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- Title
Socioeconomic development and language maintenance in the Gaeltacht.
- Authors
Commins, Patrick
- Abstract
This article analyzes the main trends of socioeconomic change and their associated linguistic processes in Gaeltacht, Ireland with special emphasis on the role of the state in language maintenance. It is argued that state-sponsored programs of industrialization, while having had a degree of success as a population-maintenance policy, have not of themselves ensured language maintenance. Second, it is contended, that because of the convention of linking economic development and language survival, state language policy has been to narrowly entrusted to special Gaeltacht development agencies; this underrates the wider influence of the state on linguistic trends through the general expansion in the public administration system. Third, it is suggested that there is a considerable degree of ambivalence in the relationships between statutory authorities and community-based nonstatutory development organizations, and that the latter have not formed an assertive linguistic or minority cultural movement. Fourth, these various socioeconomic factors are examined in terms of their implications for language usage and language shift. The main conclusion is that as far as the attainment of linguistic objectives is concerned there are anomalies in the role of the Irish state in relation to the Gaeltacht. In particular, language maintenance is not part of an integrated policy of state intervention, informed by systematic research on the linkages between socioeconomic change and linguistic processes.
- Subjects
GAELTACHT (Ireland); IRELAND; SOCIOLINGUISTICS; LANGUAGE &; languages; LANGUAGE maintenance; LANGUAGE policy; LINGUISTICS; SOCIOECONOMIC factors
- Publication
International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 1988, Vol 1988, Issue 70, p11
- ISSN
0165-2516
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1515/ijsl.1988.70.11