Catalan that doesn't hurt the eyes: Linguistic display and linguistic regimentation in Barcelona

The re-institutionalization of Catalan following the passage of the 1979 Catalan Statute of Autonomy has put the language on display in the public sphere. Because Catalan acts as an iconic and indexical sign of a Catalan nation, representations of Catalan are fraught, and linguistic regimentation is prevalent. This dissertation examines sites for the display and regimentation of Catalan. My work reveals, on the one hand, an increasing definition of Catalan as a public language and, on the other hand, the notion that the language has not attained full public status. According to this language ideology, Catalan is a monologic language that operates exclusively as a codified, normative standard and not as a language composed of multiple registers capable of indexing all social positions. Catalan's purported lack of registers is part of a language ideology that compares Catalan unfavorably to hegemonic national languages. According to this view, Catalan is not "normal" because it has failed to become the taken-for-granted language associated with a discrete political territory.;The emphasis on linguistic normativity is revealed in public representations of Catalan and Catalan speakers. It indexes the successful re-incorporation of Catalan into formal institutions like schools and government---a major feat for a minoritized language. At the same time, this re-institutionalization has had unintended consequences. My analysis suggests that an emphasis on linguistic normativity is divesting some colloquial native Catalan speakers of authority over the language. It also reveals that Catalan is viewed as incompatible with sexuality and popular culture. These trends could disfavor the use of Catalan in the future, an ironic and potentially destructive side effect of language policy that has successfully returned the language to formal institutions.;This research contributes to theoretical work on language in the public sphere. It illuminates the relationship between linguistic display, linguistic regimentation and linguistic authority. It also suggests that while the legitimation of political authority may be one role of linguistic circulation in the public sphere, it is not the only one. Institutional support for Catalan must also be taken as a straightforward attempt to encourage use of the language. Finally, this dissertation illuminates the ideologization of linguistic repertoires more generally, which makes public languages rankable according to their purported wealth or dearth of distinct registers.