Overturning Dominant Cultures
Dominant cultures are defined either as the majority
culture, or that imposed by a powerful minority such as in South Africa during
the apartheid.
The most successful instrument of domination has been the use
of language. The Romans used Latin, the Muslim Empire, Arabic. French was
imposed in much of Africa, Spanish and Portugese in South America. By far, the
most widespread language used is English.
England, an area of a little over 130,000 square kilometers
on an island, had a population of about 5 million in 1700 when modern English
emerged, growing to about 15 million at the height of colonial power.
Remarkably, today English is the most widely spoken language in the world, making
some term the phenomenon Angloimperialism.
There are roughly 7000 languages worldwide. It is estimated
that the world loses a language every two weeks. The Malian historian and novelist Amadou
Hampâté Bâ said that in Africa, when an elder dies, a library burns.
A language is not a neutral instrument of communication. It
conveys values, a world view, both about the world around us, as well how we view the
past. The chronicles of the Crusades by
the Syrian Usama ibn Munqidh, and those by the Frenchman, Geoffrey of
Villehardouin, present very different accounts.
Books carrying the title World Art or World History commonly
focus on developments in the Mediterranean and Europe, with small token
chapters on China, African and India. The
most powerful news agencies are in English, as is most of the entertainment
industry from pop music to cinema, creating stereotypes that suit the west.
Colonization spread the use of English as a second language
across the world. USA. Australia, New Zealand and parts of Canada, became
English speaking nations. However, it was not till after World War II that USA,
the only western power with its economy intact, started controlling international
commerce, science and technology, elevating English as the major international
language. Countries all over the world rushed to establish English language teaching
programs. As
journalist Jacob Mikanowski writes “No language in history has dominated the
world quite like English does today. Is there any point in resisting?”
The poet Akbar Allahabadi known for inserting English words in
his poems wrote in the early 2oth Century:
Chhor literature ko
apni history ko bhul ja
shaiḳh-o-masjid se ta’alluq
tark kar school ja
(Forget about studying literature or even history
Break all your relations with Shaikh and mosque, go to
school)
The aim of teaching the world to speak English was not
simply jingoism, but the pragmatic need for a common, unified language with
agreed meaning, to facilitate global trade, political diplomacy and to access
scientific and academic research. The first generation of native anglophiles strived
to be more English than the English, enthusiastically adopting their lifestyle
and values. Intelligentsia of the next generation were able to use their
command of English as a tool to critique colonialism and express nationalism,
as discussed in the seminal 1989 book ‘The Empire Writes Back’.
Over time, the colonial association with English has faded
away to make it simply a convenient international language. Bilingualism has
interrupted the impact of English on societal values. Bilingual people find
themselves using English for business or science, but find their native
language better suited to express emotions and religious beliefs. Translations
of native literature into English has introduced other values into English. Jamaican Patois and Ebonics spoken by black
Americans, have been recognized as distinct languages. Urlish, a mixture of Urdu and English has
become the norm in most Pakistani circles. The use of slang undermines the dominance
of the language of power. In the Art world, Biennales move the dialogue away
from euro centricity.
Ironically, as Jacob Mikanowski says “To speak only English,
in spite of its vast vocabulary and countless varieties, is still to dwell in a
rather small pool.”
Durriya Kazi
February 14, 2021
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