BELONGING THROUGH LINGUISTIC PLACE-MAKING IN CENTER- PERIPHERY CONSTELLATIONS

Abstract

This article discovers the theme of belonging through linguistic
place-making in center-periphery multilingual environment. It originated from
workshops held at the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies (NIAS) and a
colloquium at a Sociolinguistics Symposium. The focus was on how individuals in
marginal or peripheral areas construct senses of belonging through language
practices in the face of centralization-peripheralization dynamics. The book aims to
advance sociolinguistic studies by emphasizing the total linguistic fact as an unstable
interaction of sign forms mediated by cultural ideology. Concepts of place and
belonging have been central in sociolinguistics, with Tuan's perspective influencing
the field significantly. The volume seeks to develop these concepts further to
understand processes of identification through language use. Feelings of belonging
are viewed as dynamic and shaped by social interactions and semiotic resources. By
bringing peripheries to the forefront, the book aims to enrich sociolinguistic
research.