The Welsh Centre for Language planning have announced that they are hosting a lecture by Dr. Ben Ó Ceallaigh titled ‘Post-materialism and language revitalisation: some comments based on Irish and other Celtic contexts’ at 4pm on 18 October 2023 in the Medrus Conference Suite in Aberystwyth University.
Originally from the west of Ireland, Dr. Ó Ceallaigh is a lecturer in the Celtic Studies Department at Aberystwyth University. His research focuses on the relationship between political economy and language and looks specifically at the negative effects capitalism has on minoritised languages. His work has included looking at the aftereffects of the 2008 economic crash on Irish speaking communities and Irish language policy since then.
His lecture will look at the effects of the cost of living’s crisis on the ability of people to learn a further language, asking to what extent is it realistic to expect people to care about minoritised languages while they face increasing material challenges in their day to day lives. He will utilise data from Ireland and the other Celtic countries to explore the idea of ‘post-materialism’ in the context of language policy, and will argue for a need to ensure a fundamental change in the economic system in order to revitalise these minoritised languages.
Those interested can attend the lecture at the Medrus Conference Suite in Aberystwyth or join virtually through Microsoft Teams. To register for the event, follow this link.
