Identity, Language and Political Attitudes

1
Identity, Language and Political Attitudes

• Questionnaire study of 116 6th form students
  attending a Welsh medium school in South Wales
• Dafydd Bowen, Tony Manstead (supervisor)
• Three issues
• Use of Welsh Is proficiency in Welsh related to
  political attitudes regarding Welsh independence?
• Language of questionnaire How does language of
  questionnaire affect responses to questions about
  identity and political attitudes?
• Predictors of political attitudes To what extent
  are attitudes to political issues in Wales shaped
  by national identity, proficiency in Welsh?

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Issue 1Use of Welsh

• Is proficiency in Welsh related to political
  attitudes regarding Welsh independence?
• If use of Welsh is source of positive ingroup
  distinctiveness, perhaps fluent Welsh speakers
  would be less pro-independence than non-fluent
  counterparts?
• But if use of Welsh reflects and reinforces
  national identity, fluent Welsh speakers would be
  more pro-independence than non-fluent counterparts

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Measures 1

• Use of Welsh
• Do you yourself use the Welsh language
• a) In the family?
• b) With friends outside school?
• c) With friends in school?
• d) In ceremonial events such as school plays,
  assemblies, Eisteddfod?
• How often do you see yourself speaking Welsh
  after leaving school?
• How would you rate your ability to speak Welsh?
• In which language do you find easiest to converse
  with others?

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Measures 2

• Political attitudes
• I am willing to petition the Welsh Assembly
  Government in order to persuade them to do more
  for the people of Wales.
• English students attending Welsh universities
  should have to pay higher university fees than
  Welsh students
• Welsh students attending English universities
  should have to pay higher university fees than
  Welsh students attending Welsh universities
• I can understand why the people in the above
  scenario burned the English-owned houses in
  rural Wales
• In an ideal world, what sort of relationship
  would you like Wales to have with the UK?

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Political attitudes as a function of use of Welsh
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Measures 3

• Status of Welsh
• The Welsh language is widely used in Wales
  nowadays
• The Welsh language has high status in Wales
• The Welsh language is strongly supported by
  institutions
• The Welsh language will be stronger in 10 years
  time than today
• Welsh in EDL
• How important do you think it is for Welsh to be
  used in the following settings
• In the family in Wales
• In the workplace in Wales
• In Welsh communities outside Wales
• Welsh in ceremonies
• In ceremonies and cultural events
• In place names and peoples names
• In traditional songs and literature

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Language attitudes as function of use of Welsh
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Issue 2Language of questionnaire

• How does language of questionnaire affect
  responses to questions about identity and
  political attitudes?
• Being asked questions in ingroup language might
  make national identity more salient and lead to
  stronger identity and more pro-independence
  attitudes
• Being asked questions in outgroup language might
  make national identity more salient and lead to
  stronger identity and more pro-independence
  attitudes (ethnic affirmation Bond Yang, 1982)

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Measures 4

• WAG
• The Welsh Assembly Government is not doing enough
  to protect the interests of the Welsh people
• Identity
• I have a lot in common with other Welsh people
• In general, being Welsh is an important part of
  my self-image
• Generally, I feel good when I think about myself
  as Welsh
• Culture
• The things I identify with in Welsh culture are
• Politics, History/heritage, Landscape, Media,
  Literature, Sport, etc.
• Let others know
• How important is it to you to let Welsh people
  know that you are Welsh?
• How important is it to you to let non-Welsh
  people know that you are Welsh?

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Language of questionnaire differences
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Issue 3What predicts political attitudes?

• To what extent are attitudes to political issues
  in Wales shaped by
• National identity?
• Language use?

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Regression of hardline political attitudes on
ID and language use
Hardline attitudes tuition fees, 2nd house
burning, relationship of Wales to UK