ENGLISH

Elites, Language, and the Politics of Identity: The Norwegian Case in Comparative Perspective

By Gregg Bucken-Knapp

Book information

Publisher
State University of New York Press
Year
2003
ISBN
0791456552, 9780791456552, 9781417531219
LCC
PD2915 .B83 2003
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
811 kB (830038 bytes)
Series
SUNY Series in National Identities
Pages
208\206
Time added
2011-06-04 13:46:07

Description

Why and when do linguistic cleavages within a nation become politicized? Using Norway—where language has played a particularly salient role in the nation’s history—as a case study, Gregg Bucken-Knapp explores these questions and challenges the notion that the politicization of language conflict is a response to language problems. He shows that political elites often view language conflict as a political opportunity, placing it on the policy agenda as an effective mobilizing tool to serve their own nonlinguistic political ends. Although language-oriented interest groups may fight to achieve desired language policies, they are generally unsuccessful when their preferences clash with the broader objectives of political elites. This book focuses on understanding just how language policies emerge.

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