Abstract
French colonies were created for the benefit not of the indigenous conquered peoples but of the home country. Their borders were set for political convenience and produced a jumble of ethnicities, languages, and cultures. Exploitation came first, and there was generally no attempt to find a workable educational solution to the local diversity. During French rule, a small elite was “assimilated,” educated in French and convinced of its value. Local languages were stigmatized and banned for school use, reducing their status even in the eyes of their speakers. After independence, the French-speaking elite replaced the colonial rulers, applying much the same language policy or in a few cases attempting to establish hegemony for a local variety. Creoles too were stigmatized. However, centralized language policy failed to change widespread traditional language practices: it was not just the pressure of other interest groups, but even more the effects of economic, demographic and political pressures that hindered producing a French-speaking population. Thus, it is not just the competition of various levels of language management, but rather the political and economic weakness that prevents the solution of the language problems first recognized half a century ago.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 231-315 |
| Number of pages | 85 |
| Journal | Current Issues in Language Planning |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 3 Jul 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Funding
His chosen successor, Henri Bédié continued one-party rule, and economic growth continued; Bédié avoided ethnic conflict but supported “Ivourité,” a movement favoring locally born residents which excluded the many foreign immigrants who had been attracted by economic success. In 1999, there was a military coup, followed by elections in which Laurent Gbagbo was successful. A civil war broke out in 2002, the rebels seizing control of the north. It was defeated with the help of French military, and the unstable government was supported by French troops, with UN endorsement for Gbagbo continuing in office. In elections in 2010 (postponed from 2005), Gbagbo lost, but a constitutional council dominated by his supporters reversed the decision. The UN supported his rival, and the African Union suspended the nation’s membership. A second civil war occurred in 2011, and Gbagbo was arrested by the International Criminal Court in the Hague. The trial began in 206 and is continuing. The government is believed to be moving towards democracy, and there is continued economic progress. The population (about 800,000) is supported in part by remittances from the 200,000 or so emigrants from the territory who now live in France. Illegal emigration to Mayotte is driven by the shortage of employment and farming land. Comoros is one of the world’s poorest countries. Because of weak border controls and corruption, there is a great deal of human trafficking. The majority of the population is of African Arab origin.
Keywords
- Corruption
- elite closure
- ethnic conflict
- war
