Where Is Wales? Narrating the Territories and Borders of the Welsh Linguistic Nation

Abstract

Jones R. and Fowler C. (2007) Where is Wales? Narrating the territories and borders of the Welsh linguistic nation, Regional Studies 41, 89-101. The paper shows how different organizations in the post-devolution period have erected internal borders within Wales, which reflect Welsh linguistic geographies and differing constructions of the 'true' extent of the Wales linguistic nation. Key to this debate has been the formation of the pressure group Cymuned. Cymuned's formation has led to numerous political and territorial tensions with the discourses promoted by established linguistic and political movements within Wales. Theoretically, the paper illustrates the importance of viewing borders and territories as spatial entities that are narrated in character. Empirically, it sheds light on the complexity of borders in post-devolution Wales. Jones R. et Fowler C. (2007) Le pays de Galles, ou se trouve-t-il? Raconter les territoires et les frontieres de la nation linguistique galloise, Regional Studies 41, 89-101. Cet article cherche a montrer comment, dans les annees qui ont suivi la decentralisation, les diverses agences ont construit des frontieres internes au sein des Pays de Galles qui refletent des geographies linguistiques galloises et diverses constructions de la 'vraie' portee du pays linguistique gallois. Au coeur de ce debat a ete la creation du groupe de pression Cymuned. La creation de Cymuned a entraine de nombreuses tensions politiques et territoriales au sein des discours promus par des mouvements gallois, linguistiques et politiques. En principe, l'article cherche a presenter l'importance de considerer les frontieres et les territoires comme entites geographiques dont les caracteristiques sont racontees. Du point de vue empirique, l'article cherche a eclaircir la complexite des frontieres dans les annees qui ont suivi la decentralisation au Pays de Galles. Cymuned Pays de Galles Frontieres Region de culture Decentralisation Territoires Jones R. und Fowler C. (2007) Wo liegt Wales? Schilderung der Gebiete und Grenzen der linguistischen Nation von Wales, Regional Studies 41, 89-101. In diesem Beitrag wird beschrieben, wie verschiedene Organisationen in der Zeit nach der Dezentralisierung innerhalb von Wales interne Grenzen errichtet haben, in denen sich die walisischen linguistischen Geografien und verschiedene Auslegungen des, wahren' Ausmasses der linguistischen Nation von Wales widerspiegeln. Ein wesentlicher Faktor in dieser Debatte war die Grundung des Interessenverbandes Cymuned. Diese Grundung fuhrte zu zahlreichen politischen und territorialen Spannungen mit den Diskursen, die von den in Wales etablierten linguistischen und politischen Bewegungen gefordert werden. In theoretischer Hinsicht verdeutlicht der Beitrag, wie wichtig es ist, Grenzen und Gebiete als raumliche Einheiten zu betrachten, die ihrer Wesensart entsprechend geschildert werden. In empirischer Hinsicht wirft er Licht auf die Komplexitat der Grenzen von Wales nach der Dezentralisierung. Cymuned Wales Grenzen Kulturregion Dezentral...

National élites, national masses: oral history and the (re)production of the Welsh nation

“…The largest numbers of Welsh-medium lecturers were appointed in the University Colleges of Wales at Aberystwyth and Bangor, located within the Welsh-speaking 'heartland' (see Desforges and Jones 2001: 335). Deeming Aberystwyth and Bangor to be the most appropriate locations for the development of Welsh-medium courses, we would argue, helped to reinforce long-standing conceptions concerning an alleged-and almost necessary-link between the Welsh language and the rural areas of Wales (Bowen 1959;Gruffudd 1994;Jones and Fowler 2007b). In thematic terms, the Welsh-medium education that was being promoted during this period was centred on largely Arts subjects.…”

The role of identity for regional actors and citizens in a splintered region: The case of Päijät-Häme, Finland

“…Politically, functional regionalism has only created a 'deep ditch' within the Häme electoral district. The current cultural-linguistic landscape of the province is even presented simply as 'void' and this situated understanding of not really having a dialect of its own dampens the claims made to a coherent regional identity (jones & Fowler 2007). awareness of the historical provinces is well-established as a cultural substrate or as tribal clichés ordering social categories, but the contemporary 'partial' provinces do not have an equivalent status.…”

Youth organizations and the reproduction of nationalism in Britain: the role of Urdd Gobaith Cymru

“…As Gruffudd and others have shown historic interpretations of Welsh politics and culture have often emphasized certain key places, regions and landscapes above others (Gruffudd 1994; 1995; see also Jones and Fowler, 2007). The Urdd, for much of its existence, has promoted a vision of Welshness that is distinctively rural in nature.…”

“…And yet, part of the power of prominent youth organisations such as the Scouts is the fact that they are able to inculcate a belief among members that they are part of something bigger; that the acts of charity that Cub Scouts are doing within their own neighbourhood are being replicated in other neighbourhoods throughout the nation. In this way, youth organisations, through the discourses they produce and the activities that they encourage, enable young people to bridge the divide between local and national communities: local activities are given additional meaning through their connections to a national framework of meaning and practice, while these local practices also help to constitute the national organisation (in a related context, see Jones and Fowler, 2007). It is likely too that the occasional international camps, rallies and jamborees that aim to facilitate direct connections between members of youth organisations at international and global scales -though relatively under examined (Vallory, 2012) -also help members to make additional sense of their place within these organisations, as national configurations of youth organisations are compared and contrasted with each other.…”

“…Zhao, 1998); the Welsh nation was being defined in opposition to England and Englishness (Conversi, 1995); and the Welsh nation was intimately connected to the Welsh language and associated cultural forms (Jones and Fowler, 2007). A new Wales.…”