Language territorial regimes in multilingual ethnic territorial autonomies

Abstract

Ethnic territorial autonomy (ETA) is an institutional way to ensure simultaneously the integrity of the state and the rights of ethnic minorities through preferential policies in certain ethnically sensitive spheres. Language preferential policies differ greatly across multilingual ETAs and can be analyzed through the concept of “language territorial regime” (LTR). In this paper, we examine LTRs along two dimensions: (1) the scope of state regulation of language use and (2) the way language rights are perceived and used. The first considers the depth and universality of state regulation of language use – “strong” or “weak.” The second concerns whether the community’s approach to language rights is symbolic or pragmatic. The combination of these two dimensions allows the categorization of LTRs into four main classes: “strong parting-regime,” “strong pooling-regime,” “weak pooling-regime,” and “weak parting-regime.” A comparison of South Tyrol, Vojvodina, and Wales allows conceptualizing LTR as a system of de jure institutional arrangements of linguistic issues and practice of self-organization and perpetuation of multilingual communities.

Keywords:

• language preferential policy
• ethnic territorial autonomy
• language territorial regime
• multilingualism
• ethnic minorities

ORCID

Nadezhda Borisova http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4516-0820

Konstantin Sulimov http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4277-3135

Notes

1 In 2015–2016, the general sample of our research project includes profiles of 61 ETA in different countries of the world. For the full list (about 100) of autonomies in the database, see: http://identityworld.ru/index/database_eng/0-22 (Accessed 30 April 2016).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Russian Science Foundation [grant number 15-18-00034] “Securing a Balance in Interethnic Relations: Regional Autonomies, State Integrity, and the Rights of Ethnic Minorities.”