Belonging through languages and language varieties in South Tyrol

Abstract

Language and belonging are closely intertwined, particularly in language minority contexts, as language is embedded in complex historical, political, and social conditions. Focusing on German-speaking South Tyroleans, this paper examines how young dialect speakers construct their linguistic belonging within a setting of institutionalised multilingualism and regional variation, in which language carries strong social meaning, embedded in shared narratives and beliefs about language groups. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, the analysis shows how speakers draw on dialect as marker of regional identity, shared group knowledge, and linguistic practices as resources for positioning themselves. Particular attention is paid to how these processes are negotiated in the context of mobility, where feelings of (un-)belonging can be reaffirmed, contested, challenged and renegotiated. The findings highlight the importance of considering mobility in research on minority language contexts, where identities are often understood as strongly territorially anchored, even though people and societies are continuously shaped by forms of movement, thereby revealing the tension between spatial group belonging and individual, dynamic negotiation of meaning.