スイスの言語状況とアイデンティティ -四言語体制強化の憲法改正案をめぐって-
エスニシティとEU
1995 年 1995 巻 110 号 p. 99-113,L11
詳細
1995 年 1995 巻 110 号 p. 99-113,L11
One of Switzerland's four national languages and three official languages—Italian—is loosing its leverage and another national language—Raeto-romansh—appears to be doomed, mainly due to economic reasons. The result will be a change in linguistic pluralism in Switzerland from a four-language system to a two (German, French) and a half (Italian)-language system.
At the same time, a rapid expansion of dialect (Swiss-German) in the German-language zone is leading to the decline of standard German in universities, churches and other institutions. While this phenomenon could be interpreted as cultural self-assertion by the people of this region, it hampers verbal communication with other language zones because few people want to learn a dialect that is used only in a small area.
The result is that more and more people are learning English, which is starting to become a sort of lingua franca.
These linguistic trends are of great importance, given Swiss identity based on segmented pluralism. They suggest the collapse of the balance between cultural segments, which could threaten the very identity and cohesiveness of this federal nation.
The danger, particularly if Switzerland is to participate in the European Union in the near future, is that each language zone may become less culturally independent from the surrounding countries that use the same language, strengthening the centrifugal effect from outside.
To prevent such a possibility, the federal government has proposed the revision of article 116 of the Federal Constitution, which stipulates the national and official languages. Under the revision, Romansh would become an official language in dealings between the canton of Graubünden and the federal government. The revision would also try to protect the threatened Italian and Romansh languages, and to promote deeper comprehension between the language zones.
This paper analyzes these developments and examines the possible changes of national identity in this federal and consociational state.
