Questions of Ethics and Multilingualism in Internationalising University Life in Sweden

Description

This talk will raise questions of ethics and multilingualism that relate to language policy and planning in Swedish university life. In an era of increasing global mobility and intercultural encounters, are those who constitute and construct policy in our universities responding ‘ethically’ to the changing needs and desires of fellow staff and students? With a focus on the discursive practices of various university actors, including researchers, teachers, and administrators, the talk will analyse research participants’ representations and interactions in what I call ‘ethical events’. Such events, inspired by philosopher Emmanuel Levinas, are defined as interactions involving that which is not known, normative, or ordinarily visible, but for which all involved are called upon to take responsibility.
The talk will present two distinct but inter-related studies that focus on the social and linguistic dynamics of university life in Sweden. Study 1 examines the representations and practices of research and teaching staff in relation to what is identified as a dual monolingual language policy that prevails in Sweden. Study 2 uses a Derridean notion of hospitality to show the critical significance of the interactional approach taken by administrators in an internationalising department. The results of the studies highlight the challenges and potential for ethical becoming and improved sociality in an internationalizing university.
The main contribution of this research is to shed light on the complexities of internationalising university life in Sweden, and the ways in which various actors are attempting to navigate these challenges. The talk will provide new insights into the critical role that ‘ethical events’ play in shaping the sociolinguistic landscape of universities, and the ways in which they might be further responded to in order to work towards improved sociality and more truly international academic practice.

Period	14 Jun 2023
Held at	Örebro University, Sweden
Degree of Recognition	National