Cultural Citizenship, Minority Rights, and Self-Government

Abstract

A fourth component -- cultural -- is added to T. H. Marshall's (1965) three components of citizenship: civil, political, & social. Claims for cultural citizenship rights are examined in the case of linguistic culture. These claims can be disaggregated along three axes by distinguishing between the cultural practices of religion & language & their claims, by identifying different linguistic minority categories in political communities (ie, immigrants vs national minorities), & by considering the differential application of general rights depending on context. The general principles of religious toleration are not sufficient for the demands of linguistic minorities, because language is not only for communication, but also has identity & political functions. It is argued that the claims of immigrant & national minorities are different because the right to establish a language of public life is based on claims to territorial self-government. The relationship between the underlying nation-building project & claims for self-government & language rights is discussed. Six reasons that further support making a distinction between immigrant & national minority linguistic rights are developed, including waiving cultural protection through emigration & voluntary assimilation, scarcity of resources for dispersed groups, & the special obligations toward national minorities. 54 References. M. Pflum