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Nationalism, Liberalism and Language in Catalonia and Flanders

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  • © 2019

Overview

Authors:
  1. Daniel Cetrà

    1. University of Aberdeen and Centre on Constitutional Change, Edinburgh, UK

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  • Offers a comparative study of nationalism in Catalonia and Flanders
  • Expands our knowledge about debates around the politics of language and linguistic justice
  • Addresses the relationship between liberalism and nationalism through a combination of political theory and inter-disciplinary empirical research

Part of the book series: Comparative Territorial Politics (COMPTPOL)

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Table of contents (8 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xi
    Download chapter PDF

  2. Introduction

    • Daniel Cetrà
    Pages 1-9

  3. Revisiting Liberal Nationalism

    • Daniel Cetrà
    Pages 11-30

  4. The Politics of Language and Nationalism

    • Daniel Cetrà
    Pages 31-54

  5. Nationalism in Catalonia and Flanders

    • Daniel Cetrà
    Pages 55-86

  6. The Catalan Linguistic Dispute

    • Daniel Cetrà
    Pages 87-123

  7. The Flemish Linguistic Dispute

    • Daniel Cetrà
    Pages 125-167

  8. Debating within Liberal Nationalism

    • Daniel Cetrà
    Pages 169-191

  9. Conclusion: Speaking for the Nation

    • Daniel Cetrà
    Pages 193-204

  10. Back Matter

    Pages 205-210
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Keywords

About this book

Is liberalism really compatible with nationalism? Are there limits to linguistic nation-building policies? What arguments justify the imposition of national languages? This book addresses these questions by examining the linguistic disputes in Catalonia and Flanders, two major cases of sub-state nationalism. The book connects two strands of arguments: the political arguments around contested linguistic policies, drawing on a rich set of primary and secondary sources, and the theoretical arguments around liberalism and nationalism. The study also compares the historical trajectory and political dynamics of Catalan and Flemish nationalism. It shows that the relationship between language and nationhood is politically constructed through state nation-building and minority activism. The findings highlight the relevance and pervasiveness of nationalism in contemporary social and political life. This book will appeal to scholars and upper-level students interested in nationalism, contemporarypolitical theory, the politics of language, and comparative territorial politics.

Reviews

“This is a most timely book. It is about more than linguistic rights in Catalonia and Flanders; it is about the nature of nationalism itself. Elegantly argued, it shows how language debates are, at core, about nationalism and national identity.” (David McCrone, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Edinburgh, UK)

“We owe much to Daniel Cetrà for this especially rich comparative account of Catalonia and Flanders. The book is inspiring, accessible and makes a major contribution to the scholarly literature on nationalism and multinational democracies. Cetrà urges us to recognize the relevance of cultures, identities and territories in the management of diversity and contributes to rethink power dynamics in the search for equality and fairness.” (Alain-G. Gagnon, Canada Research Chair in Quebec and Canadian Studies, Université du Québec à Montréal, Canada)

“Cetrà’s book is an incisive and timely examination of language battles in multi-ethnic states. It is especially welcome for its thoughtful integration of theory and comparative analysis.” (Bernard Yack, Lerman Neubauer Professor of Democracy and Public Policy, Brandeis University, USA)

Authors and Affiliations

  • University of Aberdeen and Centre on Constitutional Change, Edinburgh, UK

    Daniel Cetrà

About the author

​Daniel Cetrà is Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen and the Centre on Constitutional Change, Edinburgh, UK. He specialises in nationalism, independence movements and minority rights.

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