A short review by D. Petrovic
The concept of a pluralistic “South-Slavic” language, as I prefer to designate it, is not of recent origin. However, in the aftermath of the dissolution of Yugoslavia, the post-Yugoslavian political discourse within each newly formed nation has strived to impose linguistic purism as the prevailing norm. Regrettably, this approach has resulted in extensive social harm across various facets, particularly in terms of addressing and comprehending the challenges and catharsis within a post-war society. Linguistic purism has historically been employed as a tool by discriminatory political movements, including Fascism, Nazism, and clerical-fascism, which pervert the original principles of classical French nationalism where all individuals, irrespective of cultural, religious, or ethnic differences, are regarded as the foundation of a modern nation-state. This distorted form of nationalism has been aptly characterized by Hannah Arendt as “völkischer Nationalismus” (ethnic nationalism).
Linguistic purism assumes a significant role within certain ideologies for two primary reasons. Firstly, it reinforces discriminatory values and perpetuates ethnic divisions, notably through the establishment of an “us versus them” mentality. Secondly, it serves as a catalyst for ethnic-nationalist movements by depicting linguistic variations as justifications for elevating certain dialects to the status of distinct languages.
In spite of the consensus among linguists worldwide and within the field of linguistics at large regarding the classification of post-Yugoslavian dialects as a unified pluricentric language, it is disheartening to observe that many political figures in post-Yugoslavian nations continue to perpetuate discriminatory agendas. These individuals exert pressure on their scientific communities to disregard established scientific knowledge and perpetuate a culture of scientific illiteracy. Consequently, esteemed scientists often face rejection and ridicule from politicians, public figures, the general populace, and even their own national scientific communities.
Post-Yugoslav ‘Common Language’ Declaration Challenges Nationalism
Scientifically Literate Junction 