A critical evaluation of linguistic minorities from a postmodern perspective : the case of Welsh
My aim in this thesis is to consider language policy and minority languages from the viewpoint of postmodernism â a theoretical framework that has much to offer beyond mere explanation and support for the concepts of diversity and pluralism. I argue there is a shortage of texts that interrogate language policy from a postmodern perspective â notwithstanding the contributions of a relatively small group of linguists including Pennycook (2000, 2006), Wright (2000, 2004), Cameron (1995) and Edwards (1985-2003). Thus, I combine some arguments from the domain of postmodernism articulated by theorists such as Foucault (1980), Lyotard (1997), and Connor (2004) with other arguments from the fields of language policy, language ideology and minority language rights formulated by theorists such as Phillipson (1993, 2003), Crystal (2000, 2003). In the first chapter I consider how language policy and planning has developed as a subject of academic inquiry since World War II. In the second chapter I focus on a primary objective for language policymakers, namely minority language maintenance. I conclude that characteristics and trends associated with postmodernism are neither wholly supportive nor wholly unsupportive
Muirden, Mark
JN101 Great Britain ; PB Modern European Languages
A critical evaluation of linguistic minorities from a postmodern perspective : the case of Welsh. My aim in this thesis is to consider language policy and minority languages from the viewpoint of postmodernism â a theoretical framework that has much to offer beyond mere explanation and support for the concepts of diversity and pluralism. I argue there is a shortage of texts that interrogate language policy from a postmodern perspective â notwithstanding the contributions of a relatively small group of linguists including Pennycook (2000, 2006), Wright (2000, 2004), Cameron (1995) and Edwards (1985-2003). Thus, I combine some arguments from the domain of postmodernism articulated by theorists such as Foucault (1980), Lyotard (1997), and Connor (2004) with other arguments from the fields of language policy, language ideology and minority language rights formulated by theorists such as Phillipson (1993, 2003), Crystal (2000, 2003). In the first chapter I consider how language policy and planning has developed as a subject of academic inquiry since World War II. In the second chapter I focus on a primary objective for language policymakers, namely minority language maintenance. I conclude that characteristics and trends associated with postmodernism are neither wholly supportive nor wholly unsupportive
critical_evaluation linguistic minority postmodern perspective case welsh aim_consider language_policy minority_languages viewpoint postmodernism theoretical_framework much offer beyond mere explanation support concept diversity pluralism argue shortage text interrogate language_policy postmodern perspective notwithstanding contribution relatively_small group linguists include wright edwards thus combine argument domain postmodernism articulate theorist foucault arguments fields language_policy language_ideology minority_language right formulate theorist first consider language_policy planning develop subject academic inquiry since world_war_ii second_focus primary_objective language policymakers namely minority_language maintenance conclude characteristic trend associated postmodernism neither wholly supportive wholly