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To display Hebrew, or not to display Hebrew?: A Study of Representation of Power and Solidarity through Signage in Palestine.
Abstract by Mrs. Anastasia Khawaja On Session 018  (Language and Identity)

On Saturday, November 18 at 5:30 pm

2017 Annual Meeting

Abstract
The linguistic conflict of Arabic and Hebrew, much like the escalating Palestinian-Israeli conflict, is overtly played out in languages displayed on signage in both Palestine and Israel. Suleiman (2004) contends that language use is one of the least studied dimensions of the Arab-Israeli conflict. While past studies such as Ben-Rafael, et al. (2006) explore the symbolic function of languages through signage in Israeli public spaces, there are no studies that investigate these same ideas in Palestine. This paper responds to Suleiman by investigating how power and solidarity are reflected through both public and private signage in Palestine. An analysis was conducted as to how the hierarchical existence of different linguistic representations are ordered on both public (storefronts and shops) and private (road/highway) signage within the rural village of Ni'lin and the city of Ramallah. Arabic, Hebrew, and English tokens were also examined according to Spolsky and Cooper’s (1991) criteria for analyzing the use of multiple languages within a singular display. These criteria identify three methods by which inclusion and exclusion are established: the first being people write in a language they know. Secondly, people write signs in the language that intended readers are assumed to read. Thirdly, people prefer to write signs in the language of which they wish to be identified. This information contributes to our understanding of how linguistic representation and order are manipulated by power and solidarity relations. Results of the current study show evidence of power relations being represented on both private and public signage. For instance, multiple languages on signs can be an indication that multiple nationalities are welcome. However, signs with a singular language can signify that only the one who speaks that language is able to enter the claimed spaces. This is a common occurrence within Palestine where the Arab-Israeli conflict focuses on land ownership rights that can be represented linguistically by signs. This language display of signage exhibiting one language or the other and/or language hierarchy suggests a deeper symbolic layer of this ongoing conflict.
Discipline
Linguistics
Geographic Area
Palestine
Sub Area
Arab-Israeli Conflict