Language activism : the role of scholars in linguistic reform and social change

Bringing together a renowned group of scholars from a range of disciplines – sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, philosophy of language, and language documentation – this book explores the role academics can play in language activism. It surveys the most common tensions that language researchers experience in their attempts to enact social change through their work, such as how far they can become politically involved, how they can maintain objectivity in an activist role, whether their work can ever be apolitical, and what ideologies they propagate. In a series of concise original chapters, each author discusses their own experiences and personal concerns; some offering more theoretically informed elaborations on the topic of language activism. Showcasing the state-of-the-art in language activism, this book is essential reading for anyone considering the need for scholarly engagement with the public and the communities in which they work, and the impact that this activism can have on society.

Illustrates how language scholars across different disciplines and contexts think about the tensions between scholarly activism/advocacy and rigorous scholarly work
Synthesizes and scrutinizes debates in sociolinguistics and related fields about what constitutes language activism and how definitions of language(s) shape the possibilities for enacting meaningful change through scholarly work on language
Reveals individual scholars' personal experiences working with different communities and in different settings and how they grapple with the challenges and rewards of this engagement