| Abstrakt: |
This paper develops a Cultural Opportunity Structure (COS) model to explain how regional nationalist parties exploit language and identity as part of their efforts to mobilize public support. The model is based on survey and interview evidence gathered by the author in two regions of West European states: Wales (UK) and Galicia (Spain). In Wales, Plaid Cymru has recently been minimizing both language and identity in its campaign rhetoric. In Galicia, however, the Bloque Nacionalista Galego (BNG) devotes considerable attention to the regional language Galego and to a shared sense of Galicianness. What explains this difference? In contrast to much of the current literature, I argue that analysts should focus on the contestability of language and identity. Viewed in this manner, what differs between the two regions is the way in which language and identity function culturally. In Wales, the minority language Welsh, though weak in comparison to English, is experiencing a noticeable revival, making it less easy to marshal the plight of the language as part of the nationalist cause. Alternatively, conceptions of Welshness vary considerably between the North and the South, rendering the mobilization of potential nationalist party supporters on cultural or ethnic grounds problematic. In Galicia, although the vast majority of the regional population in Galicia speaks Galego, that number is being steadily eroded by Spanish. Simultaneously, regional identity is understood in a relatively consistent fashion throughout the region. In this context, the BNG can safely champion regional identity and the indigenous language without alienating sought-after constituencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
