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Ethnie Mobilization and Minority Resources*

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Ethnie Mobilization and Minority Resources* © F. Enke Verlag Stuttgart Zeitschrift Für Soziologie, Jg. 10, Heft 4, Oktober 1981, S. 427 - 437 Forschungsnotiz Ethnie Mobilization and Minority Resources* Erik Allardt Universität Helsinki, Institut für vergleichende Soziologie Mariegatan 10 A 13, SF-00170 Helsinki 17, Finnland Comments to the ethnic mobilization and the Difficulties of Definition and Delineation renewal of ethnic agitation in Western Europe in the 1970’s are abundant. Yet, there is hardly This paper focuses on territorial, linguistic mi­ any agreement about the background and social norities in Western Europe. The ultimate aim sources of this ethnic revival. The centre-peri­ is to throw some light on the conditions under phery paradigm has been a natural point of de­ which ethnic minorities are likely to become parture in many analyses already because ethnic mobilized, activated or even militant as well as minorities as well as ethnic-regional separatist on the conditions under which minorities are movements almost by definition are located in likely to remain immobilized or even unaware the peripheries. Yet there are no satisfactory of their own predicament. generalizations concerning the interplay of eco­ nomic, political, cultural and geographic factors Needless to say there is an abundance of dif­ in the rise of ethnic activism. In particular there ferent types of minorities. It is by no means has been disagreement on the effects of the class easy to delineate the category of ethnic mino­ structure and on whether the economic and social rities in Western Europe. Despite the decision predicament of the ethnic minorities has improv­ to study territorial minorities only, i.e. minor­ ed or worsened. General descriptions of the poli­ ities which have long inhabitated the same tical actions by ethnic, territorial minorities (An­ geographical areas, there exists great variation derson 1978) and analyses with a heavy focus on in both factors such as size and historical im­ militant separatist movements (Williams 1980) portance and also in the collective ability of tend to render fairly different images. the minority to speak its own language. There are strongly militant minorities where only a This paper will not produce any comprehensive small portion of the population speaks the answers to problems concerning the relationship minority’s own language. The most remarkable between social and ethnic stratification. Nor will instances are perhaps those in which a previously it with certainty confirm any hypothesis con­ extinct language now is the focus of revival as cerning the effects on nationalist resurgence by is the case with some of the languages of the centre-periphery relations. The aim of the paper Celtic fringe of Great Britain, and to some ex­ is to present systematic statistical data concer­ tent with Occitania in southern France. ning the territorial, linguistic minorities in Wes­ tern Europe, and to submit the data to a prelim­ Almost all languages have dialectical varieties, inary multivariate analysis. It goes without say­ and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish bet­ ing that no thorough answers and results can ween speakers of a dialect and linguistic groups be found by such a preliminary and superficial claiming special minority status. It is usually analysis. Statistical data and analyses of the difficult to decide whether two varieties of the kind used here have to be combined with his­ same basic language should be considered dia­ torical studies and in-depth analyses of unique lects or distinct languages on the basis of purely cases. Yet it seems worthwhile to emphasize the linguistic criteria (Kloss 1978). The categoriza­ importance of the kind of statistics used here tion of a vernacular as a distinct and independent despite its great shortcomings. There is presently language is always based on historical circum­ almost an overproduction of interpretations stance and interpretation. Having a distinct lan­ based on selected cases. Systematical variation guage is not a prerequisite for recognition as a amongst ethnic minorities has only been ac­ linguistic minority if there is clear continuity in counted for to a minor extent. the history of the group. There is, however, a definite risk of the concept of ethnic or linguistic ♦ Paper presented at the colloquium on “Understand­ minorities becoming too broad, thus permitting ing Political Society” , Werner-Reimers-Stiftung, Bad the inclusion of very different groups under the Homburg, 1 8 -2 2 May 1981. concept of ethnic minorities. 