In sociolinguistics it has become commonplace to be critical of essentialisms connected with languages, language practices and speakers, as well as with generalized portrayals of language groups or nation-states. These pertain both to the described “entities” themselves, as well as to the language ideologies (Irvine & Gal 2000) which shape and underlie these same essentialisations.
In spite of such reflective tendencies, an anti-essentialist agenda is not consistently applied when it comes to regions or areas. “Methodological regionalisms” and “methodological areanisms” (Wimmer and Glick Schiller 2002) remain pervasive, as evidenced by the widespread use of spatial denominations to refer to language use within continents or broader geographical areas. This is evidenced by the tendency to split regions in scholarship (e.g., Asia, Africa), as well as to use these same regions to further differentiate between sub-regions (e.g., West Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia, South East Asia).
Against this backdrop the panel has two aims: First it aims to encourage discussion of the phenomenological reality of areas and regions and to reflect upon the usefulness of a “process geographies” (Van Schendel 2002; Bolander and Mostowlansky 2017) approach. Second, it aims to promote discussion on how to “talk” and “write” about one’s work regarding essentialising/deconstructing sociolinguistically reproduced entities. Participants will thus combine theoretical reflections with empirical examples; consider the methodological and theoretical advantages but also pitfalls of such designations, and what they might highlight and hide; and how related terms (e.g., the South, the West) might contribute to this discussion
Bolander, B., T. Mostowlansky. 2017. Language and globalisation in South and Central Asian spaces. International Journal of the Sociology of Language 247.
Irvine, J. T., S. Gal. 2000. Language ideology and linguistic differentiation. In P.V. Kroskrity (ed.), Regimes of language. Ideologies, Politics, and Odentities (pp. 35–84). Santa Fe, NM: School of American Research Press.
Van Schendel, W. 2002. Geographies of knowing, geographies of ignorance: Jumping scale in Southeast Asia. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 20, 647–668.
Wimmer, A., N. G. Schiller. 2002. Methodological nationalism and beyond. Nation-state building, migration and the social sciences. Global Networks 2, 301–334.
