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Programme: accepted abstracts

Abstract ID: 552

Part of Session 172: Urban Language Conflict (Other abstracts in this session)

Present-day urban language policy issues in Sweden – equity in education as a litmus paper to identify core language conflicts

Authors: Lainio, Jarmo
Submitted by: Lainio, Jarmo (Stockholm University, Sweden)

The concept of the litmus paper is used for several reasons. Wikipedia says (2012-01-25), that “Litmus turns red under acidic conditions and blue under basic ( alkaline ) conditions”, which may be symbolically used for a discussion on the political color of language conflicts. It is, however, my experience that the political color is not the most significant factor for the acceptance of phenomena like multilingualism/multiculturalism/plurality in society. It is more the degree of cultural value conservatism and belief in the naturalness of construed ideas of monolithic societies and monolingual histories, as opposed to openness to changes in the surrounding society, coexistence of languages and multitude, that are decisive. Both conservatives and liberal representatives may be found in most political camps, and may equally easily be found among majorities and minorities. Issues pertaining to education and the role of languages in that, at least in some Northern European countries, are in key positions and function as lenses through which urban and other language conflicts may be discerned and unraveled. Since education also makes up a main entrance to social change and upward movement (or the hindrance of it), questions about who under what conditions, supported by whom and how, can benefit the most of the education systems, also indicate how democratic, political, ideological and social walls or ceilings are raised for some but not others. Habitation patterns, unemployment rates and the role of privatization of schools seem to coincide with the mentioned dimensions. This in essence concerns the access to equal opportunities for all children. These conflicts seem to be more overt in urban areas (for migrants at least), into which migration has increased substantially during the last decades. Naturally, not all involved in language conflicts can see the central role of educational issues as an explanation to these, but from their deeper, core level, such issues can  both reflect and have an impact on other types of language-based, and in some cases ethnic and social language conflicts.

Swedish language policy has seen several main legal - national and internationally ratified - changes during the last decade, affecting the national language Swedish, minority languages, migrant languages, sign language and modern languages. Swedish is for the first time the official or “main” language of all citizens. The protection and promotion of the national minority languages was confirmed through the Council of Europe's minority and minority language conventions in 2000. The role of English is repeatedly contrasted to the role of Swedish and migrant languages, in education and in cultural life. A new Language Act (2009) and a new Minority Act (2010) have been adopted. However, recommendations provided by legislation or research results are not always followed in practice, recurrently for attitudinal reasons. I will make links between the role of languages in education and other language conflicts, most of which take place in urban contexts. I will use some earlier critical discourse research, public reports by the national agencies of education, media databases, and refer to focus group interviews among teachers in two bilingual schools.