Abstract
This paper analyses political and media discourse surrounding the UK government’s decision to change the name of the Second Severn Crossing, a motorway bridge over the river between Wales and England, to the Prince of Wales Bridge in order to commemorate the 70th birthday of Prince Charles. This decision, taken without the prior consultation of Welsh citizens, caused a public uproar and resulted in disputes among politicians as well as in mainstream and social media. This article explores the case of renaming this landmark construction by relating it to the concepts of colonial and postcolonial ideologies, power and national identity. A thematic analysis of media discourse and a debate in the National Assembly for Wales demonstrates how attempts to manipulate the cultural and linguistic landscape reveal political and social tensions within Welsh society, bringing to the fore current issues concerning Welsh identity.
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© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- Editorial: ideology and commemoration in the urban space
- Street name changes as language and identity inscription in the cityscape
- Media debates over the renaming of the cityscape
- Patterns of commemorative street and place renaming in India’s two mega-cities: Mumbai and New Delhi
- Community cityscape: modes of engagement and co-construction of the streetscape
- Cultural representation in Luxembourgish street naming practices
- A fo bont, bid ben: colonial and postcolonial ideologies in debates on renaming the Second Severn Crossing
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Research Articles
- Editorial: ideology and commemoration in the urban space
- Street name changes as language and identity inscription in the cityscape
- Media debates over the renaming of the cityscape
- Patterns of commemorative street and place renaming in India’s two mega-cities: Mumbai and New Delhi
- Community cityscape: modes of engagement and co-construction of the streetscape
- Cultural representation in Luxembourgish street naming practices
- A fo bont, bid ben: colonial and postcolonial ideologies in debates on renaming the Second Severn Crossing