rich animal and plant biodiversity. In a nutshell, scientific evidence and cultural heritage paint Italy as a place with extremely diverse environments where distant peoples have met since the deep past, bringing and sharing genes and ideas.

Living in a liminal space: Experiences of 2SLGBTQ + official language minority Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic

The intersecting identities of those identifying with multiple minorities, such as 2SLGBTQ + and ethnolinguistic minorities, bring individuals to have unique experiences, especially concerning health and wellness. This topic is particularly poorly understood among French-speaking official language minority 2SLGBTQ + populations in Canada. Hence, this study was conducted to generate insights into their needs and experiences, through the lens of intersectionality. This quantitative community-based study, a first of its kind in Western Canada, describes the sociodemographic profile, experiences of discrimination and stigmatisation, and needs and challenges pertaining to mental health and social supports of this double minority group. Data were obtained by an online survey conducted in the Canadian province of Manitoba in June 2020. The participant sample was largely homogenous: most were under the age of 55 years, white, educated, and from urban areas. Many reported experiencing dual marginalisation, feeling unaccepted by both of their minority communities (Francophone and 2SLGBTQ+). A sense of isolation, as well as a lack of social connectedness and psychological support, were often reported. Social initiatives and mental health support within environments proactively affirming of the official language of the minority and inclusive of diverse 2SLGBTQ + identities are needed.

Social justice teacher education and culturally democratic Pedagogy: el camino se hace caminando

As a commentary text to Antonia Darder’s “Reflections on Cultural Democracy and Schooling”, this text is a reflection on how the author, as a teacher educator working in language teacher education, has been influenced by Darder’s thinking, namely on her work on bicultural education and on culturally democratic pedagogy. It seeks to evidence how Portuguese (im)migrant students and students from ethnolinguistic minorities are perceived as subaltern students in Portuguese public schools and the role (language) teacher preparation plays in counteracting power imbalances and transforming pedagogy for these students. Some examples from student teacher narratives are presented, to illustrate how social justice teacher education is developed in the author’s practice, in order to decolonize a neoliberal hegemonic perspective in pedagogy and in teacher education in Portuguese schools.

Ghosts of the past: the uncanny presence of Nazi sources in post-war sociolinguistics

ABSTRACT This paper considers the at-first-sight puzzling presence of Nazi linguistics as sources in two post-war sociolinguistic works, authored by Joshua Fishman and Uriel Weinreich respectively. It offers an account of who these Nazi linguists were and the basic ideological positions they represented. The argument is made that the presence of these sources reflects a wider problem in post-war sociolinguistics, namely a lack of awareness of the nature of interwar language politics. The question of Umvolkung (‘assimilation’, ‘transethnization’, ‘ethnoconversion’) in interwar Europe concerned state boundaries and the status of ethnolinguistic minorities. In the post-war United States, assimilation was understood in the context of indigenous and migrant languages and cultures, within a language ecology dominated by English. Post-War US identity politics concerned social and institutional space, rather than the ownership and occupation of territory. The same concept may be potentially toxic in one sociopolitical context and progressive in another.

‘Call me “Katy” instead of “Yueyun”’: English names among Chinese international students in Canada

ABSTRACT Despite the inherently meaningful nature of Chinese names, Chinese international students often adopt an English name, particularly when they pursue education in English-speaking countries. Most empirical research on name anglicisation has examined the psychological impact of name change among ethnolinguistic minorities, as well as their experiences with heritage name mispronunciations. Very few studies have looked into the reasons and purposes of adopting an English name. The present study utilises a mixed-methods survey to inquire into the functions and use of English names by Chinese international students in Canada (n = 180), with the goal of providing insight into their name choices, as well as the associated implications for their cross-cultural adaptation. The quantitative and qualitative results suggest that, aside from avoiding name-based discrimination, English names play several adaptive roles, such as facilitating the students’ intercultural communication, host connectedness, and integration. Further, English names also provide a route for Chinese international students to stay connected with their heritage culture in a foreign language environment. The findings underscore the importance of respecting language minorities’ name choices, whether in their native or the majority language, and call for societal efforts in building a welcoming environment that accepts diverse personal names originating from many different languages.

