Language and Politics

Language and Politics (Chapter 2)

Language and Politics (Chapter 2)

In Chapter 2, Joseph discusses the importance of language in the modern conception of the nation. As he points out, a national standard language carries significant ideological and symbolic importance in carving out a common identity, as with the case of Hebrew in establishing 'a strong sense of Israeli nationhood' (p. 23) or the role of French as a badge of affiliation in France. Of course, defining the boundaries of a language is never a clear-cut task; and the ideas of linguists do not always coincide with those of national groups. ...