Linguistic Diversity as a Challenge for Street-Level Bureaucrats in a Monolingually-Oriented Organisation
Migration-induced diversity has led to the global emergence of multilingual life worlds in which language regimes are particularly intertwined with labour markets. Thus, state institutions such as national unemployment services must fulfil a special role in society. In a qualitative research project...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cogitatio
2021-01-01
|
| Series: | Social Inclusion |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/3520 |
| _version_ | 1818001770855530496 |
|---|---|
| author | Elisabeth Scheibelhofer Clara Holzinger Anna-Katharina Draxl |
| author_facet | Elisabeth Scheibelhofer Clara Holzinger Anna-Katharina Draxl |
| author_sort | Elisabeth Scheibelhofer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Migration-induced diversity has led to the global emergence of multilingual life worlds in which language regimes are particularly intertwined with labour markets. Thus, state institutions such as national unemployment services must fulfil a special role in society. In a qualitative research project (2019–2021), we interviewed employees at the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS) at multiple organisational levels. The results demonstrate diverging and (apparently) contradicting approaches and strategies throughout the organisation concerning the appropriateness of using German exclusively during interactions with clients. This is illustrated along a continuum, ranging from a reflective, critical approach towards linguistic diversity that is at least partly based on ideas promoting the value of multilingualism to frequently encountered notions of the need for monolingualism. Such a framework must be understood by considering the coexistence of diverging ideas and ideologies surrounding multilingualism, as well as a neoliberal working context characterised by new public management and activation policy. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:37:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6628ea4acdf242eca14b0a6e65be73e8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2183-2803 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T03:37:41Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Cogitatio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Social Inclusion |
| spelling | doaj.art-6628ea4acdf242eca14b0a6e65be73e82022-12-22T02:14:40ZengCogitatioSocial Inclusion2183-28032021-01-0191243410.17645/si.v9i1.35201812Linguistic Diversity as a Challenge for Street-Level Bureaucrats in a Monolingually-Oriented OrganisationElisabeth Scheibelhofer0Clara Holzinger1Anna-Katharina Draxl2Department of Sociology, University of Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Sociology, University of Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Sociology, University of Vienna, AustriaMigration-induced diversity has led to the global emergence of multilingual life worlds in which language regimes are particularly intertwined with labour markets. Thus, state institutions such as national unemployment services must fulfil a special role in society. In a qualitative research project (2019–2021), we interviewed employees at the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS) at multiple organisational levels. The results demonstrate diverging and (apparently) contradicting approaches and strategies throughout the organisation concerning the appropriateness of using German exclusively during interactions with clients. This is illustrated along a continuum, ranging from a reflective, critical approach towards linguistic diversity that is at least partly based on ideas promoting the value of multilingualism to frequently encountered notions of the need for monolingualism. Such a framework must be understood by considering the coexistence of diverging ideas and ideologies surrounding multilingualism, as well as a neoliberal working context characterised by new public management and activation policy.https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/3520communicationlabour-market integrationlanguage regimeslanguage-based discriminationlinguistic diversitymigrationsocial securitystreet-level bureaucracypublic employment service |
| spellingShingle | Elisabeth Scheibelhofer Clara Holzinger Anna-Katharina Draxl Linguistic Diversity as a Challenge for Street-Level Bureaucrats in a Monolingually-Oriented Organisation Social Inclusion communication labour-market integration language regimes language-based discrimination linguistic diversity migration social security street-level bureaucracy public employment service |
| title | Linguistic Diversity as a Challenge for Street-Level Bureaucrats in a Monolingually-Oriented Organisation |
| title_full | Linguistic Diversity as a Challenge for Street-Level Bureaucrats in a Monolingually-Oriented Organisation |
| title_fullStr | Linguistic Diversity as a Challenge for Street-Level Bureaucrats in a Monolingually-Oriented Organisation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Linguistic Diversity as a Challenge for Street-Level Bureaucrats in a Monolingually-Oriented Organisation |
| title_short | Linguistic Diversity as a Challenge for Street-Level Bureaucrats in a Monolingually-Oriented Organisation |
| title_sort | linguistic diversity as a challenge for street level bureaucrats in a monolingually oriented organisation |
| topic | communication labour-market integration language regimes language-based discrimination linguistic diversity migration social security street-level bureaucracy public employment service |
| url | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/socialinclusion/article/view/3520 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT elisabethscheibelhofer linguisticdiversityasachallengeforstreetlevelbureaucratsinamonolinguallyorientedorganisation AT claraholzinger linguisticdiversityasachallengeforstreetlevelbureaucratsinamonolinguallyorientedorganisation AT annakatharinadraxl linguisticdiversityasachallengeforstreetlevelbureaucratsinamonolinguallyorientedorganisation |