National Minorities in the Post-Revolutionary Era

Abstract This study looks into Ukraine’s minority politics after the Revolution of Dignity of 2014. It analyses the inclusivity of minority politics against three key parameters – institutional framework, dialogue mechanisms, and non-discriminatory policies. The research is conducted through an in-depth comparison analysis of minority politics of two post-revolutionary presidents – Petro Poroshenko (full term) and Volodymyr Zelenskyi (first two years). The conclusion is made that the political elites failed to drive an inclusive course towards ethno-linguistic minorities. The inclusivity along the three criteria has been provided impetus either on ad-hoc basis or not at all. On the level of policies, a regression can be observed. The underlying cause for the state not succeeding in achieving an inclusive minority course is that the two administrations had predominantly divergent motives for addressing this topic. As a result, the implementation of some inclusivity-oriented measures suffered and the minority-related discourse became highly politicized.

Direct Democracy and the Rights of Cultural Minorities in Swiss

The minorities in Switzerland are in the first place ethno-linguistic minorities, whose are unified by a common language. Therefore, since the foundation of the Confederation in 1848 the Helvetic state has been considered a multilingual country. The confederation and cantons are obliged to protect linguistic minorities. The grounds of the Swiss social structure, with traditional multiculturalism and four national languages are two principles: language freedom (Sprachenfreiheit) and territoriality (Territorialitätsprinzip). Switzerland has no official state religion. Predominant religion is Christianity, the largest religious minorities is established by Islam. The largest Christian denominations are Catholic Church (37.7%) and Swiss Reformed Church (25.5%). The influx of new cultural minorities to Switzerland began after the Second World War and was directly connected with economic migration, with the large influx of gastarbeiters from southern European countries and refugees from the Third World and from the former Yugoslavia.International law includes the protection of national, yet not cultural minorities. In Switzerland the protection of national minorities is also based on international standards. Is the Swiss multiculturalism an example for other countries?

Contextualizing Discrimination of Religious and Linguistic Minorities in South Thailand

AbstractThis article explores how scholarship can be put to work by specialists penning evidence-based policies seeking peaceful resolutions to long-standing, complex, and so-far intractable conflict in the Malay-Muslim dominated provinces of South Thailand. I contend that more is required than mere empirical data, and that the existing analysis of this conflict often lacks theoretical ballast and overlooks the wider historical context in which Bangkok pursued policies impacting its ethnolinguistically, and ethnoreligiously diverse citizens. I demonstrate the utility of both interacting with what social theorists have written about what “religion” and language do—and do not—have in common, and the relative importance of both in sub-national conflicts, and comparative historical analysis. The case studies that this article critically introduces compare chapters of ethnolinguistic and ethnoreligious chauvinism against a range of minorities, including Malay-Muslim citizens concentrated in the southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat. These include Buddhist ethnolinguistic minorities in Thailand’s Northeast, and Catholic communities during the second world war widely referred to as the high tide of Thai ethno-nationalism. I argue that these revealing aspects of the southern Malay experience need to be contextualized—even de-exceptionalized.

