Language policy and language ideologies in Mexico

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore the language ideologies that underpin Mexican language policy and are reproduced in Mexican society. Language ideologies are conceived as beliefs, assumptions, conceptions, and perceptions about people’s own, and others’ linguistic forms and language practices. Studies of language policy and language ideologies have focused on official documents and public discourses to identify ideological orientations. However, I set out to understand the construction and implementation of Mexican language policy under specific language ideologies that are reproduced in society through people’s valorisation of different linguistic forms and language practices in their daily lives. I focus on the life of three families in the city of Tepic in which at least one of its members belongs to groups that are considered linguistic minorities in Mexico. I use a qualitative methodology and an ethnographic approach to gather data and carry out my case studies. To analyse and interpret the data I use narrative analysis and qualitative content analysis. My findings reveal the construction and reproduction of specific language ideologies in the life of my participants that are influenced and framed by the construction and implementation of Mexican language policy, which is also linked to globalisation processes and neoliberal economic order. This work can be of use to other public sectors and language policy makers to engage with the understanding of language diversity beyond what is visible and recognised for the creation of new political mechanisms that guarantee linguistic human rights and social justice for all inhabitants in the country. Moreover, the methodology and interpretation of this research data can also be extrapolated from the specific context of this work and applied to others where people are confronted with different possibilities and constraints because of their language practices.

More information

Identifiers

ORCID for Jesahe Herrera Ruano: orcid.org/0000-0001-9289-2701

Catalogue record

Export record