THE revival in Welsh identity and the rise in the number of Welsh- speakers may be down to a reaction against globalisation, a leading academic will claim today.

Manuel Castells, a professor of Sociology at the University of California and a former UN adviser, says trends in Wales are similar to those in his native Catalonia, which has also seen a resurgence in a separate national identity.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Analysis, to be broadcast tonight, “All identities are culturally constructed, people decide to assign themselves these identities, but it doesn’t mean these are arbitrary identities. People work with the material of history.

“You use these attempts to build on your language as a sign of creating autonomy, of reacting against globalisation. That is actually very similar to some of the things happening in Catalonia or the Basque country.”

The programme delves into some controversial areas, and carries interviews with – anonymous – senior civil servants who complain of a pro-Welsh speaking bias in the public sector. One talks of a “fear of debate” around language politics, and a “fear of what the consequences of airing views would be, particularly at senior level”.