Full Description
This open access book analyses the relationship between language proficiency and political participation from abroad among Italians living in Australia, focusing specifically on second- and third-generation Italians. It evaluates how confident second- and third-generation Italians in Australia are in understanding and participating in Italian political debates from abroad. The book also assesses how effective Italy's language policies are in providing Italians in Australia with the language skills necessary to understand and participate in those debates and be informed voters. Furthermore, it advances more general policy proposals to improve language proficiency and political participation among transnational communities abroad. By providing a solid empirical analysis based on mixed methods combining survey data and semi-structured in-depth interviews, informed by a rigorous theoretical framework, this book is a great resource for students and academics working on migration studies,transnational politics, and linguistic justice as well as for policymakers and other key stakeholders concerned with the promotion of homeland languages among citizens living abroad.
Contents
Chapter 1. Introduction: Voting rights, Language Competence and Political Participation.- Chapter 2. Diaspora Institutions, External voting, and Language.- Chapter 3. Emigration and Citizenship: Second- and Third-Generation Italians in Australia.- Chapter 4. Linguistic Justice and Non-Resident Citizens.- Chapter 5. Identity and Voting among Second- and Third-Generation Italo-Australians.- Chapter 6.Language and Political Participation: Key Stakeholders' and Italo-Australians' Perspectives.- Chapter 7. Engagement Barriers and Policy Recommendations.- Chapter 8. Conclusion.
