Language-related Conflicts in Multinational and Multiethnic Settings

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XI

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2. Introduction: The search for the optimal language regime

   • Barbora Moormann-Kimáková

   Pages 1-28

3. The conflict potential of multilingualism

   • Barbora Moormann-Kimáková

   Pages 29-53

4. Actors in language-related conflicts

   • Barbora Moormann-Kimáková

   Pages 55-78

5. The dimensions of language-related conflicts

   • Barbora Moormann-Kimáková

   Pages 79-95

6. Language regimes

   • Barbora Moormann-Kimáková

   Pages 97-125

7. Arguing for language regimes

   • Barbora Moormann-Kimáková

   Pages 127-154

8. Stability, legitimacy, and bargaining

   • Barbora Moormann-Kimáková

   Pages 155-173

9. Explaining success and failure of language regimes

   • Barbora Moormann-Kimáková

   Pages 175-249

10. Conclusion and outlook

    • Barbora Moormann-Kimáková

    Pages 251-256

11. Back Matter

    Pages 257-278

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In this book, Barbora Moormann-Kimáková analyses the possibility of finding an optimal language regime in multinational and multiethnic countries – either by defining the contents of an optimal language regime, or with the help of a criterion enabling to evaluate whether a language regime is optimal or not. The process of the selection or change of a language regime often becomes a matter of a language-related conflict. These conflicts are mostly accompanied by other political or social conflicts, as for example in Ukraine or former Yugoslavia, which render solutions – and their evaluation – difficult. The author claims that language regimes can be evaluated based on the increase or lack of their legitimacy in the eyes of the relevant actors. This is demonstrated in four language regime studies on the European Union, Soviet Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and South Africa.

• Language policy
• Legitimacy
• Multilingualism
• Political theory
• Togetherness and Language

• Auswärtiges Amt, Botschaft Budapest, Berlin, Germany

  Barbora Moormann-Kimáková

Barbora Moormann-Kimáková received her doctorate in political science from the Institut für Sozialwissenschaften, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany.

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