Conflict, Exclusion and Dissent in the Linguistic Landscape

This book focuses on the linguistic landscape as a site of conflict, exclusion, and dissent arising from mechanisms of language policy, language politics and language hierarchies. It examines the way language can be used in particular ideologies to marginalize and conceal other language and as a vehicle for social contestation, impacting local communities as well as the vitality of certain sociolinguistic groups.

The chapters engage with exclusion, covering broad socio-historical, economic, political and ideological issues that go much beyond language dimensions, such as the Occupy movement and the Arab Spring. The case studies highlight the role of the linguistic landscape where words and images can demonstrate the tension between the dominance of global capitalism and the grassroots reactions of local communities contending for visibility, social justice and economic and political survival. The book argues that concern with this aspect of the linguistic landscape helps forge links between landscape, identity, social order and power.

Rani Rubdy was previously Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University and is currently with the National University of Singapore. Her co-edited books include English in the World: Global Rules, Global Roles (2006), Language as Commodity (2008), and The Global-Local Interface and Hybridity (2014).

Selim Ben Said is Assistant Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His recently co-edited book Language Teachers and Teaching (2013) examines language teacher education in a variety of international contexts. He is currently researching discourses in the linguistic landscape particularly in the context of international protests and 'occupy' movements.