32.1668, Review: General Linguistics; Sociolinguistics: Vigouroux, Mufwene (2020)

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Subject: 32.1668, Review: General Linguistics; Sociolinguistics: Vigouroux, Mufwene (2020)

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Date: Wed, 12 May 2021 18:19:45
From: Farah Ali [farah636 at gmail.com]
Subject: Bridging Linguistics and Economics

 
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Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/31/31-2061.html

EDITOR: Cécile B. Vigouroux
EDITOR: Salikoko S. Mufwene
TITLE: Bridging Linguistics and Economics
PUBLISHER: Cambridge University Press
YEAR: 2020

REVIEWER: Farah Ali, DePauw University

SUMMARY

This edited volume examines language use from the joint perspective of both
linguistics and economics - two disciplines that are not often thought of as
complementary by either economists or linguists. However, the authors of this
volume aim to illustrate the mutually beneficial relationship between these
fields, and that - as a social phenomenon - language use is an area of study
that can benefit from interdisciplinary investigation among the social
sciences. Following from this goal, this volume consists of nine chapters that
have been contributed by authors working in the fields of economics,
linguistics, political science, and sociology. These chapters address a wide
breadth of topics relating to the productive interaction between linguistics
and economics, including language as human capital, linguistic diversity,
digital communication, language policy and planning, determinants of
bilingualism, language and economic development, and language rights.

Chapter 1, “Do linguists need economists and economists linguistics?” (Cecile
Vigouroux and Salikoko Mufwene), poses one of the central questions that each
chapter in this volume aims to address: is it useful to bridge the fields of
economics and linguistics? In addition to providing an overview of each
chapter’s contents, the authors delineate some of the existing interaction
between linguistics and economics, as well as introduce some of the key
concepts and ideas that have overlapping relevance in the two fields, some of
which include language as human capital, the intersection of language,
migration, and the economy. Chapter 2, “Economists do need linguists” (Victor
Ginsburgh and Shlomo Weber), continues this survey of interdisciplinary
research, and addresses the topic of cultural diversity and how languages are
often used as an indicator of cultural differences and thus as a means of
identifying individuals. They also point to how ethnic and linguistic
categorizations have economic consequences that can lead to
disenfranchisement. They rightfully point out that it is crucial to search for
a compromise between efficiency and the disenfranchisement sentiments that may
challenge multilingual countries or unions. Finally, the authors use the
European Union as a case study to delineate methods of measuring
disenfranchisement with a diversity index.

Chapter 3, “The invisibility of linguistic diversity online: reflections on
the political economy of digital communication” (Anna Deumert), looks at
digital media in the Global South and focuses on the visibility and
invisibility of linguistic diversity in online spaces. Here, Deumert
distinguishes between the Global North and South as highly industrialized and
affluent nations versus economically marginalized and post-colonial nations,
respectively. Through an examination of unequal distribution and consumption
of digital media technologies, Deumert demonstrates that these inequities make
certain languages visible and others invisible online, which in turn reinforce
the social inequities that have a long history in the Global South. Chapter 4,
“Evaluating Language Policy and Planning: An Introduction to the Economic
Approach,” (Michele Gazzola, François Grin, and François Vaillancourt) shifts
the discussion to language policy and planning; namely, how economists have
contributed to the construction and evaluation of policies. In this chapter,
the authors aim to introduce different methodological tools for analyzing
critical aspects of language policy, looking first at language skills and its
connection to earnings and use in the workplace, as well as how economists use
this as an indicator of individuals’ participation in an economic system. The
authors also examine the evaluation of language policy measures. From a
methodological perspective, they focus on how to identify the target group of
a policy, as well as how to measure costs and benefits of policy measures.

Chapter 5, “The Economics of Language Diversity and Language Resilience in the
Balkans” (Adam D. Clark-Joseph and Brian D. Joseph), examines multilingualism
in the Balkans as the site of a linguistic marketplace, where various economic
factors may influence language use, particularly that of Greek. Relying on an
economic lens of utility maximization to examine what incentivizes specific
language choice, the authors demonstrate how Greek - while a minority language
in Albania - maintains a “solid economic niche” in Southern Albania through
its use in tourism as well as being a vehicular language for business
interests in Greece. Chapter 6, “Determinants of Bilingualism among Children”
(Barry R. Chiswick and Marina Gindelsky), examine bilingualism among children
born in the U.S., focusing on the possible determinants that favor
bilingualism early in life. Using data from the American Community Survey - a
data set that consists of survey responses comprising all fifty states and the
District of Columbia - the authors use a regression analysis to examine
several different variables that may positively impact childhood bilingualism.
Here, they indicate that the most significant factors as determinants of child
bilingualism appear to be: parental proficiency in English, parental foreign
birthplace, residence in a linguistic enclave, shared parental ancestry, and
race/ethnicity. 

