Source: The Conversation, January 16, 2018
Authors:
Stanley Dubinsky, Professor of Linguistics, University of South Carolina
Harvey Starr, Dag Hammarskjold Professor in International Affairs Emeritus, University of South Carolina
Stanley Dubinsky and Harvey Starr are members of a consulting firm called ConflictAnalytiX LLC.
According to a 2017 Pew Research Center poll, many people believe language is “the core of national identity.”
More than 70 percent of the population of the United States, Europe, Australia and Japan agree on this. And yet, as scholars of linguistics and political science, we know that people pay too little attention to language, while overemphasizing religion, history and culture, when identifying sources of conflict.
In contrast to many other factors, language is deeply rooted and not easily swept aside. Nowhere is the role of language in conflict more evident than the Middle East. These conflicts frequently infringe upon the rights of linguistic minorities to use their languages freely and without prejudice. Read more... >>>>