Language and Status: The Social Stratification of Bilingualism in the Basque Autonomous Community

This paper explores the link between bilingualism and social stratification, using Basque-Spanish bilingualism as a case study. It investigates the relationship between knowledge of Euskera, social class, and educational level. After a historical analysis of the Basque Country’s complex socio-political context, the link between language and political identity will be explained. The efforts to revitalize Euskera are highlighted, especially within the education system through Ikastolas (Basque rebel schools) and its now institutionalised tripartite linguistic model (A, B, and D). Through regression analysis and thorough desk research, the paper investigates the suggested correlation between occupational class, educational expansion, and multilingualism. As discussed in this article’s conclusion, the propagation of Euskera through education might be shifting the context from one of "folk" bilingualism towards "elite" bilingualism.