Language, Capitalism, Colonialism: Toward a Critical History

by Monica Heller, Bonnie Mcelhinny

Heller and McElhinny reinterpret sociolinguistics for the twenty-first century with an original approach to the study of language that is situated in the political and economic contexts of colonialism and capitalism. In the process, they map out a critical history of how language serves, and has served, as a terrain for producing and reproducing social inequalities. The authors ask how, and by whom, ideas about language get unevenly shaped, offering new perspectives that will excite readers and incite further research for years to come.

Genres: Linguistics, Nonfiction, Canada, History

336 pages, Paperback

Published October 25, 2017

Reviews

[Farhana · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great read—a new lens into the power and politics of language usage, human effort to map languages, and more of everything. Started this book to use as reference in one of my papers, but then couldn’t stop reading the whole! Thanks to the recommender.

[Vuk Vukotić · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb history of the development of ideas about language.

The narration and the structure of the book make is an enjoyable read for students and trained scholars alike. Monica Heller and Bonnie McElhinny are virtuosos of everyday language in academic text, deploying this skill successfully to illustrate very complex ideas about language throughout history. The structure of the book consists of three 'parts', each with two 'chapters' (except the last 'part,' which has three chapters), that illustrate an emergence of an idea in the first chapter, and then the criticism and the emergence of 'opposed' ideas in the next one. This narration illustrates the differences - as well as latent ideological similarities - in the apparently opposed ideas about language.

Some parts are better than others. Colonialism, capitalism and nationalism are excellent. I felt the part on alternative modernities, especially the Soviet Union, lacked some substance and focused on ideas that actually did not become a part of the mainstream in Soviet linguistics (like Bakhtin). Some other parts had too settle with anecdotal evidence, as not enough research has been done - for example the spying on linguists during the Cold War is still a matter of secrecy. The ideas expressed here will probably be put to the test in future research.

The weakest point here is that language is approached exclusively through academia, a thorough review of linguists, their lives, working conditions and the material conditions of their intellectual production. This is a well-suited approach, but for a book with a different name, most fittingly "LINGUISTICS, Capitalism, Colonialism". I do not think a critical history of language in the full sense of the word has been presented. We are only shown the reified, academic notion of language, divorced from its actual use, place in society and power. Such a history remains to be written.

Overall, a great book, which teachers like me have badly been waiting for: it provides a critical, all-sided, student-friendly overview of the history of linguistic thought.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A groundbreaking, highly comprehensive critical text with an anticolonial analytical framework on the relationship between capitalism, colonialism, and language. The text walks through the origins of linguistics in conversion projects, philology and language evolution used to support racial hierarchy, and anxieties about race mixing as seen through perspectives on language hybridity, before moving on exploring the role of language planning in new European democracies and the emergence, transformation and uses of linguistics as a discipline under fascism and later the Cold War.
Finally, the work explores the rise of sociolignguistcs and the new role language has taken on as a commodity under late capitalism.

[Eila Isotalus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring and less usual way to write history! For me, it was a compelling account of how (particularly) the field of sociolinguistics was developed over time, even though the account was as well about the research of language in general (but not about language in general as the title suggests). There was a consistent attempt to avoid linear, mainstreamed history, instead, show the "counterparts" and contestations, and demonstrate the impact of social, political and economical context of when, where, who and about what research was done in the first place. I specifically liked how the researchers were given background, motivations and even personal details that helped in several cases to see why s/he chose certain topic or approach but as well gives "human touch" to the history - after all, history is made, or at least influenced ed by individuals. The cross-commenting throughout the book supported to see the connections and contradictions across time and regions (even though such comments were often in brackets and thus, marked). However, I would have loved to read more argumentation why these specific researchers were chosen to be presented in such a detail. In some cases it is obvious but in other cases it remained to be assumed. Quite shattering thread of the book for me was the repeated notion of how much the political and social conditions of time have limited and ”obscured” the research (now, looked afterwards), specifically how research on language was used and guided by fascism and Nazi ideology. That makes me also think of how limited vision do we have now, and in relation to what...?

[#Cyberphunkisms (search it) · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book is a summary of everything an undergraduate is propagandized with. it basically sums up all the propaganda into one neat package.

it is a monument to the confusions caused by #hivemindidioms , being so unaware of repeated empty idioms while "analyzing language" was absolutely amazing.

there was literally nothing new. just more "renewed imaginings" aka
"this book provides the "possibility" of novel theoretical frameworks or analytical tools for understanding the intertwined dynamics of language, capitalism, and colonialism. These frameworks may offer new ways of conceptualizing and analyzing the subject matter"

does it actually do it? no.

repeats the same shit we have been forced to swallow since 1st year undergrad.

more obfuscation of alliances where there is none, from the very first two quotes "analyzed" .

truly unfortunate the state of the neoliberal university
"god" help us.

[Emily Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written and easy to follow, regardless of linguistic training. Provides a very important depiction of the history of linguistics and language, one that every linguist needs to be aware of. Honestly, the story told here of how ideologies and practices surrounding language have been used to further imperialist agendas since the fifteenth century is one that every person needs to be aware of.

[Eleanor Sobottka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dense, but once you get into it, it offers a comprehensive yet intuitive look into the history of the world from a linguistic and anthropological lens. It was easy to follow and provided a good overarching view of the concepts that are taught in college linguistics courses.

[Madame A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most exciting linguistic books I read in some time. It is really refreshing to see a new perspective to sociolinguistics and think about how language policy/science supported capitalism and colonialism. I want more of such books!