CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2010
| Author | Kleshik, Sonya |
|---|---|
| Title | "I am My Language": Language Policy and Attitudes Towards Language in Georgia |
| Summary | Given the context of tense relations in the post-Soviet period between Russia and Georgia, language policy in Georgia has become increasingly anti-Russian. However, evidence suggests that these policies do not necessarily reflect language attitudes accurately. This study examines the relationship between language policy and attitudes towards language in Georgia, looking at attitudes towards Georgian, Russian, and minority languages and whether or not attitudes vary according to generation. Through the lens of the mentalist approach—which relies on the attitude to be defined by one’s own expression as opposed to observable behavior—I conduct and analyze a small sample of qualitative interviews with Georgians. The supposition that the younger generation would have less attachment to their language was in part true, though nearly all respondents cited language as a central factor of their identity. This, however, was not incompatible with highly positive attitudes towards the Russian language, which all respondents had, and some mixed opinions of minority languages. The ability to maintain positive attitudes towards other languages while also having a strong attachment to one’s own language has implications that in a democratic setting attitudes can also inform future language policy. |
| Supervisor | Fumagalli, Matteo |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2010/kleshik_sonya.pdf |
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