Language Shift and Purism: A Comparative Analysis
Language Shift and Purism: A Comparative Analysis
By Michael A. Haedicke
Since Gal’s (1979) pioneering study of the phenomenon, a number of researchers have considered language shift in communities around the world. Language shift occurs when a group of bilinguals loses or gives up one of their languages, usually the language of their ancestors. Most of these studies follow Gal’s lead by analyzing language shift as “an instance of socially motivated linguistic change” (1979, p. 2). They combine analysis of social determinants of language shift, such as industrialization, urbanization, national linguistic policy, and cultural contact, with an examination of the day to day practices and evaluations of the language by its speakers. This work focuses not only on correlations between social determinants their effects on language, but also on the “process of language shift,” or how social developments affect the linguistic lives of speakers (Gal 1979, p. 3). In spite of the rich ethnographies of language shift offered by Gal (1979, 1984) and scholars like Dorian (1981, 1994) and Hill and Hill (1986), there appears to be a dearth of comparative research about processes of language shift. While the contributions of single-case ethnographic work cannot be overestimated, comparative analysis of a limited set of representative cases is also important. The strengths of comparative analysis lie in its ability to explore and analyze patterns of diversity and difference among different cases of the same phenomenon and to advance general theory (Ragin, pp. 108-112). A notable exception to the focus on single case ethnography is the work of Hill (1993), which considers language shift among indigenous populations in Australia, Mexico and North America. Hill concludes that 2 efforts to protect the languages of these
By Michael A. Haedicke
Since Gal’s (1979) pioneering study of the phenomenon, a number of researchers have considered language shift in communities around the world. Language shift occurs when a group of bilinguals loses or gives up one of their languages, usually the language of their ancestors. Most of these studies follow Gal’s lead by analyzing language shift as “an instance of socially motivated linguistic change” (1979, p. 2). They combine analysis of social determinants of language shift, such as industrialization, urbanization, national linguistic policy, and cultural contact, with an examination of the day to day practices and evaluations of the language by its speakers. This work focuses not only on correlations between social determinants their effects on language, but also on the “process of language shift,” or how social developments affect the linguistic lives of speakers (Gal 1979, p. 3). In spite of the rich ethnographies of language shift offered by Gal (1979, 1984) and scholars like Dorian (1981, 1994) and Hill and Hill (1986), there appears to be a dearth of comparative research about processes of language shift. While the contributions of single-case ethnographic work cannot be overestimated, comparative analysis of a limited set of representative cases is also important. The strengths of comparative analysis lie in its ability to explore and analyze patterns of diversity and difference among different cases of the same phenomenon and to advance general theory (Ragin, pp. 108-112). A notable exception to the focus on single case ethnography is the work of Hill (1993), which considers language shift among indigenous populations in Australia, Mexico and North America. Hill concludes that 2 efforts to protect the languages of these
References: Dorian, Nancy C. 1981. Language Death. Philadelphia: U. of Pennsylvania P. -----. 1994. “Comment: choices and values in language shift and its study” in International Journal of Society and Language 110, pp Gal, Susan. 1979. Language Shift. New York: Academic Press. -----. 1984. “Peasant men can’t get wives: language change and sex roles in a bilingual community” in Baugh, John and Joel Sherzer, eds Gumperz, John J. 1982. Discourse Strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge U. P. Hill, Jane H. 1985. “The grammar of consciousness and the consciousness of grammar” in American Ethnologist 12(4), pp -----. 1993. “Structure and practice in language shift” in Hyltenstam, Kenneth and Åke Viberg, eds Hill, Jane H. and Kenneth C. Hill. 1986. Speaking Mexicano. Tucson: U. of Arizona P. Ragin, Charles C. 1994. Constructing Social Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge P. Weber, Max. 1958. “Class, status, party” in Mills, C. Wright and H. H. Gerth, eds. From Max Weber Weber, Max. 1978. Economy and Society, vol. 1. Roth, Guenther and Claus Wittich, eds.