Language Policy and Nation-Building in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Adopting a rigorous theoretical approach to the study of language policy and national identity, both generally and with specific application to the sociolinguistic situation in South Africa, this volume also includes an entire chapter devoted to Afrikaans.

The preamble to the post-apartheid South African constitution states that 'South Africa belongs to all who live in it, united in our diversity' and promises to 'lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law' and to 'improve the quality of life of all citizens'. This would seem to commit the South African government to, amongst other things, the implementation of policies aimed at fostering a common sense of South African national identity, at societal dev- opment and at reducing of levels of social inequality. However, in the period of more than a decade that has now elapsed since the end of apartheid, there has been widespread discontent with regard to the degree of progress made in connection with the realisation of these constitutional aspirations. The 'limits to liberation' in the post-apartheid era has been a theme of much recent research in the ?elds of sociology and political theory (e. g. Luckham, 1998; Robins, 2005a). Linguists have also paid considerable attention to the South African situation with the realisation that many of the factors that have prevented, and are continuing to prevent, effective progress towards the achievement of these constitutional goals are linguistic in their origin.

Theoretically rigorous and innovative - pushes forward theoretical understanding of concepts such as national identity and language policy/planning and the way in which they interrelate The first chapters of the book address universal themes and issues in the study of national identities and language policy and planning. This makes the book accessible and interesting for sociolinguists, language policy and ethnicity/nationalism scholars in general, beyond a strictly South African context Interdisciplinary, non-linguicentric, discussion of the South-African situation, including a chapter on the issue of Afrikaans

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The urgent need to forge an inclusive, multi-racial, multicultural South African national identity has been one of the most dominant themes in post-Apartheid politics and society. With the realisation that many of the social problems which beset contemporary South African society are sociolinguistic in origin, the critical importance of language policy and planning for democratic 'nation-building' becomes evident. This book adopts a rigorous theoretical approach to the study of language policy and national identity, both in a general sense and with specific application to the sociolinguistic situation in South Africa. It also includes an entire chapter devoted to the issue of the status and role of Afrikaans in the post-apartheid era. Employing a strictly multi-disciplinary approach, the book draws on insights from a number of academic disciplines including sociolinguistics, the sociology of language, sociology, social psychology, political theory and social anthropology.

The book will be of considerable interest to a wide range of academic theorists and students whose work is either specifically concerned with, or touches upon, issues of language policy and national identity, as well as language planners and policymakers, language pedagogists and educational organisations, both within South Africa and beyond.

Contenu
Key Concepts in the Study of Ethnic and National Identities.- Language Policy, Language Planning and National Identity: Theoretical Perspectives.- Language Policy and Identity Planning in South Africa: A Historical Overview.- Language Policy, Identity Conflict and Nation-Building: The Case of Afrikaans.- Towards an Alternative, Inclusive Approach to Language Policy and~National Integration for Post-Apartheid South Africa.- Conclusion.