Between nationalism and regionalism: Higher education policy and national/regional identity in Quebec and Wallonia

This article explores the nexus between nationalism/regionalism and higher education policy at the subnational scale. Relying on a Critical Discourse Analysis, the study investigates how notions of national/regional identity are discursively embedded in the higher education policy discussions of Que...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nations and nationalism 2020-07, Vol.26 (3), p.708-726
Main Author: Moscovitz, Hannah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Comparative analysis
Critical theory
Discourse analysis
Education policy
Higher education
Identity politics
National identity
Nationalism
Political movements
Quebec nationalism
regional identity
Regionalism
subnational politics
Wallonia
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Summary:This article explores the nexus between nationalism/regionalism and higher education policy at the subnational scale. Relying on a Critical Discourse Analysis, the study investigates how notions of national/regional identity are discursively embedded in the higher education policy discussions of Quebec and Wallonia. A comparative approach based on the distinct logics of subnational politics in both cases is used. Whereas Quebec is considered a quintessential example of ‘subnationalism’, the Walloon case is defined as a political regionalist movement. The findings reveal the permeation of substate identity interests in both Quebec and Wallonia's higher education policy discussions, underscoring parallels between them despite their diverging characters. At the same time, the discourse analysis sheds light on important distinctions in the manner in which this identity discourse is articulated. By juxtaposing identity politics in ‘nationalist’ and ‘regionalist’ movements, the study aims to bridge their conceptualisation and critically reflect on the categorisation of subnational movements.
ISSN:1354-5078
1469-8129
DOI:10.1111/nana.12612