428 Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Jg. 10, Heft 4, Oktober 1981, S. 427 - 437 The minority concept generally refers to the re­ The Minorities Compared lative size of the group, but it also holds many It can hardly be overstressed that it has proved problems for the study of ethnic minorities. It very difficult to gather data about the social is fairly common for a group which nationally composition of different ethnic groups. Questions is an ethnic minority to constitute a majority about language, on either the main language, within a certain region. The majority of the po­ mother tongue, most widely spoken language or pulation of that country thus constitutes a mi­ knowledge of languages are rather rare in Euro­ nority, within a given region. This, for instance, pean cencuses. In most cases, data refer to re­ is true of the Finnish speakers on the Aaland gions rather than to minorities proper. The likeli­ isles in the Baltic Sea. As a general rule, the hood of erroneous interpretation is naturally majority of the population of a country has not particularly great in cases where the ethnic group been considered as a minority. There are, how­ is only a small minority within its own region. ever, exceptions due to special historical circum­ Occasionally, the difficulty lies in the localization stances. The Flemish speakers of Belgium are at of a minority to or within a specific region. In present the largest linguistic group in Belgium. such it has sometimes been necessary to rely on Nevertheles, historically speaking, the group has approximations of the values of certain variables. so many features in common with other lin­ It is so to say in the nature of ethnicity that guistic minorities that it is treated here as a na­ operationalizations of membership in ethnic tional group comparable to a linguistic minority groups are very difficult. Different criteria for as it is in many other lists of European languages. membership are emphasized in different situa­ tions. There are sometimes political disagreements The problem of deciding which groups and na­ over which criteria for membership ought to be tionalities actually are linguistic minorities is by used, but the difficulty of defining membership no means the only difficulty encountered in a even persists in cases where there is political con­ statistical comparison of ethnic minorities. The information on minorities is sometimes based on sensus on the proper criteria. data about individuals, sometimes on data about The linguistic minorities analyzed are listed in the regions in which the minorities live. There table 1. They can all be localized to certain sub­ are additional problems regarding both individual national territories. This is why for example the and regional data. There are also various criteria Norwegian “Landsmal” is omitted from the ana­ by which individuals are regarded as members of lysis. They are also minorities within a certain minorities. The implications of regional data dif­ country. Thus, the Lapps in Finland, Norway, fer greatly depending on whether or not the mi­ and Sweden are counted as three separate mi­ nority being studied forms a majority in its own norities. Table 1 also lists the regions in which region. the minorities live. Unfortunately, these regions are not always defined and delineated in the Despite these many difficulties, we shall attempt same manner. This is mainly due to two circum­ to make a statistical comparison based on multi­ stances. Firstly, different sources define regions variate analysis. Even if the findings generally in different ways. Some data are taken from the point in the right direction, one cannot over­ regional statistics of the European Community, emphasize the fact that the decisions which have that is from the so-called EUROSTAT-publica- to be made on the definition of linguistic mi­ tions (Eurostat 1976) where regional divisions are norities, on which variables to include and on in some cases different from those used in na­ the categorization of those variables can lead to tional statistical publications. Secondly, in some grossly misleading results in single instances. It cases where it has not been possible to obtain is almost as if any decision must be wrong for data about the minority region proper, larger re­ one particular minority at least. Therefore, it is gions of which the minority region forms a part important to use such multivariate techniques have been taken into account. which enable each individual case to be identi­ fied. The use of factor scores based on factor The minorities listed are also given in handbooks analysis, for instance, is such a method. such as those by Grulich and Pulte (1975), E. Allardt: Ethnic Mobilization and Minority Resources 429 TABLE 1 Linguistic Minorities in Western Europe Minority Region Nation-state 1. Slovenes Carinthia (Kärnten) Austria 2. Magyars Burgenland Austria 3. Croats Burgenland Austria 4. Flemings Flanders Belgium 5. Walloons Wallonia Belgium 6. Germans Liege Belgium 7. Gaels Highland region, Scotland Great Britain 8. Gaels Isle of Man Great Britain 9. Gaels Northern Ireland Great Britain 10. Welsh Wales Great Britain 11. Channel islanders Jersey, Guernsey, Alderny, Sark Great Britain 12. Germans North Schleswig Denmark 13. Faroe islanders The Faroe islands Denmark 14. Greenlanders Greenland Denmark 15. Swedish Finns The provinces of Uusimaa, Turku- Pori, Vaasa Finland 16. Swedish Finns Aaland isles Finland 17. Lapps Inari, Sodankyla, Utsjoki Finland 18. Occitans Centre-Est, Mediterranee, Sud-Quest France 19.
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