Between babel and babylonia: discursivization methods and linguistic policies

Abstract

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1984-8420.2015v16n2p162

The arrival of German immigrants to the south of Brazil involves a scenario of tension and confrontations resulting from the economic and political instabilities that defined Europe in the beginning of the 19th century. Considering this fragmented and plurilingual scenario, an attempt was made to draw an overview that may favor the un­derstanding of the linguistic dynamics that was the basis of the immigration to Rio Grande do Sul, and, in the case of this specific research, the immigration to Salvador do Sul. Therefore, considering the officialization process of a language as grounds to protect a certain “Germanic” culture implies not only looking at historic, cultural and identity aspects, but also considering the power relationships that are part of this con­struction.