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Political unity and linguistic diversity in Europe*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2009

Peter A. Kraus
Peter A. Kraus
Affiliation:
Humboldt Universität(Berlin).
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Abstract

The paper seeks to assess the consequences of cultural diversity for European polity-building by focusing on the language issue. What does the European Babel mean for the project of transnational political integration ? To what extent has the shaping of the European language regime become a declared goal on the agenda of the EU ? In contrast with precedent patterns of nation-state formation, the present situation in Europe offers only few reasons to believe that some cultural standardization could be achieved by putting major political restrictions on multilingualism. Deliberate attempts at setting the institutional foundations of a culturally integrated European public sphere may end up producing unintended outcomes and lead to anti- European mobilizations striving for the protection of cultural difference. Hence, a political community of Europeans will not be based on a unitary and homogeneous public sphere, but rather reflect a complex mosaic of different cultural identities with cross-cutting political loyalties. In this context, cultural and linguistic diversity will be institutionalized, institutionalized, but to varying degrees and with different implications at different political levels.

L'article discute des implications de la diversité culturelle pour la construction politique européenne a partir de la question des langues. Comment le projet d'integration politique transnationale peut-il traiter avec la Babel europeenne ? La construction d'un régime linguistique pour l'Europe peut-elle etre un objectif affiche pour l'Union ? En opposition avec les modalites antérieures de construction des États-nations, la situation actuelle donne peu de raisons de penser qu'une forme de standardisation culturelle puisse etre obtenue par des decisions politiques volontaristes visant à réduire le multilinguisme. Des tentatives pour etablir les bases institutionnelles d'une sphére publique européenne intégrée risquent fort de déclencher des effets contre-producrifs et d'entrainer une mobilisation anti-europeenne au nom de la protection de la diversité culturelle. Une communauté politique d'Européens ne reposera pas sur une sphere publique unitaire et homogene : elle devra refléter une mosai'que complexe d'identités culturelles diverses et de loyautes poliriques enchevétrées. La diversite culturelle et linguistique sera institutionnalisée mais a des degrés divers et avec des implications différentes selon les niveaux politiques.

Dieser Aufsatz geht der Bedeutung der kulturellen Vielfalt, hier hauptsächlich der Sprachunterschiede, beim Aufbau eines politischen Europa nach. Wie kann das Projekt transnationaler politischer Integration gegeniiber dem europäischen Babel gelingen ? Kann und soil die europäische Gemeinschaft ein linguistisches Programm aufstellen ? Anders als bei der Grundung der Nationals taa ten, scheint es heute unglaubwurdig, dass eine kulturelle Standardisierung durch politische Initiativen gegen die Vielsprachigkeit erreicht werden kann. Versuche, institutionelle Grundlagen für eine integrierte europäische Offentlichkeit zu schaffen, könnten gerade gegenproduktive Reaktionen auslosen und zu einer antieuropaischen Bewegung im Namen der kulturellen Vielfalt führen. Die politische Gemeinschaft der Europaer wird keinesfalls auf einer einheitlichen und homogenen Offendichkeit basieren : sie wird eher ein komplexes Mosaik verschiedener kultureller Identitaten und politischen Anhängerschaften wiederspiegeln. Die kultuelle und sprachliche Vielfalt wird der Grundstein sein, verschiedene Formen annehmen und unterschiedliche Auswirkungen haben entsprechend der jeweiligen politischen Ebene.

Type
Research Article
Information
European Journal of Sociology / Archives Européennes de Sociologie , Volume 41 , Issue 1 , May 2000 , pp. 138 - 163
Copyright
Copyright © Archives Européenes de Sociology 2000

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