This Master thesis investigates the concept of “die dummen Schweden”, and how it is used in the Swedish press during the period 1855–1950. This is done with the aim to, through analysis of the concept, shed light on the rhetorical and contextual use of the phrase “die dummen Schweden”. There is also an aim to explore what the use of the concept reflects in terms of national identity and national self-image, and what that in turn indicates about images of the 'other'. This is done by a combined theoretical framework, containing three parts: Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe's discourse theory, dialogical concepts from Mikhail Bakhtin and an imagological part. The theoretical framework is applied through a textual analysis, where the emphasis lies on viewing the articles as dialogical in the Bakhtinian sense, and the conceptual use as part of an articulatory practice. The analysis of the conceptual use of the phrase ”die dummen Schweden” during the period highlights two overarching themes. From 1855 and onwards, the dominating view of “die dummen Schweden” is that of the expression as signifying a real and existing belief abroad, that the foreigner says and thinks about the Swedes. Primarily it is a belief projected onto Germans, but the conceptual use showcases a modularity regarding who the concept “die dummen Schweden” is ascribed to. In the early 20th-century a different discursive articulation enters the press. This consists of deconstructing the former belief, and questioning its facticity as an expression being used abroad. Rather, “die dummen Schweden” is here explained as a self-image, something constructed by Swedes for Swedes. Although the notion of ”die dummen Schweden” as something constructed and as a self-image indicates a shift in the discursive economy surrounding the concept, both ontological views co-exist throughout the time period. Through the analysis of the concept, images of Swedishness emerge, such as the notion of the Swede as naive and easily duped when in contact with foreigners. These are images that are articulated in relation to images of the 'other'. This study therefore, through the lens of the concept of “die dummen Schweden”, provides insight to how national identity during the period was being formulated in relation to images of the national self, images of others and the space in between, the projected images of what they think of us.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mau-68364 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Jönsson Leijon, Ale |
| Publisher | Malmö universitet, Institutionen för samhälle, kultur och identitet (SKI) |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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