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ID106041
Title ProperLanguage identity, linguistic diversity and political cleavages
Other Title Informationevidence from Ukraine
LanguageENG
AuthorKulyk, Volodymyr
Publication2011.
Summary / Abstract (Note)This article revisits the notion of linguistic diversity and its function as a political cleavage. It argues that people's linguistic and cultural attitudes are influenced not only by their communicative practice but also by their identification with particular language(s) - even though they may not always communicate in that language. In Ukraine, from which my empirical data is drawn, language identity is embodied in the concept of native language that was imposed by the Soviet institutionalisation of ethnicity and came to mean ethnic belonging as much as linguistic practice. My analysis of survey data demonstrates that native language is a powerful predictor of people's attitudes and policy preferences with regard to both language use and other socially divisive issues, such as foreign policy and historical memory. This finding should also be applicable to other societies with a large-scale discrepancy between language practice and identity.
`In' analytical NoteNations and Nationalism Vol. 17, No. 3; Jul 2011: p.627-648
Journal SourceNations and Nationalism Vol. 17, No. 3; Jul 2011: p.627-648
Key WordsLanguage Identity ;  Language Practice ;  Linguistic Diversity ;  Political Cleavage ;  Ukraine