Language Planning and Language Change in Japan by Tessa Carroll

Author:Tessa Carroll [Carroll, Tessa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Ethnic Studies, General
ISBN: 9780700713837
Google: 3c6-8ZTQmbkC
Publisher: Psychology Press
Published: 2001-01-15T05:39:46+00:00

GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNED: FROM HIERARCHY TOWARDS EQUALITY

Official language has changed as the relationship between the state and the populace has evolved and as perceptions of their respective roles have altered. The process has been a relatively gradual one, the catalyst for major reform being external: defeat in World War II and the Occupation. Only relatively recently has there been growing pressure from the public for the state to modify its language to reflect the changes in society and its expectations. Official language which perpetuates the image of the bureaucracy as distant from, and superior to, the general public is no longer acceptable. This attitude is most visible at the local government level: although reform is not the result of vociferous pressure groups such as the Plain English Campaign, it certainly has come about from the feeling on the part of local administrations that communities were wanting something more from them than simply big public works – a more personal approach which treats them as individuals and equals, in short one more suited to a democratic society. In contrast, agitation from public pressure groups has clearly been the prime force for change in the area of discriminatory language.

In this chapter, the focus has largely been on language as a tool of communication, carrying both information and messages about the changing relationship between the state and its citizens. The next chapter will continue the theme of communication, contrasting this fundamental function of language with another important role it plays, as a repository of culture. Traditionally, great value has been placed on the written language, particularly in the latter context, but recent technological progress is highlighting unresolved issues relating to the script which will be discussed towards the end of the chapter. However, National Language Council discussions since the early 1990s have given the spoken language priority, and in doing so, have signalled a major shift in language planning, and it is to this area that the first part of my next chapter will be devoted.

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