THE CONSTRUCTION OF IDENTITY IN BILINGUAL SETTINGS: PERSPECTIVES ON IDENTITY CONFLICTS AMONG MINORITIES

PETER H. NELDE
Research Centre on Multilingualism (Bruxelles)

Identity building among speakers of "lesser used languages" is in many aspects incomparable among European minority groups, since many differing research approaches characterize the ethnolinguistic and cultural identities of minorities. In the same way, as contact linguistics by means of the Euromosaic report has revealed several entirely different European language policies within the EU, the identity of minority speakers has been defined in different ways depending on the nation state concepts of the EU member states.

We would like to discuss some internal and external aspects of identity conflicts which can be observed among autochtonous minority members in Europe.

Internal perspective I (common features):
1 Place names
2 Bilingualism and multiculturalism
3 Multi-identity
4 Ways of self-definition

Internal perspective I incorporates issues which have been under discussion in almost all minority groups in recent years; the point of departure is a distinctive feature which emphasizes languages as a secondary symbol for underlying primary causes.

Internal perspective II follows the same line through polarization of the features in question.
Internal perspective II (isolated features):
1 Centralism vs. subsidiarity
2 Polarized target ideas on economy, politics, religion, etc.
3 Peripheral vs. Kernel strategies in language planning
4 Linguistic-cultural vs. Global requirements with regard to the nation state

The often contradictory issues of internal perspective II serve to explain, in addition to the symbolic function of language, an identity different from the neighbouring majority aspects.

The external perspective enlarges upon the conflictual internal view with an external perspective augmenting the internal conflicts with wider and more general conflicts.

External perspective:
1 Innerlinguistic dependency of a majority language
2 Forms of cultural expression on a traditional/historical basis (folklore, etc.)
3 Language planning defined as educational policy
4 Isolationist tendencies in identity bulding, versus cooperative joint ventures with other minority groups

It will be shown that these features are of prime importance for the construction of a cultural-linguistic identity within those minority groups which are trying to avoid assimilation through identity building while at the same time trying to be socialized citizens, accepted by the majority speakers.
Can such identity conflicts be bridged by means of effective language planning?