New book examines the history of Finnish universities from the perspective of language policies
The book problematizes historically recycled language political and language ideological discourses and analyses the historical and political layeredness of higher education policy.
- Examining historically recycled discourses also helps to understand the rise of new nationalism in recent years, both in higher education and in society at large, the author of the book, research professor Taina Saarinen says.
In Finnish higher education, as in the larger society, the tense relationship between Finnish and Swedish characterized language policy debates for a longer period. By the turn of the millennium, international cooperation, and in particular the needs of the global economy, brought English in centre stage. However, English was still promoted in the post-nationalist period of early 2000s with national interests in mind.
- In the 2010s, concerns about the status of the Finnish language have begun to show in both university policy and media discussions. At the same time, English, which was previously viewed reasonably positively, has begun to catalyse new nationalist concerns about the status of the Finnish language, Saarinen sums up
Educational, economic, and epistemic nationalism are presented as the main types of new nationalism higher education policy.
The book will be of interest to language policy and higher education scholars and practitioners, as well as graduate students language policy and higher education.
Book information:
Saarinen, Taina (2020). Higher Education, Language and New Nationalism in Finland : Recycled Histories. Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-60902-3
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