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Saving the unsavable? Power asymmetries and the activist potential of self-translation for sustaining minorised languages and cultures

Project description

Self-translation to empower minorised languages

The EU has 24 official languages, but over 60 regional and minority languages lack official status. Self-translation is seen as a power struggle and an expression of multilingual identities, but its impact on language vitality and sustainability has yet to be explored. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ATLAS project aims to investigate how self-translation can empower minorised languages and contribute to their sustainable development in alignment with global goals. It will be the first project to examine self-translation, power asymmetries, activism, and sustainability through public engagement and online contexts. The project will explore the language attitudes of self-translators, publishing practices, and societal attitudes toward self-translation, with a particular focus on Sicilian.

Objective

In the European context, about 43% of living languages are endangered. While the European Union has 24 official languages, all of which are recognised as national languages of its member states, there are over 60 regional and minority languages with no official status. Although self-translation has been discussed as a site of power struggle and an expression of multilingual identities, its relevance to language vitality and sustainability has not been explored. This project (ATLAS) aims to investigate the activist potential of self-translation in empowering minorised languages and contributing to their sustainable development in line with the Global Goals. It will be the first project to investigate self-translation and power in relation to activism and sustainability, relying on public engagement and integrating online contexts. The research objectives are: 1) to examine the language attitudes of self-translators and their reasons for self-translating, 2) to investigate publishing practices concerning publication layouts and paratext (online and in print) and publishers attitudes to self-translation and languages, 3) to determine language use and attitudes to self-translation among broader society. I will use Sicilian self-translation as a case study due to its minorised status and vulnerable position and will combine communitys participation with a mixed-methods approach (official statistics/policies, survey, interviews, school workshops, exhibition, questionnaires, paratextual analysis). I will be trained by the host and partner institution in problematising power asymmetries and applying sociolinguistic approaches. A secondment in Sicily will allow me to collect data and engage with the community. ATLAS will stress the European linguistic and cultural heritage, with self-translation as another tool for promoting equality and multilingual practices and policies. It will also contribute to my development as an independent and collaborative researcher.

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01

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Coordinator

UNIVERSIDAD DE SALAMANCA
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 165 312,96
Address
CALLE PATIO DE ESCUELAS 1
37008 SALAMANCA
Spain

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Region
Centro (ES) Castilla y León Salamanca
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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Partners (1)

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