Article: Minority languages in Australia

[Scott McGinnis]

Courtesy of Donna Christian at CAL....


from: Journal of Multilingual & Multicultural Development Volume 22 No 2

Family Collectivism and Minority Languages as Core Values of Culture
among Ethnic Groups in Australia Jerzy J. Smolicz, Margaret J. Secombe
and Dorothy M. Hudson, University of Adelaide, South Australia

The paper investigates the relative significance of family collectivism
and minority languages as possible core values among four ethnic groups
in the context of Australian society in which the English language and
social structures of the majority group are dominant. The respondents
were young adults drawn from Greek-, Latvian-, Italian- and
Chinese-Australian backgrounds. The analysis of the personal statements
gathered revealed a generally positive evaluation of minority languages
for most groups, although the source of support for these languages
varied. While a collectivist family orientation and the minority
languages concerned were mutually supportive in three of the groups
under investigation, the Latvian group showed a greater reliance upon
ethnic school and other community structures for its survival and
development. In the attempt to preserve their cultures in Australia,
respondents from particular minority groups varied in the relative
emphasis which they placed upon their language and family as the core
value (s) of their culture. The findings revealed the possibility of a
single, double or even triple set of core values which could support a
minority group in Australia.

http://www.catchword.com/rpsv/catchword/mm/01434632/v22n2/s4/p152