A comparative study of the re-planning of Chinese characters in China and Japan in the 21st century
Date
2011
Authors
Premaratne, Dilhara Darshana
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Abstract
This study examines on a comparative basis the new Chinese and Japanese script initiatives announced in 2009. While being the latest script policy initiatives in the script reform arena of China and Japan, these initiatives are also significant because after a silence of about twenty to twenty-five years, a dramatic change has been made simultaneously to the existing script policies in the two countries.
Keeping in line with the new trend that has emerged in the field of language planning (LP), the study focuses on the power exercised by powerful language planners in top-down LP processes, which could lead to the formulation of unjust policies, due to the unequal power relationships that exist between the planners and the recipients of the policies. Equity issues caused by such language policies are generally concealed from the public eye, particularly by the manner in which the policies are communicated to the public. As a result, policies that may negatively affect people may get implemented without much resistance from the public. Therefore, exposing equity issues in language policies is seen as a means that could help the public resist inequitable policies. As much information regarding language policies is disseminated through written texts, it is possible to expose through an analysis of policy-related documents, how various strategies are employed to make an unjust policy appear as reasonable.
The aim of this study was to investigate how the new Chinese and Japanese script initiatives were communicated to the public through official and media documents. More specifically, the study aimed to investigate whether the information provided to the public through these documents was controlled, and also, whether public perceptions were managed to legitimize the policy decisions. This was considered to be important because top-down language planners generally attempt to keep any equity issues that their policies might cause away from the public eye when producing policy-related documents. To this end, the study used the approach of qualitative document analysis.
The study found that in both the Chinese and Japanese documents, the information provided to the public was inadequate on many aspects of the initiatives, more so, in relation to the Chinese documents than the Japanese. The study also found that special strategies were used in both the Chinese and Japanese documents to legitimize policy decisions to win public consent. The study concluded that official Chinese and Japanese language planners who represent their governments, exercise substantial power over the policy formulation process, including the manner in which they inform the public about their policies. There was a strong tendency in both the Chinese and the Japanese documents to provide inadequate information, and also use special strategies to win public consent, in relation to those aspects ofthe initiatives that were likely to cause equity issues and bring about public displeasure.
Based on the findings from the study, it is quite likely that the new Chinese and Japanese script initiatives will be implemented without much public scrutiny, despite the potential they have to cause many adverse effects in the respective societies. However, the study argues that both China and Japan have the potential to change this situation given the changing socio-political environment of the two countries, particularly if public awareness can be raised by exposing equity issues in policy-related documents.
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