Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Of Linguistic Jacobinism and Cultural Balkanization

Of Linguistic Jacobinism and Cultural Balkanization Contemporary French Linguistic Politics in Historical Context1 Paul Cohen Princeton University n few countries has language played a greater role in constituting national identity than in modern France. French is first and foremost a political idiom, enshrined by the leaders of the Revolution and the Third Republic as the language of the Republic and the Nation. The French state promotes the use of French at home and throughout the world through an array of government institutions, including the Académie française, the Ministry of Culture and the agencies responsible for France’s francophonie policies.2 The French language also represents a highly charged common cultural ground marking the boundaries of French society.3 Whether in informal conversation and public debate, in annual rituals like Bernard Pivot’s televised “concours de dictées,” or on the editorial pages of national newspapers, the French betray an intense awareness of linguistic issues. The defense and illustration of French has long been for French intellectuals and leaders a passionate vocation. During his tenure as prime minister, Raymond Barre encapsulated a certain idea of French in the following terms: “La première des valeurs fondamentales de notre civilisation est le bon usage de notre langue. Il y a, parmi les http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png French Politics, Culture & Society Berghahn Books

Of Linguistic Jacobinism and Cultural Balkanization

French Politics, Culture & Society , Volume 18 (2) – Jun 1, 2000

Loading next page...
 
/lp/berghahn-books/of-linguistic-jacobinism-and-cultural-balkanization-iRl9WzIPOv

References

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
Berghahn Books
Copyright
© the Institute of French Studies at New York University and the Minda de Gunzberg Center for European Studies at Harvard Unversity
ISSN
1537-6370
eISSN
1558-5271
DOI
10.3167/153763700782378102
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Contemporary French Linguistic Politics in Historical Context1 Paul Cohen Princeton University n few countries has language played a greater role in constituting national identity than in modern France. French is first and foremost a political idiom, enshrined by the leaders of the Revolution and the Third Republic as the language of the Republic and the Nation. The French state promotes the use of French at home and throughout the world through an array of government institutions, including the Académie française, the Ministry of Culture and the agencies responsible for France’s francophonie policies.2 The French language also represents a highly charged common cultural ground marking the boundaries of French society.3 Whether in informal conversation and public debate, in annual rituals like Bernard Pivot’s televised “concours de dictées,” or on the editorial pages of national newspapers, the French betray an intense awareness of linguistic issues. The defense and illustration of French has long been for French intellectuals and leaders a passionate vocation. During his tenure as prime minister, Raymond Barre encapsulated a certain idea of French in the following terms: “La première des valeurs fondamentales de notre civilisation est le bon usage de notre langue. Il y a, parmi les

Journal

French Politics, Culture & SocietyBerghahn Books

Published: Jun 1, 2000

There are no references for this article.