Chapter 6. Transient linguistic landscapes of activism
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Virginie D. Mamadouh
Abstract
This chapter explores the political geography of activism against austerity policies in the Eurozone (the Member States of the European Union using the euro as their common currency) through a study of language use in demonstrations. Arguably, the protestors’ performance produces transient linguistic landscapes with placards, posters, banners, and other languaged signs which are used in this analysis to examine the Europeanisation of collective action. When public space in the local context is clearly dominated by one (state) language, political signs in different languages reveal some transnational engagement. Such multilingual signs can be interpreted not only as the expression of the diversity of the linguistic backgrounds among participants to the collective action (revealing either some transnational mobilisation or the multilingual repertoires of local participants) but also as evidence for/of the tactical use of a language (potentially) understood by the addressees outside the local and national contexts and for the emergence of a transnational public sphere. Using pictures of the protests published in conventional media or uploaded on Flickr, the image hosting website and online community, this chapter discusses signs in the local language, borrowings, English signs, signs in other languages than the national one (next to English), and code mixing.
Abstract
This chapter explores the political geography of activism against austerity policies in the Eurozone (the Member States of the European Union using the euro as their common currency) through a study of language use in demonstrations. Arguably, the protestors’ performance produces transient linguistic landscapes with placards, posters, banners, and other languaged signs which are used in this analysis to examine the Europeanisation of collective action. When public space in the local context is clearly dominated by one (state) language, political signs in different languages reveal some transnational engagement. Such multilingual signs can be interpreted not only as the expression of the diversity of the linguistic backgrounds among participants to the collective action (revealing either some transnational mobilisation or the multilingual repertoires of local participants) but also as evidence for/of the tactical use of a language (potentially) understood by the addressees outside the local and national contexts and for the emergence of a transnational public sphere. Using pictures of the protests published in conventional media or uploaded on Flickr, the image hosting website and online community, this chapter discusses signs in the local language, borrowings, English signs, signs in other languages than the national one (next to English), and code mixing.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- List of abbreviations xvii
- List of figures, tables, charts and pictures xix
- Chapter 1. The politics of multilingualism 1
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Part I. Reconceptualising multilingualism and collective identity
- Chapter 2. The politics of multilingualism in Canada 19
- Chapter 3. A Russian-speaking nation? 39
- Chapter 4. The impact of mobility and migration on the identity-constructing policy in Brussels 65
- Chapter 5. From glossophagic hegemony to multilingual pluralism? 89
- Chapter 6. Transient linguistic landscapes of activism 111
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Part II. Linguistic hegemony, insecurity and linguistic justice
- Chapter 7. How to measure linguistic justice? 145
- Chapter 8. Linguistic justice and English as a Lingua Franca 167
- Chapter 9. The promise and pitfalls of global English 201
- Chapter 10. Languages, norms and power in a globalised context 223
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Part III. Lingua Franca and global linguistic governance
- Chapter 11. On some fashionable terms in multilingualism research 247
- Chapter 12. English, the Lingua Nullius of global hegemony 275
- Chapter 13. Idealism or pragmatism? 305
- Chapter 14. European integration and the variety of languages 333
- Author index 359
- Subject index 365
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- List of contributors ix
- List of abbreviations xvii
- List of figures, tables, charts and pictures xix
- Chapter 1. The politics of multilingualism 1
-
Part I. Reconceptualising multilingualism and collective identity
- Chapter 2. The politics of multilingualism in Canada 19
- Chapter 3. A Russian-speaking nation? 39
- Chapter 4. The impact of mobility and migration on the identity-constructing policy in Brussels 65
- Chapter 5. From glossophagic hegemony to multilingual pluralism? 89
- Chapter 6. Transient linguistic landscapes of activism 111
-
Part II. Linguistic hegemony, insecurity and linguistic justice
- Chapter 7. How to measure linguistic justice? 145
- Chapter 8. Linguistic justice and English as a Lingua Franca 167
- Chapter 9. The promise and pitfalls of global English 201
- Chapter 10. Languages, norms and power in a globalised context 223
-
Part III. Lingua Franca and global linguistic governance
- Chapter 11. On some fashionable terms in multilingualism research 247
- Chapter 12. English, the Lingua Nullius of global hegemony 275
- Chapter 13. Idealism or pragmatism? 305
- Chapter 14. European integration and the variety of languages 333
- Author index 359
- Subject index 365
