CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2013
| Author | Makatsaria, Teona |
|---|---|
| Title | LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN GEORGIA: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE LANGUAGE POLICIES IN THE PERIOD 1991-2012 |
| Summary | This thesis aims to investigate a within – case variance in the language policies of the different governments of Georgia towards its largest minorities, Armenians and Azeris, by looking at how the language policies have changed during the period between 1991-2012. It will compare the top-down language policies that are officially declared policies by the government of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, Eduard Shevardnadze and Mikheil Saakashvili. It will examine the bottom-up perceptions and attitudes of the Armenian and Azeri minorities to those language policies through in-depth interviews. Furthermore, my research draws on normative implications for the legitimacy of the different governments based upon the given theoretical framework and empirical findings. According to the findings of my research there is a large within–case variance in the language policies under the governments of Gamsakhurdia, Shevardnadze and Saakashvili. This thesis concludes that the government of Georgia should not take a ‘hands-off approach’ that implies a benign neglect policy of ignorance of the situation related to the linguistic diversity that leads to the marginalization of minorities in Georgia. The promotion of the state language along with the ‘norm-accommodation approach’ of providing special accommodations for those minorities who have limited proficiency in Georgian seems a plausible solution of the language barriers and low participation of the national minorities in Georgia’s socio-political life. Furthermore, the government should take the policy of preserving minority languages and promoting linguistic diversity by ratifying the ‘European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages’ (ECRML). |
| Supervisor | Reglitz Merten |
| Department | Political Science MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2013/makatsaria_teona.pdf |
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