Perceived Institutional Support among Young Indigenous and Mestizo Students from Chiapas (México): A Group Vitality Approach

Ethnolinguistic Vitality Theory (EVT) asserts that status, demographic and institutional support (IS) factors make up the vitality of ethnolinguistic groups within intergroup relations. Specifically, IS factor refers to the extent to which a language group enjoys representation in the various institutions of a society, in particular, mass media, education, government services, industry, religion, culture and politics. However, some scholars suggest that EVT underestimates the strength of ethnic institutions. This article addresses the perceived IS among indigenous and mestizo students and perceived community support among indigenous students in Chiapas. The results show significant differences between indigenous perceived IS and community support. Based on this finding, we suggest that studies of ethnolinguistic vitality can be enriched by the use of new scales to measure ethnic groups' own institutions involved in fostering their native languages and traditions in contexts where the mainstream institutions do not give any formal or informal support.