Reconceptualising Power in Language Policy: Evidence from Comparative Cases

This book makes three important contributions to the theory of language policy by:

1. Arguing for the need to reconceptualise macro-level power
2. Proposing ‘Categories of Differentiation’ as a new analytical tool for policy research
3. Demonstrating that socio-political changes are reflected at the textual level

This book is of interest to researchers working on language policies and those investigating language related legislation across different policy domains, to practitioners and policymakers in language policy, as well as to graduate students conducting comparative policy research.

“This is a much valued and timely book making a strong case for the subject of language policy across Europe and India. The large comparative case studies of four distinctive states across Europe and India in a simple descriptive mode makes the reading of this book enjoyable. The domains of administration, legislation, healthcare and social welfare are undoubtedly novel ways to deal within the concept of language policy in a wider sense. The author uses discourse analysis to bring out the relationship between intention, explanation and interpretation of a phenomenon like language policy and its implementation. The social diversity as expressed in linguistic mapping is well captured in the novel idea of “categories of differentiation”both as a normative methodological tool and its historical-empirical manifestation.” — Asha Sarangi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.