Spracherhalt als Prozess: Elemente des kirchlichen Sprachmanagements bei den katholischen Sorben

Goro Christoph Kimura

doi:10.1515/ijsl-2014-0040

Article

Spracherhalt als Prozess: Elemente des kirchlichen Sprachmanagements bei den katholischen Sorben

Goro Christoph Kimura

Published/Copyright: January 30, 2015

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From the journal International Journal of the Sociology of Language Volume 2015 Issue 232

Abstract

In contrast to language shift, language maintenance appears to be a static phenomenon. Yet this article displays language maintenance as a process, applying the Language Management Theory. On the ground of a case study at a Catholic Sorbian parish in eastern Germany, the study shows that the Sorbian language is maintained in the church through numerous minute interventions at different levels. The findings suggest that the actual process of language maintenance and shift is much more complex than the conventional dualism of “top-down” vs. “bottom-up” assumes. It is argued that in order to get a more reliable understanding of how language maintenance and shift is attained, it is necessary to pay due attention to the interplay of various processes between and within simple and organized management.

Keywords: language maintenance; language management; Sorbian; Catholic church

Published Online: 2015-1-30

Published in Print: 2015-3-1

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ijsl-2014-0040

Keywords for this article

language maintenance; language management; Sorbian; Catholic church