This module articulates empirical, comparative sociolinguistic views of language use and conflicts within speech communities, contextualizing them within a human rights perspective.
We problematize the ways in which broad social categories (including ethnicity, class, nationality, gender, race, indigenous and regional origin) intersect with ways in which language is used to claim statuses and negotiate conflicts. Such associations are problematic – both practically for speakers (and signers) asserting or negotiating their social identity, access to services, and human rights (political, civil, social, cultural and economic); and theoretically for scholars investigating areas such as citizenship and political participation, (im)migration, indigenous peoples and cultures, language extinction, globalization, maintenance/crossing of ethnic boundaries, mass media discourse, the construction of gender ideologies, literacy and development, equal opportunity in the workplace, etc.
This module surveys important topics in human rights, focusing on the types of conflicts which occur around language, considering the principles upon which they can be understood and investigated, and examining efforts at solutions, as well as locating attempts to identify and make language rights manifest within a broad context of national and international agreements.
Aims:
This module aims to introduce and address key questions within the field, including:
* What are language rights/linguistic human rights?
* Can they be grouped around key concepts such as diversity? Identity? Vitality?
* What sorts of conflicts occur around language? Why?
* What sorts of resolutions are often attempted? What are the roles of language planning and language policy in such efforts?
* Do language rights qualify as (basic) human rights? Which ones? Why?
* Are human rights essentially linguistic in nature? How? In whole or in part?
* How are language rights negotiated in institutional contexts such as the courts? Government policy? Legislation? Schools? Healthcare providers? National and international bodies and organisations?
Learning Outcomes:
1. For Linguistic & other students: control basic concepts and resources in studying Human Rights, as far as they interact with language issues
2. For Human Rights & other students: basic understanding of socio-linguistic perspectives and principles, as far as they interact with language rights
3. Identify, document and explore common types of language conflicts that potentially involve human rights violations
4. Investigate language policy, planning and other attempts at resolving language issues which impinge on individual and group human rights
5. Familiarise students with basic documents and resources concerning the nature of language rights vis-à-vis other human rights
We problematize the ways in which broad social categories (including ethnicity, class, nationality, gender, race, indigenous and regional origin) intersect with ways in which language is used to claim statuses and negotiate conflicts. Such associations are problematic – both practically for speakers (and signers) asserting or negotiating their social identity, access to services, and human rights (political, civil, social, cultural and economic); and theoretically for scholars investigating areas such as citizenship and political participation, (im)migration, indigenous peoples and cultures, language extinction, globalization, maintenance/crossing of ethnic boundaries, mass media discourse, the construction of gender ideologies, literacy and development, equal opportunity in the workplace, etc.
This module surveys important topics in human rights, focusing on the types of conflicts which occur around language, considering the principles upon which they can be understood and investigated, and examining efforts at solutions, as well as locating attempts to identify and make language rights manifest within a broad context of national and international agreements.
Aims:
This module aims to introduce and address key questions within the field, including:
* What are language rights/linguistic human rights?
* Can they be grouped around key concepts such as diversity? Identity? Vitality?
* What sorts of conflicts occur around language? Why?
* What sorts of resolutions are often attempted? What are the roles of language planning and language policy in such efforts?
* Do language rights qualify as (basic) human rights? Which ones? Why?
* Are human rights essentially linguistic in nature? How? In whole or in part?
* How are language rights negotiated in institutional contexts such as the courts? Government policy? Legislation? Schools? Healthcare providers? National and international bodies and organisations?
Learning Outcomes:
1. For Linguistic & other students: control basic concepts and resources in studying Human Rights, as far as they interact with language issues
2. For Human Rights & other students: basic understanding of socio-linguistic perspectives and principles, as far as they interact with language rights
3. Identify, document and explore common types of language conflicts that potentially involve human rights violations
4. Investigate language policy, planning and other attempts at resolving language issues which impinge on individual and group human rights
5. Familiarise students with basic documents and resources concerning the nature of language rights vis-à-vis other human rights