Neoliberalism and Language Shift: Lessons from the Republic of Ireland Post-2008

302 Pages·2023·21.692 MB·

by  Ben Ó Ceallaigh

BenÓCeallaigh
NeoliberalismandLanguageShift
Contributions to the
Sociology of Language
Edited by
Ofelia García
Francis M. Hult
Founding editor
Joshua A. Fishman
Volume 115
Ben Ó Ceallaigh
Neoliberalism
and Language
Shift
Lessons from the Republic of Ireland Post-2008
ISBN978-3-11-076886-2
e-ISBN(PDF)978-3-11-076890-9
e-ISBN(EPUB)978-3-11-076892-3
ISSN1861-0676
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2022938845
BibliographicinformationpublishedbytheDeutscheNationalbibliothek
TheDeutscheNationalbibliothekliststhispublicationintheDeutscheNationalbibliografie;
detailedbibliographicdataareavailableontheinternetathttp://dnb.dnb.de.
©2023WalterdeGruyterGmbH,Berlin/Boston
Coverimage:sculpies/shutterstock
Typesetting:IntegraSoftwareServicesPvt.Ltd.
Printingandbinding:CPIbooksGmbH,Leck
www.degruyter.com
Contents
Listoffigures IX
Listoftables XI
Abbreviations XIII
Part 1:Foundations
1 Introduction 3
1.1 Languagelossandmacro-levelsocialchange 3
1.2 Bookstructure 5
1.3 Methodology 8
1.3.1 MypersonalbackgroundintheGaeltacht 8
1.3.2 Methodologicaloverview:ChangingconceptionsofLPP 9
1.3.3 Researchsitesandparticipants 11
1.3.4 Analysisofpolicydocumentsandquantitativedata 16
2 Irish,Ireland,neoliberalism:Somebackground 18
2.1 Introduction 18
2.2 Irish-Englishlanguageshift:Ahistoricaloverview 18
2.3 Earlystatepolicyandtheinstitutionalisationofthe
Gaeltacht 21
2.4 Statewithdrawalfromtherevitalisationproject 24
2.5 LanguagepolicyduringtheCelticTiger 30
2.6 Neoliberalism:Theemergenceofaglobalhegemony 33
2.7 TheGreatRecession 37
2.8 EconomicdevelopmentintheRepublicofIreland–peaks
andtroughsoverrecentdecades 38
Part 2:Overtandcovert Irish-language policypost-2008
3 OfficialIrish-languagepolicypost-2008 43
3.1 Introduction 43
3.2 AnBordSnipNua:Thespecialgrouponpublicservice
numbersandexpenditureprogrammes 44
VI Contents
3.3 The20-yearstrategyfortheIrishLanguage2010–2030 47
3.4 TheGaeltachtAct2012 50
3.5 Conclusion 60
4 Irish-languageinstitutions:Covertpolicyandstate
retrenchment 62
4.1 Introduction 62
4.2 ÚdarásnaGaeltachta 63
4.3 ThedepartmentofstateresponsiblefortheGaeltacht 69
4.4 ForasnaGaeilge’sNewFundingModel 71
4.5 ControversysurroundingthepublicationoftheNuashonrúar
anStaidéarCuimsitheachTeangeolaíocharúsáidnaGaeilge
saGhaeltacht:2006–2011 75
4.6 Conclusion 77
5 AusterityandIrish-languagemedia 79
5.1 Introduction 79
5.2 RaidiónaGaeltachta 79
5.3 TG4 83
5.4 Printmedia 89
5.5 Conclusion 93
6 Neoliberalismandlanguagepolicyinpublicandprivatespheres:
Structuralimpediments 95
6.1 Introduction 95
6.2 NewPublicManagement:Irishinthepublicservice 95
6.3 Policymakingunderausterity 106
6.4 Neoliberalismandtheformationofsocialattitudes 110
6.5 Conclusion 112
Part 3:Neoliberalism andtheGaeltacht –an
ethnographic study
7 QuantitativebackgroundtoPart3 117
7.1 Introduction 117
7.2 Quantitativebackground 118
7.2.1 Demographicchange2006–2016 118
7.2.2 Irish-speakingdemographics2006–2016 120
7.2.3 SocialclassintheGaeltacht 122
Contents VII
8 Effectsofthepost-2008crisisontheGaeltachtlabour
market 125
8.1 Construction 125
8.2 Deindustrialisation 127
8.3 Thehospitalityindustry 131
8.4 CriticismsoftheForeignDirectInvestmentmodel 133
8.5 Furtherimplicationsofthedeclineinemployment
opportunities 140
8.5.1 Summerworkforstudents 140
8.5.2 Communitypride 141
8.6 Conclusion 142
9 Migration 144
9.1 Introduction 144
9.2 Out-migration 144
9.2.1 Educationandout-migration 150
9.3 In-migration 152
9.4 Conclusion 155
10 TourismandtheGaeltachtpost-2008:Uneasybedfellows 158
10.1 Introduction 158
10.2 TourisminGalway 161
10.3 TourisminDonegal 164
10.4 Linguistictourism 167
10.4.1 Summerlanguageschools 167
10.5 Thelinguisticlandscape–shiftingterrain 171
10.6 Conclusion 175
11 Communityresponsestoausterity 177
11.1 Introduction:Organisedoppositiontostatepolicies 177
11.2 GuthnaGaeltachta 179
11.3 DeargleFearg 183
11.4 Reformofislandtransportlinks 187
11.4.1 TheOileáinÁrannairservice 187
11.4.2 TheToraighferryservice 190
11.5 “CorporateSocialResponsibility”andtheGaeltacht–
fightingneoliberalismwithneoliberalism? 191
11.6 Conclusion 193
VIII Contents
12 Cutstoothercommunityprojects 195
12.1 Communityco-operatives 195
12.2 Pléaráca 198
12.3 Conclusion 202
13 Furtherobservationsonlanguageuse 204
13.1 Introduction 204
13.2 Languagepracticesofyoungpeople:Afamilyvignette 205
13.3 Additionalexplanationsoflanguageshift 208
13.3.1 Informationandcommunicationstechnology 208
13.3.2 Irish-languagecompetenceofyoungpeople 213
13.3.3 Reconstructionofyouthidentities 215
13.4 Conclusion 217
Part 4:Conclusion
14 Summaryandconclusion 223
14.1 Introduction 223
14.2 Summaryoffindings 223
14.3 Internationalcomparisons:ScottishGaelicandWelsh 229
14.4 ThelossoftheGaeltachtandthethreatoffurther
recessions 232
14.5 TheCovidpandemic 233
14.6 Conclusion:Languagerevitalisationinatimeofcrises 236
Bibliography 239
Index 285
List of figures
Figure1 MapofIrelandandtheGaeltacht 12
Figure2 “Englishmustbespokenatalltimes”–memosenttostaffinafactoryinthe
DonegalGaeltacht,2021 136
Figure3 “ÁrnEisimircighIonúin”–theemigrants’cornerinaDonegalpub 147
Figure4 AhotelinGalway,photographedfirstin2015andthenagainin2016 171
Figure5 ArestaurantinGalway,bilingualin2012butEnglishonlyin2014 172
Figure6 AnofficialsignmodifiedtoincludeEnglish 174
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110768909-203