Higher Education, Language and New Nationalism in Finland

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-x

   PDF

2. Introduction: Conceptualizing Language Policy, Higher Education and New Nationalism

   • Taina Saarinen

   Pages 1-34

3. Language and Long Nation Building in Finnish Higher Education

   • Taina Saarinen

   Pages 35-58

4. The Short and Intense Post-Nationalist Period in Finnish Higher Education

   • Taina Saarinen

   Pages 59-86

5. Language and New Nationalism in Higher Education

   • Taina Saarinen

   Pages 87-116

6. New Nationalism and Higher Education

   • Taina Saarinen

   Pages 117-139

7. Back Matter

   Pages 141-145

   PDF

The book discusses recycled discourses of language and nationalism in Finnish higher education, demonstrating the need to look beyond language in the study of language policies of higher education. It analyses the historical and political layeredness of language policies as well as the intertwined nature of national and international developments in understanding new nationalism. Finnish higher education language policies were fuelled by the dynamics and tensions between the national languages Finnish and Swedish until the 2000s, when English begins to catalyse post nationalist discourses of economy and competitiveness. In the 2010s, English begins to be seen as a threat to Finnish. Educational, economic and epistemic nationalism emerge as the main cycles of new nationalist language policies in Finnish higher education. The book will be of interest to language policy and higher education scholars and practitioners, as well as graduate students language policy and higher education.

• linguistic imperialism
• nationalisms
• national languages
• Finnish
• English
• populism
• internationalisation
• globalisation
• knowledge economy
• language contact
• Swedish
• language ideologies

“This fascinating book traces the recycled discourses of language policies in Finnish higher education, unveiling the zeitgeist of different eras: from 19th century nationalism, via post-nationalism and up to one of the most pressing issues of our time – new nationalism. Intelligent and insightful, it is a must-read for anyone who thinks the threat from English is something new.” (Anna Kristina Hultgren, UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and Senior Lecturer in English Language and Applied Linguistics, The Open University, UK)

“Taina Saarinen explores the intensifying intersection between language and nationalism as it relates to higher education. As populist movements strengthen, the author critically unpacks the “new nationalism” emerging in Finland and the multilayered roles of language. Read this book—you’ll never think of language the same way again." (Jenny J. Lee, Professor of Educational Policy Studies and Practice, University of Arizona, USA)

“This book contributes some much-needed fresh air and original ideas in the study of language matters in higher education. Taking Finland as a case study, Saarinen beautifully depicts the multi-layered and intrinsically connected spheres of language and politics at universities, and provides rich, critical, and insightful analyses of old and new nationalist forms in Finnish higher education through the prism of language. A must-read for anyone interested in language and higher education policy.” (Josep Soler, Associate Professor, Department of English, Stockholm University)

“Universities are national and international institutions at the same time. Taina Saarinen’s book reveals how entangled nationalism and internationalism have been constructed at universities when it comes to language. Saarinen analyses profoundly intertwined language use and policies creatively, providing tools not just for higher education and language policy scholars but also for historians, political scientists and others. This is an important book well beyond its thematic and geographical bounds.” (Pasi Ihalainen, Professor of Comparative European History, University of Jyväskylä)

• Finnish Institute for Educational Research, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland

  Taina Saarinen

Taina Saarinen is Research Professor of Higher Education at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. She has published widely on language policies of higher education and contemporary and historical language policies, recently in journals such as Higher Education, Rethinking History, and Language Policy. She particularly enjoys comparative and historically layered topics.

Policies and ethics