title: The language barrier?: context, identity, and support for political goals in minority ethnolinguistic groups.
abstract: In two studies, we tested the hypothesis that not having a potentially group-defining attribute (e.g., in-group language) can affect social identification and support for group goals (e.g., national autonomy). Focusing on the Welsh minority in the UK, Study 1 provided evidence that Welsh language fluency predicted Welsh identification and support for national autonomy, and that identification accounted for the language-autonomy association. Study 2 extended this by (1) examining British and English as well as Welsh identification; and (2) quasi-manipulating the surrounding context (Welsh speaking vs. non-Welsh speaking). As predicted, low Welsh language fluency predicted stronger British and English identification, but only where language was criterial (Welsh-speaking regions). British identification, in turn, predicted lower support for national autonomy. Implications and prospects for future research are discussed.
authors: School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK. livingstoneag@cardiff.ac.uk
authors: Andrew G
authors: AG
authors: Livingstone
authors: Antony S R
authors: AS
authors: Manstead
authors: Russell
authors: R
authors: Spears
authors: Dafydd
authors: D
authors: Bowen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003144:Communication Barriers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D011057:Politics; D012933:Social Identification; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom; D014852:Wales / Q000208:ethnology