Language, Ethnicity, and the State: Minority Languages in the EU

1. Language, Ethnicity, and the State: Minority Languages in the EU Ch6: Ethnic Identity and Minority Language Survival in Brittany By Lenora Timm

2. Terms for discussing Breton identity • Nation • refers to place of birth; a people sharing culture, history, political & administrative structures, some autonomy, and a language • “a population which shares a common culture, or thinks it does, and desires self-determination or ultimate decision-making power for itself” • this second definition fits the Bretons well

3. Terms for discussing Breton identity, cont’d. • State • A hegemonic political structure with legal authority over a territory that may encompass a spectrum of socio-cultural groups, quite possibly including “nations” • States often describe themselves as nations to enhance their legitimacy

4. Terms for discussing Breton identity, cont’d. • Ethnic/ethnicity • A replacement term for racial, tribal, this term is also picking up pejorative connotations • A group linked by ties of kinship, religion, custom, language, collective sense of solidarity • Bretons are hard to classify this way because they are so assimilated into the local French culture

5. Terms for discussing Breton identity, cont’d. • Identity • Any individual can have multiple identities which may overlap, and identity can change • Bretons have a ”geographical/cultural/social/political identity varying from one individual to another”

6. Brittany: a small nation within the nation-state • Brittany was associated with ”savage” inhabitants and their strange language • Breton recognized as Celtic only in 18th c • Result of 3rd-5thc migration south across Channel • Independent kingdom until defeat by French 1488 and annexation in1532

7. Brittany today • 4 (or 5) departments, capital Nantes, total population of 4M • Divided into • Upper Brittany (eastern half of peninsula) French and Gallo have predominated • Lower Brittany (westen half of peninsula) Breton once predominated • Historically Breton nobility transitioned to French, only peasants spoke Breton by Middle Ages, and there was virtually no literary tradition

8. Brittany after the French Revolution • 1789 French Revolution -- France begins its campaign against all other languages in its pursuit of unity • In 1900 there were 1.3M Breton speakers, now there are 240K, and only about 24K use the language regularly • Some literature has been published, but few are able to or bother to read it

9. Language and identity in Brittany: historical perspectives • Brittany was one of the last regions to be integrated into France -- it was remote and had an independent history • Catholic church had supported Breton language and culture • Breton identity emerged largely as a reaction to external negative stereotyping • Post WWII economic boom in Brittany intensified use of French

10. Contrasting interpretations of Breton and Celtic identity • To some extent Breton identity is a post-war invention, part of the ”invention” of Celtic identity as a whole • Breton identity was largely invented by elite and churchmen opposed to the anti-clerical ideals of the Revolution • A small militant minority uses a romanticized history to justify claims to ethnic identity, but the majority are apathetic about their identity

11. Le Coadic’s study of ordinary (non-militant) Bretons • Most Bretons regard their identity as important and have a positive attitude toward it • Bretons are ambiguous about the importance of language for identity -- non-Breton-speakers from Upper Brittany believe language is more important than the Breton speakers from Lower Brittany • Breton identity viewed as something that can be adopted by those who choose it. • Breton identity is primarily an attachment to a place and a shared way of life

12. Expressions of Breton identity • 1898 EMSAV -- Breton movement began with publication supported by Catholic church • 1911 Parti nationaliste breton • 1919 Breiz Atao (”Brittany Forever”) student movement seeking autonomy • WWII Bretons divided between Resistance and collaboration (in hopes of gaining autonomy) • Post WWII combination of political and economic development, founding of bilingual schools: Diwan • There is little radio & tv broadcasting, which is problematic for young people

13. Bretons vis-à-vis Europe • Bretons feel they are part of a community of economically successful minorities in Europe • They seek local control, but not autonomy • Bretons are more supportive of EU policy than French as a whole • France did not sign European Charter for Regional and Minority languages until 1999 and then ruled that French constitution will have to be changed in order to implement it

14. The future of the Breton language • French is the language used in public life in Brittany • Breton is clearly losing ground, despite the Diwan schools, presence of Breton in publishing and broadcasting is insufficient • Kan ha diskan music with Breton lyrics has shown growth • In order to survive, Breton will have to have an increase in number of speakers and speakers will have to use the language in society

15. Conclusions • Breton identity is a question of consciousness and of will • People of Brittany are ambiguous about the role of language in perpetuating Breton identity -- cultural, economic, and territorial values are also central in asserting Breton identity