Linguistic justice reloaded: An introduction

This introduction sets out the conceptual framework for the Special Issue Linguistic Justice Reloaded , which seeks to broaden the study of linguistic justice by bringing greater complexity to understandings of both language and justice. Moving beyond approaches that treat languages as discrete, bounded systems and individuals as static “language users”, the Special Issue focuses on situated linguistic repertoires, different modalities of communication, and the intersections between language and dimensions of identity such as gender, migration, disability and ethnicity. The introduction situates linguistic justice within wider debates on social justice and understands it as a set of normative questions concerning the distribution of linguistic opportunities and resources, the recognition of linguistic identities and practices, and individuals’ capacity to participate meaningfully in decisions affecting their linguistic lives. The Special Issue is interdisciplinary in bringing normative political theory into dialogue with sociolinguistics, law, education, Deaf studies, migration and postcolonial studies, Indigenous scholarship, and queer and trans-feminist approaches. Its critical orientation lies in examining the power relations through which languages, speakers and communicative practices are classified, valued and governed, while remaining reflexive about scholarly categories and research practices. Through contributions addressing contested and minoritised languages, sign languages, Indigenous languages, heritage languages and multilingual practices, the collection ultimately aims to expand the range of experiences, concepts and perspectives through which more just linguistic arrangements can be imagined and evaluated.