Chapter 7, “Economy and Language in Africa” (Paulin G. Djité), looks at the
role of language in a development program for Africa, problematizing one of
its central goals of “integrating Africa” - a continent of 2139 langauges (p.
183). Djité demonstrates how - despite substantial economic growth in recent
years - the continent continues to remain economically fragile, attributing
this to the absence of effective language policy and planning. Specifically,
he argues that discussions about economic growth typically focus on European
languages, all while leaving out discussions about African languages - ones
which are used by local consumers and producers and therefore also play an
important role in economic development. As such, Djité proposes that
multilingualism - particularly that which includes African languages - is a
necessary tool for long-term development in Africa. Chapter 8, “The Unequal
Exchange of Texts in the World Language System (Abram de Swaan) looks at
language as an economic good and how it plays a role in linguistic vitality.
De Swaan distinguishes between more widely spoken “central languages” and less
commonly spoken “peripheral languages,” and argues that the latter often risk
depreciation because the former serve as lingua francas which enable
communication across ethnic boundaries and are thus viewed as more valuable
commodities. However, de Swaan points out that beyond this instrumental
aspect, languages also have an expressive aspect as identity markers and
bearers of cultural capital. This aspect, however, can be depreciated when
instrumental motivations to use specific languages takes priority. Here, de
Swaan uses the “unequal exchange of texts” as an example to illustrate this
point, where texts are written and published in some languages - typically the
central languages (and predominantly English) and can contribute to the
abandonment of peripheral, domestic languages. 

This volume concludes with Chapter 9, “Language Economics and Language Rights
(John Edwards), which problematizes the notion of language rights and argues
for a more informed approach to this concept. In this chapter, Edwards
distinguishes the idea of “claims” from “rights,” arguing that many linguists
obfuscate the two by framing discussions about linguistic advocacy through the
latter rather than the former. Additionally, Edwards makes the case for
grounding discussions about language rights in an ecology-of-language
approach, drawing on the issue of linguistic diversity - a recurring theme in
this volume - and points out the economic costs of language maintenance, which
in turn raises the question as to whether minority languages are always
sustainable.

EVALUATION

This edited volume presents a unique collection that opens up a dialogue
between economics and linguistics as two very interrelated disciplines. While
the application of economic principles to linguistic research is not a new
phenomenon, language economics as its own interdisciplinary field of study is
a burgeoning area that is likely to continue to grow in its popularity,
particularly in view of the increasing need for scholars in all fields to
approach research from a social justice lens in order to uncover sources of
inequity that manifest across the human experience. As such, this volume will
be of interest to scholars of both linguistics and economics who seek to delve
further into their complementary fields of research.
 
In addition to its unique premise, this volume has a number of strengths that
make it a valuable contribution to both linguistics and economics. First, it
is fitting that a volume on this topic should consist of chapters that are
contributed by scholars from diverse disciplinary backgrounds. Creating
bridges is a bidirectional process, and so a dialogue about the interaction
between linguistics and economics should comprise voices that - at the minimum
- represent both backgrounds. More than that, each author makes a case for the
importance of examining the connection between economic structures and
language use in a variety of contexts, presenting the reader with a collection
of truly interdisciplinary studies.

In order to understand the mutually beneficial relationship between
linguistics and economics to the fullest extent - particularly for scholars
who may be unfamiliar with this interrelation - it is especially useful to
have various topics of analysis that can highlight how language use can impact
economies and how different economic factors influence language use. This
volume accomplishes this, covering a wide range of topics, including digital
communication, linguistic vitality, bi- and multilingualism, language policy
and planning, language and economic development. Furthermore, the case studies
in this volume are situated in a variety of settings -  such as the Balkans,
the E.U., Africa - and also focus on the linguistic practices of both children
and adults, as well as migrant and native populations, thus providing the
reader with numerous examples that demonstrate the relevance of language
economics as a tool for understanding how language relates to production and
consumption, as well as its applications, particularly in the area of language
policy and planning.

Bearing in mind, however, that the central aim of this volume is to bridge two
disciplines, one point of critique is that each chapter could provide clearer
conceptualizations of key ideas, many of which may be widely understood by
scholars in one field, but not necessarily another. This would make the text
more accessible to scholars who are less familiar with language economics.
Additionally, as an editorial comment, the chapters in this volume could
generally benefit from more transparent exposition, particularly in terms of
presenting more explicit objectives. Often, authors’ specific goals were not
always made plain in each chapter, and - given that edited volumes such as
this one typically cover such diverse themes - the readability of texts can
diminish without clear guidance from the authors.

Considering the original objectives set out by the editors, this volume is
distinctive - both in its own right and among scholarly work in linguistics
and economics. The editors and authors collectively provide a
thought-provoking dialogue about the interconnectedness of two disciplines in
unexpected and engaging ways. To answer the title question of Chapter 1, “Do
linguists need economics and economists linguists?” as initially posed by the
editors, the reader would conclude affirmatively, and that these two socially
situated disciplines have a very clear interdependence that merit further
exploration.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Farah Ali is Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies at DePauw University. Her
research interests include language and gender, multilingualism, language
attitudes, and L2/heritage learner identity. Her most recent projects
investigate language and identity among immigrant populations in Spain and in
the U.S., as well as language ideologies and policies in Catalonia, Spain.
Some of her recent work is currently in press or published in International
Journal of Language & Law, Spanish in Context, and Cuadernos de Lingüística
Hispánica.





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