Linguistic Genocide in Education--Or Worldwide Diversity and Human Rights?

by Skutnabb-Kangas, Tove

• ISBN13: 9780805834673
• ISBN10: 0805834672
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-02-01
• Publisher: Lawrence Erlbau

Summary

In this powerful, multidisciplinary book, Tove Skutnabb-Kangas shows how most indigenous and minority education contributes to linguistic genocide according to United Nations definitions. Theory is combined with a wealth of factual encyclopedic information and with many examples and vignettes. The examples come from all parts of the world and try to avoid Eurocentrism. Oriented toward theory and practice, facts and evaluations, and reflection and action, the book prompts readers to find information about the world and their local contexts, to reflect and to act. A Web site with additional resource materials to this book can be found at http://www.ruc.dk/~tovesk/

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Outline of the book	ix
How to use the book---some advice to the reader	xiii
Who might want to read the book	xv
Acknowledgments	xvi
Introduction	xix
Asking why-questions	xix
Repoliticizing the language of schooling	xxii
Acknowledging feelings, value judgements, and the need for action as legitimate parts of research	xxiii
Standpoint theories	xxviii
Linguistic genocide, language murder---a note on terminology	xxxi
I Setting the Scene	1	(288)
What is Happening to the Languages of the World	5	(58)
Our knowledge about `language' and languages	6	(24)
The world's languages: number of languages and number of speakers	30	(16)
The state of the languages: the `moribund', the `endangered', and the `safe'	46	(4)
Examples of languages pushed into disuse	50	(13)
Connections Between Biodiversity and Linguistic and Cultural Diversity	63	(38)
Our threefold living environment---biological, linguistic, and cultural---is threatened by globalisation	65	(4)
Language and species---defining linguistic and biological diversity	69	(4)
Comparing the threat towards biodiversity and linguistic diversity	73	(10)
The correlation between biodiversity and linguistic and cultural diversity	83	(8)
Causal connections between biodiversity and linguistic and cultural diversity?	91	(10)
Mother Tongue(s), Culture, Ethnicity, and Self-Determination	101	(108)
Conceptualizing ourselves and the world	104	(1)
Mother tongue(s)	105	(11)
Cultural diversity and cultural competence	116	(18)
Language(s) for multiple identities	134	(31)
Ethnicity and language	165	(30)
Language for control and domination, resistance, and self-determination	195	(14)
Linguistic Diversity---Curse or Blessing? To Be Maintained or Not? Why?	209	(80)
Linguistic diversity in great myths	212	(26)
The ideology of monolingual reductionism/stupidity/naivety	238	(11)
Arguments for and against linguistic diversity	249	(29)
The balance sheet: Epistemological arguments for linguistic and cultural diversity	278	(2)
Esperanto?	280	(9)
II Linguistic Genocide, State Policies, and Globalisation	289	(188)
State Policies Towards Languages---Linguistic Genocide, Language Death, or Support for Languages?	291	(88)
Possible state policies towards languages/dialects/`non-standard' variants/`non-native' variants	296	(15)
Linguistic genocide	311	(7)
Linguistic genocide in educational practice	318	(47)
Language death and linguistic genocide/linguicide---two paradigms?	365	(14)
Globalisation, Power, and Control	379	(98)
Ideological reasons---power relations	384	(41)
Political reasons---the `nation state' `demands' one language for unity?	425	(11)
Economic reasons---the global `free market'?	436	(32)
`Free' markets and human rights	468	(9)
III Struggle Against Linguistic Genocide and for Linguistic Human Rights in Education	477	(192)
Linguistic Human Rights	479	(88)
Introducing Linguistic Human Rights (LHRs)	482	(14)
Delimiting the topic---from language rights to educational linguistic human rights	496	(9)
A short history of language rights in the West	505	(6)
Systematising language-related rights	511	(16)
What happens to language in educational instruments?	527	(15)
Towards a universal covenant on linguistic human rights?	542	(7)
The hypocrisy of Western states	549	(8)
Positive developments	557	(10)
Linguistic Human Rights in Education?	567	(84)
What kind of `bilingualism' is the goal in `bilingual education' programmes?	570	(5)
Key fallacies in the education of dominated communities	575	(4)
`Non-forms' and `weak forms' of bilingual education	579	(21)
Strong forms of bilingual and multilingual education	600	(22)
Strong models and language policy goals: equality, economics, and enrichment	622	(4)
Principles for educational models which respect linguistic human rights	626	(12)
Contextualising is necessary ... but not enough	638	(13)
Alternatives to Genocide and Dystopia	651	(18)
Weak forms and non-forms of `bilingual' education amount to genocide by `forcibly transferring children of the group to another group' (from the UN Genocide Convention)	652	(1)
Minority language---both right and resource in states with civic pluralism and no ethnic state identity	653	(2)
Diversity or homogenisation? Localisation or globalisation?	655	(5)
`Promoting linguistic tolerance and development'?	660	(4)
Do arguments help?	664	(2)
To conclude	666	(3)
Bibliography	669	(66)
Bibliography of Esperanto Studies and Interlinguistics	735	(2)
Preface to Indexes	737	(2)
Author/Person Index	739	(16)
Languages and Peoples Index	755	(8)
Countries/States Index	763	(6)
Subject Index	769