CFP: languages in the inhabited arctic conference

[Harold Schiffman]

Forwarded message ----------
From: Alexander King <a.king at abdn.ac.uk>

Dear Colleagues,

Please disseminate this CFP to linguists and linguistic
anthropologists you know working in Northern regions. thanks, alex


I am organizing a panel on language shift and revival/maintenance in
the North for the conference titled:

"Human Dimensions in the Circumpolar Arctic" 8-10 October 2008.

Session Title: Arctic Languages, Shift &Revival: the cultural and
political dimensions of speaking a language



Abstract: This panel addresses the twin topics of language shift and
endangerment on the one hand, and language revival and maintenance on
the other. The extinction of languages spoken around the world is
proceeding at an alarming pace, and the North is no different in this
regard. Northern linguistic ecology has the familiar pattern of a
handful of political dominant, national languages (e.g., English,
Russian, Swedish, etc.) are expanding at the expense of languages
spoken by small groups, which are typically classed as indigenous
peoples. The specific mechanisms of language shift, whereby people
stop speaking their heritage language and take up (and their children
grow up speaking) a politically dominant language instead are complex
and worthy of further investigation. Equally complex are the problems
facing communities that are interested in maintaining or reviving
their heritage language. Papers in this panel confront questions on
these two topics, highlighting the interconnection of political,
social, economic and cultural forces causing and caused by the
language choices of individuals and communities.
Please email me (Alex King <a.king at abdn.ac.uk>) with a preliminary
abstract by May 1. I will, of course, consider late submissions, given
the tardiness of this call, but we cannot wait too long.

Details of the conference:

The conference will be held at Umeå University, Umeå, located in the north
of Sweden, about 700 km north of Stockholm. It will pay particular
attention to human life and conditions in the circumpolar Arctic in the
past, present and future. Questions that will be addressed are how the
situation in the North has been depicted in science, art and literature
and how the possibilities for various kinds of social and economical
developments have been understood at various times. Other questions are
how climate, ecology and different types of resource use have influenced
conditions for life in the North and the role of national and
international politics for northern developments and conditions. Policy
questions concerning the Arctic region will also be discussed during the
conference.

Further information on the conference may be had on the Conference website:
http://www.umea-congress.se/polar2008.html

At the conference the second issue of Journal of Northern Studies will
also be available. Information on this journal may be had at
http://www.jns.org.umu.se

Alex King
Aberdeen University
Scotland

———————————
http://www.koryaks.net          http://www.abdn.ac.uk/anthropology
tel:+44(1224)27 2732,  fax:+44(1224)27 2552



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