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" Portuguese, Creole or Both: The Problematic of Language Choice in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. The Social, Political and Economic Implications of Language Choice "
Myrna Handem
Serapiao, Luis B.
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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803787
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| Doc. No
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TL48590
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| Call number
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1755668970; 3742207
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| Main Entry
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Walker, Matthew E.
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| Title & Author
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Portuguese, Creole or Both: The Problematic of Language Choice in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. The Social, Political and Economic Implications of Language Choice\ Myrna HandemSerapiao, Luis B.
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| College
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Howard University
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| Date
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2015
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| field of study
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African Studies
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| student score
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2015
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| Page No
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223
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| Note
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Committee members: Hailu, Alem; Mabeko-Tali, Jean-Michel; Mendy, Peter; Nyang, Sulayman
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| Note
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Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-1-339-34733-2
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| Abstract
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Democracy seems to be under attack. Recent world events show that democracy is under attack. People all over the world seem to be fighting to maintain basic rights that for many have not yet become a reality. Movements such as Occupy movements, Arab Springs, and others are becoming common on our television sets. Democracy is being put to the test, and many even argue over its feasibility. This reality is especially true in underdeveloped or developing nations where democracy has yet to take hold, and a form of oligarchy inherited from colonialism continues to prevail. Whether democracy is the best form of governance or not could be argued. However, that is not our goal here. Until recently, democracy was more universally accepted as the best form of political governance that allowed for the free and full participation of the masses. Free political participation and the ability to contribute and shape one’s future are regarded as key benefits of democracy. This freedom could be exercised through people’s popular vote or by getting involved directly or indirectly in the process of decision-making (e.g., community organization, lobbying, etc.). <i>Alas,</i> lately, this right is being attacked by powerful elites, in the form of corporations, that encourage governments to ignore the interests and needs of the majority, while obtaining the rights of citizenship for themselves. This is true even in nations where this right was already taken for granted (e.g., United States of America). Popular political participation, or the lack thereof, is the exact focus of this study, through an examination of the choice of language as a tool for either encouraging or suppressing full political participation. Language, as regarded by sociologist, is a system of political, economic and social control that affects culture, identity, class and political issues. Language is also a strong indicator of inequality and conflict in any society. Language, though often ignored as one of the least important factors in the development of a nation, is, in fact, one of the pillars that hold societies together. From ethnic relations, education, political participation, social development and so on, language provides people with the ability to communicate and share their needs and aspirations. Without a common shared language, the isolation of groups that do not speak the official language, or the national language, becomes a problem that reflects itself in society. Additionally, language choice affects political participation, school enrollment, access to resources, and/or ethnic conflict. In sum, language can facilitate or prevent people, too often, from being active participants in the greater society they represent. These issues will be examined in this study through an examination of language in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (RGB).
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| Subject
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Education; Public policy; Language; Creoles; African cultural groups; Language acquisition; National languages; Political discourse; Cultural identity; Cultural factors; Language policy; Portuguese; Focus; African languages; Colonialism; Television
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| Descriptor
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Language, literature and linguistics;Social sciences;Education;Capitalism;Culture;Education;Language;Public policy;Status quo
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| Added Entry
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Serapiao, Luis B.
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| Added Entry
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African StudiesHoward University
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