1869.08 - Danish Langauge and Culture in Iceland in a Historic and Contemporary Perspektive

1869.08

Danish Langauge and Culture in Iceland in a Historic and Contemporary Perspektive

5

The aim is to introduce students to the relations between Denmark and Iceland from historical and contemporary perspectives.

For centuries the Danish language and culture had a central status in Iceland, and Danish remains a mandatory foreign language in both primary and secondary school. For the Icelandic population, Danish used to be a gateway to communicating with Danes in both Iceland and Denmark; it also played an important role in access to higher education in Denmark. Knowing Danish afforded a certain social prestige, there was therefore great motivation to learn Danish in broad circles. In many ways the contact with Denmark, not least among Icelandic students in Copenhagen, was a portal to new cultural and political currents. During the struggle for independence and its aftermath, there was a great shift in attitude and function as regards Danish language and culture and many regarded the Danish language, particularly spoken Danish, as a great threat to Icelandic. Over time the number of Danes living permanently in Iceland decreased. During and after the Second World War, English gained a prominent role in society. Nevertheless, many Icelanders feel that they have close ties to Denmark and the rest of the Nordic region. The course will focus on historical developments and how they have affected attitudes to Danish language and culture.

The shifting attitudes will be illustrated in lectures and feed into the discussion about their importance, on the one hand, for the relationship with Danish and the use and symbolism of Danish, and, on the other hand, their importance for the mother tongue. The course will conclude with discussions about the current situation of the Danish language and how this resonates with the situation in the Faroes.

Set take-home assignment.

Malan Marnersdóttir