CASCA2014: Call for paper - Uncertain Languages: Education and the Mediation of Bilingualism in the Changing National and Global Contexts

Uncertain Languages: Education and the Mediation of Bilingualism in the
Changing National and Global Contexts

Recent approaches in linguistic anthropology have attempted to historicize
language ideologies to highlight the historical conditions which allowed
for their emergence. Contemporary studies trace bilingualism's
problemization to 19th century efforts to create a homogenous population
within nation-state, which imbued bilingualism with contradictory
meanings: problematic amongst peripheral populations, yet prestigious
amongst the elite who could speak across national boundaries. With this in
mind, we explore how current trends - the globalization of markets, the
rise of the service economy, the commodification of languages - are
affecting the way bilingualism can be used, interpreted and articulated.
More specifically, we are interested in the role of education in
reorienting the possibilities of meanings of bilingualism in the new
political economy. Our inquiries explore how national and global ideas
about bilingualism intersect in relation to education to construct
particular bodies, ideas of prestige, and to secure or challenge access to
resources.

The discussant for this panel is Dr. Monica Heller.

Deadline: February 11th

Interested people can send their abstract to
camille.roussel@mail.utoronto.ca or christopher.little@mail.utoronto.ca.