[lg policy] A request

Sun Apr 10 12:11:10 UTC 2011

Sear Dr Chrisina , 
I will interested in sharing your answer with Mr Zaidi because the minority - majority dichotomy does really mean for me .

all the best 
Dr Mostari 

--- On Sun, 4/10/11, Christina Paulston <paulston at pitt.edu> wrote:

From: Christina Paulston <paulston at pitt.edu>
Subject: Re: [lg policy] A request
To: "Language Policy List" <lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu>
Date: Sunday, April 10, 2011, 7:44 AM

I taught at the University of Punjab in 1966.  I'll try to answer your question(s) but we better not do this on Lge Policy  line and bore every one else.  I'll answer you  separately. And tomorrow.  CBP

On Apr 9, 2011, at 9:43 PM, Zaidi wrote:

> 
> Dr Christina
> Many thanks for your response. Let me be specific. Punjabi is the majority
> language of Pakistan (over 60 percent of Pakistanis are native speakers of
> Punjabi). But Punjabi is absent from school to university, media (print and
> electronic), and all the significant state institutions. Punjabis themselves
> consider it a vulgar language and educated Punjabis do not speak it to their
> children. Thus, there is little intergenerational transmission of Punjabi.
> In terms of both Objective and Subjective Ethnolingusitic Vitality, Punjabi
> is seriously undermined. In this scenario, a Language Maintenance and
> Language Shift (LMLS) study on Punjabi will take it not as THE majority
> language, but A minority language. Now my question is: Does such a situation
> prevail elsewhere? Are there any references? (I can think of Wolof at the
> moment.)There is however, another interesting question: On what basis should
> Punjabi in Pakistan be considered a minority language? This may sound
> strange because I have given reasons above to support my view (that Punjabi
> should be considered a minority language). But my referee is not satisfied
> with this line of argument.
> 
> I request more enlightenment on it.
> Regards.
> Abbas Zaidi
> 
> 
> 
> If by majority, you mean numbers and by minority subordinate groups in a
> nation state, all the native languages of RSA under apartheid ( and probably
> to a degree still) would be examples. ( If you are picky, you can probably
> find tribal languages of less  than the 3 million speakers -- rough estimate
> of Afrikaans speakers -- which would then not qualify).  If by majority you
> mean superordinate but small in numbers, the Afrikaners of same time is an
> example, the  Swedes in Finland during joint kingdom days, etc.  With
> increasing number of democratic countries, and increasing clout through
> actual votes, the first example is becoming less common.  We (sociology of
> language people ) don't see very much in the literature of split power
> between groups, e.g. Quebec which had Anglo economic power and Francophone
> demographic, meaning majority votes, power  but the present language
> policies are a result of this split power.  The Francophone concern for
> Canadian minority language rights has not extended to their indigenous
> population.
>     If I have misinterpreted your question, you will have to define your
> 
> terms which I suggest you do anyway. It will make for less confusion.
> But I am guilty of the same; I ( and sociolinguists in general) throw the
> concept of power around without much or any analysis of sources and
> explication in general.  If anyone has a useful definition, analysis of
> power, I would love a reference or two.  By useful I mean as a concept that
> can do solid work on the language scene. Any poli
> sci people out there?       Christina
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Apr 9, 2011, at 11:53 AM, Zaidi wrote:
> 
>> 
>> 
>> Friends
>> In what context(s) can a majority language be considered a minority
>> language? Are there some examples?
>> Many thanks and Regards.
>> Abbas Zaidi
>> 
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