Waves of Language Diversity Loss in Japan: An Ecological and Theoretical Account

Linguistic diversity has seen two large waves of the loss of linguistic diversity across history. The first wave occurred with the transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies, a process that started 11,000 years ago with the Neolithic revolution when agrarian societies colonized territories of hunter-gatherer communities. The second wave started with the establishment of modern nation states and the creation and diffusion of national languages. It is in the latter setting that the vast majority of language endangerment cases are set today. Endangered languages are predominantly replaced by national languages (and not by global English). The institutions of the ‘nation state’ and of ‘national language’ constitute fundamental problems for ethnolinguistic minorities, because their establishment entail the threat of either exclusion or assimilation of these minorities from the nation. In such a situation, minority language and their speakers do usually not fare well. Without altering the modernist language ecologies that exist in modern nation states, language maintenance and revitalization activities are bound to fail in their principal objectives. In this paper, I examine the rise of language nationalism in Japan in the Meiji period (1868-1912), depict how it led to language endangerment, and show how it continues to shape believes about language in contemporary Japan, also within endangered language revitalization activities and policies themselves. Language revitalization requires language ideological clarification, a recalibration of the relations between majority and minorities, and fundamentally new language policies. In the final part, I report on partial changes that can be seen in this direction for the case of the endangered Ainu and Ryukyuan languages in Japan, and analyze to what extent the local language revitalization movements and efforts have so far succeeded in “remaking social reality” (Fishman 1991: 411) together with the majority population of Japan.

Multiscalar research on family language policy and planning in China: commentary

ABSTRACT This commentary foregrounds factors and tensions involved in intergenerational language socialization in Chinese-speaking communities and homes. Of particular interest is the manner in which younger generations in homes in which other Chinese dialects (fangyans) are spoken almost invariably seem to be shifting to Mandarin, and some of the consequences of that shift for language maintenance, cultural vitality and legitimacy, and intergenerational communication. Collectively, the reported research raises concerns about the relative status of different fangyans vis-à-vis the powerful standard variety, Mandarin, which is promoted heavily through media and language policies (as is English), in conjunction with both formal and informal education at different levels. Practical considerations favor the adoption of Mandarin to facilitate communication and successful social integration within large, diverse urban centers with a growing population of migrants from other regions and dialect areas of China. A more linguistically homogeneous Chinese population theoretically confers on individuals and society certain social, educational, and economic advantages, and thus potential opportunities for upward social mobility. However, the situation also raises deep concerns regarding cultural sustainability for ethnolinguistic and regional minorities and their rich traditions and heritage, and exposes vast social disparities within and across communities.

Factor structure, measurement invariance, and construct validity of MELQO measure of child development and early learning in Laos

ABSTRACT Early learning interventions are widely implemented in developing countries yet instruments to reliably measure the effects of such programs on children’s development and learning in specific contexts are needed. This study examines the measurement properties of a globally-informed instrument adapted to measure school readiness in Laotian children from ethnolinguistic minorities. Data come from a subsample of children (n = 1469, mean age = 4.67 years) in two larger studies to promote children’s school readiness in rural areas in Laos. This study (a) uses exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the factor structure of the measure, (b) tests measurement invariance across ethnolinguistic and age groups, and c) examines the construct validity using demographic variables known to predict school readiness. Results indicate eight factors compatible with subtasks in the Numeracy, Executive Function, and Vocabulary domains, but not with a Literacy domain, and it is useful for making inferences regarding school readiness from children across ethnolinguistic and age groups. Family SES, parents’ education, child gender, and age were associated with several domains of children’s school readiness. Results are discussed with respect to the importance of assessing children in their first language to help reduce the ethnolinguistic disparity in children’s school readiness performance.

Preserving Language Diversity for Sustainable Development in Nigeria

In Nigeria, the local people speaking the many indigenous languages represent ethnolinguistic minorities that are often the most disadvantaged. Speakers of indigenous languages seem to lack access to information, quality education, social services, and meaningful government presence. In order to achieve the sustainable development goals set by the UN in Nigeria, its rich linguistic diversity must be recognised so that the local people can stay informed, actively participate in, and fully enjoy the initiatives of the government aimed at improving the quality of life of the citizens. Quality education, besides holding the key to information and empowerment, also opens the door to creativity, innovation and preparation of skilled people in the present science- and technology-driven world. Modern forms of agriculture, health information, sanitation and best practices in almost all aspects of life are easily accessible to the literate members of the society. In Nigeria, English is an obstacle to successful learning both in formal and informal education. In the light of the above, this paper emphasises the role and importance of the indigenous languages in sustainable development. It also makes a strong case for the use of mother tongue-based multilingual education in Nigeria.

