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Population Censuses as Reflections of Language Policies in Former Yugoslav Countries

Language policies of former Yugoslav countries represent an extremely interesting subject of sociolinguistic research. The fruitfulness of such analyses can primarily be accounted for by a specific socio-historical background in the sense that the countries once formed part of a more complex political entity. In such a context, the dominant language ideology of the time reflected a broader tendency towards ethnic and political unification. However, after the break-up of Yugoslavia, independent states developed the so-called „divergent language policies“ (Greenberg 2001), followed by changes in their respective language ideologies. In this paper focus will be placed on language policies of the following former Yugoslav countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia. Population censuses have become a frequent site for the investigation of different language policies. After gaining independence, the countries conducted their population censuses and had the opportunity to design census questions in order to obtain valuable data on languages used on their territories. The aim of this paper is to analyze those parts of census questionnaires in which respondents are asked to provide answers to specific language question(s). The analysis focuses not only on specific structure (wording) of language questions, but also takes into account other relevant aspects of conducting population censuses, by means of which it is possible to draw conclusions concerning specific language policies (such as provision of an open answer box for languages other than official ones, or provision of a rationale for asking language questions). In the analysis of the data reference will also be made to the United Nations' (2006 ; 2008) suggestions on how to devise the language-related part of censuses. The findings provide an insight into the ideological background of devising language- related census questions and, consequently, disclose covert elements of examined language policies.

population census; former Yugoslav countries; language policy

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