AZERBAIJAN’S NATION-BUILDING PROCESS: ROLE OF LANGUAGE POLICY

Authors : Mehmet Çağatay Güler

Pages : 43-70

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Publication Date : 2022-04-05

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The article examines Azerbaijan’s nation-building process by specifically focusing on language policy and how it shapes the nationbuilding during the post-Soviet era. It aims to clarify the role and the importance of the language policy in Azerbaijan’s nation-building process. To this end, the nation-building process is scrutinized as a whole and there is a special focus on the extent of the influence of the language policies. This article reveals what does language policy stands for the Azerbaijani nation. In this context, after the Introduction, brief historical background information on the Soviet Union’s language policies is given. In this part, the alterations experienced under the rule of different leaders as well as the reasons and impacts of these changes over the nation-building process, are explained. This is followed by Azerbaijan’s nation-building process after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In this chapter, first, language policies adopted by Azerbaijan’s government and then the other aspects of the nation-building process are investigated comprehensively. The article concludes that the language policy is an indispensable part of Azerbaijan’s nation-building process and it stands as a key factor while building the Azerbaijani nation
Keywords : Azerbaycan, dil politikası, ulus inşası, Sovyetler Birliği