Specificity of Multiculturalism in Switzerland

Switzerland consists of different regions, cultures and languages. The minorities in Switzerland are in the first place ethno-linguistic minorities, whose are unified by a common language. Therefore, since the foundation of the Confederation in 1848 the Helvetic state has been considered a multilingual country. The confederation and cantons are obliged to protect linguistic minorities. The grounds of the Swiss social structure, with traditional multiculturalism and four national languages are two principles: language freedom (Sprachenfreiheit) and territoriality (Territorialitätsprinzip). Switzerland has no official state religion. Predominant religion is Christianity, the largest religious minorities is established by Islam. The largest Christian denominations are Catholic Church (37.7%) and Swiss Reformed Church (25.5%). The influx of new cultural minorities to Switzerland began after the Second World War and was directly connected with economic migration, with the large influx of gastarbeiters from southern European countries and refugees from the Third World and from the former Yugoslavia.International law includes the protection of national, yet not cultural minorities. In Switzerland the protection of national minorities is also based on international standards.

KILL BILBO: metrolingual play in Galician and Basque T-shirts

ABSTRACTThis paper draws on a multimodal notion of metrolingualism to discuss playful T-shirt displays of Galician and Basque language, culture and identity. They invite the audience to reflect on notions of Galicianness and Basqueness by mixing localising resources such as minority language and cultural heritage with globalised resources of fluidity, such as the English language, pop-cultural icons, and logos of transnational companies, and by strategically using play and parody. Read against observations of discursive and ideological shifts among other ethnolinguistic minorities, the paper suggests that the metrolingual play in these T-shirts is part of a more general move towards less standardised and homogeneous understandings of smaller and peripheral languages and cultures. A comparison of the sociolinguistic and political situation in Galicia and the Basque Country shows however bigger potential for cross-linguistic and metrolingual play in Galicia than in the Basque Country. The paper concludes by suggesting that increased metrolingualism in public language displays should be seen both as a sign of maturity and as a commercial appropriation and commodification of the minority culture and language. To evaluate the effect of metrolingual play on particular languages and cultures therefore require detailed examinations of local power relations and political economies of language.

Determinant factors of multiculturalism in Switzerland

Abstract Switzerland consists of different regions, cultures and languages. The minorities in Switzerland are in the first place ethno-linguistic minorities, whose are unified by a common language. Therefore, since the foundation of the Confederation in 1848 the Helvetic state has been considered a multilingual country. The confederation and cantons are obliged to protect linguistic minorities. The grounds of the Swiss social structure, with traditional multiculturalism and four national languages are two principles: language freedom (Sprachenfreiheit) and territoriality (Territorialitätsprinzip). Switzerland has no official state religion. Predominant religion is Christianity, the largest religious minorities is established by Islam. The largest Christian denominations are Catholic Church (37.7%) and Swiss Reformed Church (25.5%). The influx of new cultural minorities to Switzerland began aXer the Second World War and was directly connected with economic migration, with the large influx of gastarbeiters from southern European countries and refugees from the Third World and from the former Yugoslavia. International law includes the protection of national, yet not cultural minorities. In Switzerland the protection of national minorities is also based on international standards. The necessity for systematic integration policy in Switzerland appeared in the nineties of the twentieth century, after removing the anti-immigration tendencies and hostile attitude towards foreigners. There is a conflict of interest between democracy and state under the rule of law, and between majoritarian democratic politics and liberal principles. The conflict can be controlled; however it can not be resolved. The principle of the Swiss “unity in multiplicity” is best reflected in the multiculturalism and multilingualism of Switzerland, but also a relatively high percentage of the foreigners.