Macrosociolinguïstisch onderzoek naar historische taalminderheden in tijden van globalisering – pleidooi voor een vernieuwing van binnenuit

Abstract

Microsociolinguistic literature quite regularly stresses that acrosociolinguistic research in the tradition of Joshua A. Fishman does not address the (linguistic) diversity in contemporary society in an adequate way. This kind of critique is appropriate to a certain extent. The macrosociolinguistic way of thinking is indeed still too caught up in what sociologists call methodological nationalism. Against the background of a sketch of macrosociolinguistic language minority research in the tradition of Fishman, this contribution pleas for a change of macrosociolinguistic research from within. The main task of macrosociolinguistic research is to start looking for new ‘units of analysis’ that reflect the diversity of today’s society more appropriately. In order to reach this goal, macrosociolinguistics can make use of the - often unnoticed - diversity that is part and parcel of much of its traditional concepts.