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Economics and the Gaelic Arts -From Enemy to Ally?

A’sireadh na firinn- Searching for the truth

Douglas ChalmersCultural Business Group

Glasgow Caledonian University

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Recognised link between Jobs, people and language:

“Without jobs, no people, without people no language”

But big problem of ‘jobs at all costs’ approach:

‘Little attention was devoted to the potentially deleterious effect of industrialisation on the use of Gaelic. It is now becoming increasingly apparent that the economic development of these communities does not necessarily overcome linguistic decline, and in certain circumstances may even be responsible for its acceleration’(O’Cinneide, Keane and Cawley - referring to the Irish experience)

Issue 1: Acknowledge a problem exists!

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“Any language policy that provides money, but avoids sincere commitment to boosting the image of the language is therefore likely to fail”Francois Grin, 1990

Issue 2: Don’t just ‘throw money at the problem’

The Challenge:Is there an economic approach which can help rather than hinder?

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Scotland the patient vs Gaelic the patient

• The MacPherson report– “Despite some significant successes, beneath a façade

of well-being introduced by palliative measures, Gaelic is a critically ill patient on life support….the prognosis is bleak”

– “initiatives have tended to be uncoordinated and haphazard, driven without guidance of theory or the control of planning. Resources have been allocated unevenly, with some fields receiving disproportionate funding and others being severely neglected”

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Mapping out some issues

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Scotland - wha’s like us?

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Highlands - High Road or low road?

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Economics - the ‘dismal science’?

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Making a business out of Gaelic?

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You want it, we can get it….

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Making a perceptible impact?……

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Tell us what you want….

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Step we gaily…..

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Impacting on actions………

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Why stop there…….

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Perceptions of the ‘bottom line’

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Unfinished business?…