Conceptualising family as a politicised multi-scalar space: family language policymaking in Iran’s Kurdistan province

The renewed interest in Family Language Policymaking (FLP) studies seeks to explore and revisit the notion of family through alternative lenses and contribute to our understanding of complexities associated with FLP decision-making processes of family members. In this paper we argue that family space is situated at the intersection of competing discourses wherein divergent and rival interests and preferences of different stakeholders collide. Following Davies [2009. “Professional Advice vs. Political Imperatives.” In The Politics of Language Education, edited by J. C. Alderson, 45–63. Bristol: Multilingual Matters], that language is inherently political, we further maintain that the home space becomes politicised as language decision-making processes of family members intersect and clash with those of other stakeholders. We employed thematic analysis to extract major recurring themes from ethnographic data collected from seven Kurdish families in Iran. Findings suggested that politicisation occurs at four sociolinguistic levels/scales. Kurdish parents make language decisions within a complex web of competing norms and interests. These decisions are shaped through ongoing negotiations with different stakeholders across local, national, transnational, and international levels. Drawing upon our findings, we argue that one way to move beyond Fishmanian understanding of home/family is to consider it as a multi-scalar political unit in which family members are inevitably implicated in high-stakes dynamics of power and interest struggles.