Language policies of a Calon gypsy community in Sergipe: Protagonism and the deconstruction of stereotypes

• Autor(a) principal: Felix do Nascimento, Josefa
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Outros Autores: Gorski Severo, Cristine
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Letras de Hoje (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revistaseletronicas.pucrs.br/ojs/index.php/fale/article/view/43500
• topic: language policies; language rights; gypsy languages; customs; Calón gypsy community; políticas lingüísticas; derechos lingüísticos; lengua gitana; costumbres; gitanos; políticas linguísticas; direitos linguísticos; língua cigana; costumes; ciganos

In this text, we present and analyze the language policies of a Calón gypsy community established in the municipality of Itabaianinha-SE. For doing so, we rely on Spolsky’s (2004, 2016) and Bonacina-Pugh’s (2012) theoretical works concerning the notions of declared language policies, perceived language policies, and practiced language policies; in the framework of invented tradition (HOBSBAWM; RANGER, 2008); and in the notion of stigma (GOFFMAN; 1988). Our analysis focuses on the following elements: the meaning of gypsy language and the relationship between language, identity, and invented tradition; the role of stigma and secrecy as evaluative dimensions; the practices of language transmission and the teaching of the language; and the role played by rites in the configuration of language practices. We also consider the national legislation and legal-political initiatives, as well as the community’s beliefs/values and customs regarding their language practices, especially the role played by the secret language as a regulator of the practiced language policies. The research includes a bibliographic survey and field research carried out in 2020-2021, with interviews, observation, and journal entries, focusing on the role of engaged research in the construction of knowledge about the language policies of the community. We argue that language policies should consider the perspective of the community’s experience – and its customs – as guiding elements to define what counts as language and its revitalization, thus contributing to the deconstruction of stereotypes involving gypsy communities and their languages in Brazil. We registered the importance of public policies and the mobilization of the local community for the processes of deconstructing prejudices and stereotypes.