The Construction of Indigenous Language Rights in Peru: A Language Regime Approach

From the 1990s onwards, many Latin American states have adopted constitutional reforms that recognise indigenous peoples’ rights. In this article, we address a much less studied aspect, the emergence of new language rights. Based on field research and process tracing, we study the case of Peru where indigenous language rights were created in the absence of ethnic parties and with a relatively weak indigenous movement. We argue that the country moved slowly away from a monolingual language regime towards the recognition of indigenous languages as official languages and the creation of language rights. We identify key moments of state transformation in the 1970s, the 1990s, and the 2000s as linked to successive building blocks in the creation of a multi-lingual language regime. In particular, the decentralisation reforms of the 2000s created new opportunities for subnational actors to further develop these rights in different regions of the country. We exemplify these dynamics by looking into the adoption of language rights in the regions of Cuzco and Ayacucho

Monolingualism and National Identity: Lessons from Europe

Two centuries have passed since the idea of monolingual nationalism entered the history of Europe. Nevertheless, the nexus between monolingualism and nation seems far from being dismissed. This chapter investigates the nexus between language and national identity, by comparing France, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland and examining to what extent different national boundary configurations relate to attitudes towards migrants\u2019 integration. The focus is on perceived criteria of national belonging, with particular reference to the language, among other prototypical national \u2018markers\u2019 (such as ancestry, religion, and respect for laws). The empirical investigation is based on survey data from the ISSP (International Social Survey Program), which was carried out in 2003 and 2013

Niche plasticity in invasive fishes in the Great Lakes

© 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland. The geographic range of an invasive species is a key determinant of relative impact in the invaded region. Comparison of invasive species that are widespread or rare in invaded ranges can highlight mechanistic traits that determine the risk of impact from invasion. Round Goby (Neogobius melanostomus) is more geographically widespread and abundant than Tubenose Goby (Proterorhinus semilunaris) across invaded ranges of the Laurentian Great Lakes. We used stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) in liver and muscle to contrast the isotopic niche breadth and niche plasticity of Round Goby and Tubenose Goby near the inflow and outflow of Lake St. Clair and in western Lake Superior. At all sites, Round Goby and Tubenose Goby that matched in size (21–53 mm standard length) had distinct isotopic niches with no overlap, driven by higher δ15N in Round Goby. The variation in isotopic niche, and the mean difference in δ13C and δ15N between muscle and liver, was greater for Round Goby, suggesting both greater seasonal shifts in diet and niche plasticity in this more widely established invader. Round Goby that were significantly larger than Tubenose Goby had broader isotopic niches and greater niche plasticity in the majority of cases and this was associated with isotopic niche overlap with smaller Round Goby and Tubenose Goby. Our findings suggest that a broad and plastic isotopic niche provides scope for wider establishment range in invasive fish species