Re-thinking language conflict: Challenges and options

This paper looks at language conflict through a multilingual and super-diverse lens. The objective is to re-think some of the theoretical assumptions of conflict research and to suggest new lines of thought. In a first step, conflict research is described against the background of some common assumptions. It is then argued that the common understanding behind the notion of language and community is being increasingly challenged. In doing so, the focus is on questioning the separatedness and boundedness of these notions.Furthermore, it is claimed that the concept of "hybridity" does not present a simple solution to the dilemma. The new lines of thought address issues of research as well as language policy and seek to combine postmodern notions such as translingual practice with conflict research.