Branding the nation. Swiss multilingualism and the promotional capitalization on national history under late capitalism

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Publication date
2016
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01A - Journal article
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Pragmatics and Society
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Volume
7
Issue / Number
1
Pages / Duration
82-103
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John Benjamins
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Abstract
This paper discusses how Switzerland is branded by the Swiss state under late capitalism. Drawing on discursive data collected in the framework of a research project investigating the international promotion of Switzerland, I particularly focus on how multilingualism and cultural diversity are constructed by the Swiss government as a capital belonging to Switzerland and its history and on how and why this imagined historical capital is reframed in promotional terms. In doing so, I question the function of the historicity of Swiss multilingualism and cultural diversity in nation branding practices and analyze the logics causing specific tokens of multilingualism and cultural diversity to emerge as desirable promotional features. Finally, I research how the promotional investment in Swiss multilingualism and cultural diversity affects the status and value of its historical capital and how this has consequences for what can be said (or not) about Switzerland and its history.
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1878-9722
1878-9714
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
No
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Publication status
Published
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Peer review of the complete publication
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Closed
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Citation
Del Percio, A. (2016). Branding the nation. Swiss multilingualism and the promotional capitalization on national history under late capitalism. Pragmatics and Society, 7(1), 82–103. https://doi.org/10.1075/ps.7.1.04del