Abstract
aspect of Icelandic identity. Paraphrasing Hastrup, it could be argued that Icelandic culture
is a culture of the past. The collapse in Iceland in 2008 problematised this valorisation
of history. In this paper we draw on Carrithers’ ideas of cultural rhetoric to analyse how
Icelanders made sense of the collapse particularly in relation to their understanding of
their own history. Following Johnson, we look at the play of agency, intention and responsibility
evident in the accounts offered for the collapse. Through that we seek to highlight
how these accounts, even when highly critical of Icelandic political and cultural practices,
tend to allow for and even encourage the on-going identification with the nation-form.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 15-32 |
| Number of pages | 17 |
| Journal | Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
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Keywords
- cultural rhetoric
- memory
- collapse
- culture of history
- Iceland
Cite this
The uses and abuses of the past : cultural rhetoric and the unmaking of a moral universe. / Arnason, Arnar.
In: Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica, Vol. 15, No. 2, 2014, p. 15-32.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The uses and abuses of the past
T2 - cultural rhetoric and the unmaking of a moral universe
AU - Arnason, Arnar
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - It is well established ethnographically that history is a particularly important and celebratedaspect of Icelandic identity. Paraphrasing Hastrup, it could be argued that Icelandic cultureis a culture of the past. The collapse in Iceland in 2008 problematised this valorisationof history. In this paper we draw on Carrithers’ ideas of cultural rhetoric to analyse howIcelanders made sense of the collapse particularly in relation to their understanding oftheir own history. Following Johnson, we look at the play of agency, intention and responsibilityevident in the accounts offered for the collapse. Through that we seek to highlighthow these accounts, even when highly critical of Icelandic political and cultural practices,tend to allow for and even encourage the on-going identification with the nation-form.
AB - It is well established ethnographically that history is a particularly important and celebratedaspect of Icelandic identity. Paraphrasing Hastrup, it could be argued that Icelandic cultureis a culture of the past. The collapse in Iceland in 2008 problematised this valorisationof history. In this paper we draw on Carrithers’ ideas of cultural rhetoric to analyse howIcelanders made sense of the collapse particularly in relation to their understanding oftheir own history. Following Johnson, we look at the play of agency, intention and responsibilityevident in the accounts offered for the collapse. Through that we seek to highlighthow these accounts, even when highly critical of Icelandic political and cultural practices,tend to allow for and even encourage the on-going identification with the nation-form.
KW - cultural rhetoric
KW - memory
KW - collapse
KW - culture of history
KW - Iceland
U2 - 10.5604/20842937.1131971
DO - 10.5604/20842937.1131971
M3 - Article
VL - 15
SP - 15
EP - 32
JO - Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica
JF - Miscellanea Anthropologica et Sociologica
IS - 2
ER -