Methodological nationalism in Linguistics. (November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schneider, Britta
• Is Part Of: Language sciences. Volume 76(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-11
• Subjects: Linguistic theory -- Methodological nationalism -- Community -- Belonging -- Sociolinguistics; Linguistics -- Periodicals; Language and languages -- Periodicals; Linguistique -- Périodiques; Langage et langues -- Périodiques; Language and languages; Linguistics; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.langsci.2018.05.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0388-0001

Abstract

Abstract: In this article, I discuss methodological nationalism as a bias that has come into being on grounds of the tendency of social sciences, including sociolinguistics and linguistics, to assume national societies to be the 'normal' and natural way of human beings creating belonging. After an introduction to the concept of bias, to the concept of methodological nationalism, and to the debate on language as a discursive entity, I discuss various examples from the field of sociolinguistics that display this bias. I end the contribution by asking what the effects of the bias are, introducing examples of language use that do not fit into the framing of methodological nationalism. In the conclusion, I ask to what extent it is possible to overcome the bias.