Linguistic imperialism in Brazil Essays - 1349 Words

Linguistic imperialism is a concept used by scholar Robert Phillipson, he mostly spoke about the imperialism of the English language, although this concept can be applied to all the world’s major international languages with imperialistic origins, when the original population had to adopt the invader’s language because of the benefits that accrue to the speakers of the languages when the dominant language has been imposed (Phillipson 31). Linguistic imperialism in Latin America started with the ‘discovery’ and the occupation of the New World by the European powers. Spanish and Portuguese language were imposed on the local populations and therefore many indigenous languages vanished. This essay will especially focus on Brazil and the†¦show more content†¦Therefore, the preservation and propagation of Portuguese as a national language was and still is a matter of national security (Rajagopalan 2008: 179). From the colonial period until today the pol itical dimension of language and linguistic dimension of politics are both related to the notion of power. Language is concerned with power politics or machtspolitik (Rajagopalan 2008: 180). According to Joseph ‘language is political from top to bottom’ (Joseph xi). During the colonial period, from 1500 till 1822, the Portuguese did not promoted their own language in Brazil, in contrast to the French and British colonisers. The French were single minded in the prosecution of their language and they were consicious of a ‘civilizing mission’ (Phillipson 111). Whereas the Portuguese main goals were not related to missionary or civilizing mission, they were primarily interested in wealth and resources. At first they were not planning to actually live in Brazil, therefore language policy was not their first concern. However this changed and more white, Portuguese men settled down in Brazil and due to the lack of European women, married the local women. In present Brazil 38.5% of the population is mulatto (CIA World Factbook), which is a mixture of black and white, as a result of these mixed marriages. The new ‘mulatto’ generation mainly learned to speak the language of the Tupinambà ¡ tribe, who were living along the Atlant ic CoastShow MoreRelatedGlobalization: the Americanization of the World?3228 Words   |  13 Pagesof the world, â€Å"the rise of the rest† is diminishing its role and the United States is no longer solely holding the reins of globalization. Andrew Bacevich’s assertion is that the idea of the American empire differs only in form from traditional imperialism. Its function, enriching the mother country, is precisely the same but employs a variety of techniques to make this less evident. The United States embraces its role in history of exerting power only as a last resort. Only when circumstances totallyRead MoreHegemony and Discourse : Negotiating Cultural Relationships Through Media Production8970 Words   |  36 Pagesgroups such as the Kayapo in Brazil and the Warlpiri in the Australian Outback have developed substantial video archives through work that was inspired and supported through outside assistance (cf. Turner, 1990a, 1990b, 1992a, 1992b; Michaels, 1986, 1994). James Weiner (1997: 197) has noted that indigenous peoples ‘have utilized visual self-representation as a mode of empowerment, political assertion, and cultural revival in the face of Western cultural and economic imperialism’.1 In d escribing these shiftsRead MoreHindi Nibandh on Advantages of Mobile and Disadvantage17790 Words   |  72 Pages For critics of this persuasion, India surely seems a lonely land. A country with a millennial history of Hindus, Christians, Jews, Muslims and Buddhists living peaceably together; a country of hundreds of dialects in which so many. Indians are linguistic foreigners to each other, and happily, tolerantly so; a country that welcomes foreign seekers (of yoga poses, of spiritual wisdom, of ancestral roots) with open arms; a country where, outside the elite world of South Delhi and South Bombay, I haveRead MoreThe Philippine Architecture: Spanish Colonial Period18287 Words   |  74 PagesVerde islands. The Treaty was finally signed following complex diplomatic negotiations between ambassadors and barristers from both Kingdoms. Modification of a demarcation line dividing the world between Spain and Portugal resulted in the birth of Brazil as its eastern end fell within the Portuguese zone. This document is essential if we are to understand American history and economic and cultural relations between Europe and America. Therefore the treaty became an important reference not only toRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 Pagesadherent of Rastafari and a social scientist, refers to the imposition of European values on the black masses in Jamaica as â€Å"cultural imperialism.† Cultural imperialism occurs when one group imposes its deï ¬ nition of reality, via â€Å"theories, concepts and ideas—meta-physics, epistemology, ethics and even aesthetics—on another.†6 According to Semaj, cultural imperialism in Jamaica was even more effective than physical and economic oppression. While these overt forms of oppression met constant resistanceRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesthe ultimate challenge to organization theory? Introduction What is postmodernism? Postmodernism: the core elements Postmodernism and organization theory Poststructuralism and postmodernism Three key thinkers of postmodernism Jacques Derrida: the linguistic turn and deconstruction J.F. Lyotard and the nature of knowledge Foucault: postmodernism, discourse, knowledge and power Organizational culture The challenges of postmodernism to organization theory Problematizing normal science Problematizing truthRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesand recognize that most of his former attitudes and behavior were actually criminal from this point of view. For example, a priest who had dispensed food to needy peasants in his mission church had to â€Å"recognize† that he was actually a tool of imperialism and was using his missionary activities as cover for exploitation of the peasants. Even worse, he had used food as blackmail to accomplish his aims. The key technique used by the Communists to produce social alienation to a degree sufï ¬ cient to allow