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Can Bilingualism be Dynamically Stable?

Author

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  • Bengt-Arne Wickstrom

    (Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, wick@wiwi.hu-berlin.de)

Abstract

A model is developed in which parents choose the language or languages in which their children are brought up. Their choice of language community into which children are socialized depends both on the practical value of the language as a means of communication and on the emotional attachment of the parents to the language as a carrier of cultural identity. In the model, two languages are considered, and children can be brought up as monoglots or bilinguals, that is be socialized into both linguistic communities. The dynamic structure of the model is investigated and dynamically stable equilibria are characterized. It is shown that the behavior of bilingual parents is the crucial factor in determining the survival chances of bilingualism in society. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C72, J10, J15, Z10.

Suggested Citation

  • Bengt-Arne Wickstrom, 2005. "Can Bilingualism be Dynamically Stable?," Rationality and Society, , vol. 17(1), pages 81-115, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ratsoc:v:17:y:2005:i:1:p:81-115
    DOI: 10.1177/1043463105051776
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Christian Dustmann & Arthur van Soest, 2001. "Language Fluency And Earnings: Estimation With Misclassified Language Indicators," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 83(4), pages 663-674, November.
    2. Jeffrey Church & Ian King, 1993. "Bilingualism and Network Externalities," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 26(2), pages 337-345, May.
    3. S. J. Drinkwater & N. C. O'Leary, 1997. "Unemployment in Wales: Does Language Matter?," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(6), pages 583-591.
    4. Goyal, Sanjeev & Janssen, Maarten C. W., 1997. "Non-Exclusive Conventions and Social Coordination," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 34-57, November.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Bengt-Arne Wickström, 2011. "Welfare-optimal Status Planning of Minority Languages: An Economic Approach," CESifo Working Paper Series 3427, CESifo.
    2. Michael Boissonneault & Paul Vogt, 2021. "A systematic and interdisciplinary review of mathematical models of language competition," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 8(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Clingingsmith, David, 2017. "Are the World's Languages Consolidating? The Dynamics and Distribution of Language Populations," SocArXiv et37r, Center for Open Science.
    4. David Clingingsmith, 2014. "Industrialization and Bilingualism in India," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 49(1), pages 73-109.
    5. Bernat Mallén Alberdi, 2023. ""The Effect of Competition on Language Diversity in the Movie-Theatre Industry"," IREA Working Papers 202305, University of Barcelona, Research Institute of Applied Economics, revised May 2023.
    6. Bernat Mallén, 2023. "“The Effect of Competition on Language Diversity in the Movie-Theatre Industry”," AQR Working Papers 202302, University of Barcelona, Regional Quantitative Analysis Group, revised May 2023.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    bilingualism; cultural identity; language shift; population dynamics and equilibrium;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • J15 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Minorities, Races, Indigenous Peoples, and Immigrants; Non-labor Discrimination
    • Z10 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - General

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