Discourses of endangerment

摘要

For several decades now, issues of language endangerment have received much attention in linguistics and anthropology, as well as in the popular press. Exploring the discourses used to describe endangerment, from a broad set of perspectives, this book begins with a substantive introduction by the editors, followed by 12 chapters on different aspects of the matter. The editors maintain that the discourses of endangerment are not only about language per se but also about a broader sense of endangerment anchored in management of diversity at a time when nation-states are feeling threatened. Many case studies in the volume provide ample evidence of the similarity of discourses across a range of language settings.