Problem
Language discrimination in politics
Other Names:
Active political prejudice on basis of languagePrejudicial treatment of linguistic minorities in government
Nature:
Citizens of a country may be denied the right to vote because they cannot pass a literacy test in a language which is not their mother tongue. This requirement gives advantages to members of the dominant language group and serves as a way to exclude non-members from participation in government. Language tests for immigration may be more lenient than those for voting. This kind of discrimination may affect naturalized immigrants or members of a plural society.
Incidence:
Constitutions of multilingual societies such as Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Kenya, Lesotho, Sierra Leone and Uganda require the command of English for election to the central legislative; while French is mandatory in Cameroon, Congo, Mali, and Niger.
Broader Problems:
Discrimination in politicsPoliticization of languageDiscrimination against minority languagesDivisive effects of official cultural pluralism Narrower Problems:
Political discrimination based on illiteracy Related Problems:
Discriminatory communication Aggravates:
Cultural fragmentationDenial of political rightsLanguage as a barrier to communicationDiscrimination against immigrants and aliensDenial of right to recognition as a person before the law Strategies:
Reducing language discrimination in politics Subject(s):
Government → Government Government → Political
Government → Politics
Language → Languages
Language → Linguistics
Society → Minority, indigenous groups
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
D: Detailed problems Date of last update
24.06.2019 – 17:52 CEST