OBITUARY

Samandrag:

Artikkelen gir eit oversyn over dei ulike språklege resultata av språkkontakt i Nord‐Noreg. I fleire hundre år har det rådd ein fleirspråkleg situasjon i dette området. Her kunne ein høyre og observere ikkje berre eitt eller to språk i bruk, men mange: Norsk, samisk, finsk, russisk, svensk, dansk, engelsk, tysk og fransk. Denne artikkelen tar først og fremst for seg norsk, samisk og finsk. Dei ulike språklege resultata som er oppstått av dette fleirspråklege miljøet, kan oppsummerast slik: 1. Ulike slag primitive augneblink‐språk med stutt levetid og utan verknad på andre språk i området. 2. Eit langvarig russisk‐norsk pidginspråk, russenorsk, som blei brukt i om lag 150 år i pomorhandelen mellom nordmenn og russarar. 3. Adstratum‐element frå norsk i samisk og i finske dialektar i Nord‐Noreg, og frå samisk i finsk. 4. ?Samenorsk? med mange klare samiske sub‐stratelement. 5. Språkdød, som spesielt rammar finsk i Nord‐Noreg, med mange døme på analogikonstruksjonar og reduksjon i form‐verket. 6. Reduksjon og utjamningar i det morfologiske systemet i norske dialektar i området som eit resultat av språkbytte (frå finsk og samisk til norsk). ‐ Desse ulike lingvistiske resultata gjer Nord‐Noreg til eit svært interessant område i den faglege drøftinga om språkkontakttypologi.     

Oral/Past Culture and Modern Technical Means in the Literature of the Twentieth Century in Greenland

Abstract

The present article takes as its starting point a short story from 2001 and relates it to the development of the Greenlandic literature in the twentieth century. The Greenlandic literature evolved around 1900 and mirrors the socio-political trends and the stages of nation building through the twentieth century. The overall tendencies of the century start with a striving towards more knowledge of and competence in European culture (including technical know-how) before 1950. Then a feeling of overwhelming impact from Danish culture followed during the Danification policy of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s and this resulted in a protest movement in the 1960s and 1970s and Home Rule from 1979. However, if we read the literature in details and supplement it with the contemporary newspapers a much more diverse picture of an appropriation process (i.e. a conscious adaptation of selective parts of the impact from outside) emerges. The present article focuses on how these sources give us glimpses of an ongoing debate already in the first half of the twentieth century i.e. in colonial times: the Greenlandic population was not just passively under colonial domination. The history of the twentieth century is the history about a fairly well functioning appropriation of technical means and cultural impact from outside up till 1950, and then – after three decades of heavy modernization and Danification –-a process from 1979 on towards more and more agency in a “ glocalized” Greenland.     

Die bewertung des ungeborenen lebens im alten israel und im alten orient

Abstract

First, how does Haggai “construct” the temple, i.e. what view does he hold of it, its function and its significance? The answer here is that, whatever the Second Temple actually was, Haggai does not construct it as a place of sacrifice, a house of prayer, a location of the presence of God, a pivot of the economic system of Judah, a focus of ethnic identity, etc., but as a treasury. It must be rebuilt because it is a shame (not “glory") for Yahweh not to have a “house” in which treasures of silver and gold belonging to him can be stored and exhibited (2,7–9). And this temple must be rebuilt quickly because of the imminent political‐military upheaval ("shaking") of the earth that will result in booty in large quantities arriving in Jerusalem.

Second, is there anything in the text of the book that undermines this “construction” of the temple? Yes, there is an underlying conflict in the text (amounting to a deconstruction) over the issue of honour Yahweh is dishonoured by the ruined state of the temple, but it is not the rebuilding of the temple that will bring him honour. Further, the designation of the Judaeans and the “work of their hands” as “unclean” (2,14) deconstructs the text's placing responsibility for the rebuilding in their hands. Further still, the sudden narrowing of focus to Zerubbabel in the closing verses of the book (2,20–23), and the unprepared designation of him as an eschatological king, deconstructs the prophecy's professed concern with the temple.

Third, can these deconstructionists be deployed in the service of a reconstruction? Here I use the axiom that texts exist in order to repress social conflicts. Yes, we can first reconstitute the social reality implied by the text: from the deconstruction over the issue of honour we can reconstruct the conflict between enthusiasts for temple rebuilding and resisters. From the deconstruction over cleanness and uncleanness we can reconstruct the conflict between the leadership and the proletariat. From the deconstruction regarding Zerubbabel we can reconstruct the political conflict over the governorship.

And yes, we can secondly “construct” the social reality created by the reading of the text today. Here we can see how the reading of the text by biblical scholars functions as a repression of conflicts of interest and ideology among different groups of readers, and how the deconstructability of the text can serve to bring such conflict to consciousness.     

The role of charity in public relief, 1708–1871: Copenhagen as case

This article explores when and why charity vanished from public relief in Copenhagen and thereby differentiates itself from the traditional research field on welfare that focuses on studying the growth of taxation and social spending in the 19th century. This article reveals that charity was not solely a transfer of financial resources, but that charitable donations also entailed a cultural symbolism, which implied that charity was meant to support the local worthy poor. When the function of public relief underwent a transformation, especially at the beginning of the 19th century, the cultural symbolism of charity became incompatible with public relief. After the 1830s, the inhabitants of Copenhagen ceased to donate to public relief and instead donated charity to private philanthropy, which usually targeted the worthy poor for its help.     

Restructuring the automobile industry in Sweden: the emergence of a reflective production system

The two automobile producers operate in Sweden. Volvo is well known for its radical development of new production systems and work organization. In this paper, reasons behind the efforts to create more humanized work within Volvo are presented in a historic perspective, the point of departure being problems related to assembly line technology. After a successful introduction of new ideas, including ‘cutting off the assembly line in the Kalmar plant, Volvo took a radical step in the Uddevalla assembly plant. A completely new production system, the Reflective Production System, was developed. The process in which the reflective production system was developed is examined and the performance of the plant in Uddevalla is evaluated. Some potentials of the reflective production system for local production units are briefly discussed.     

From the Parish to the Publich Realm

The parish church held a central place in local communities in the 18th century, both physically and symbolically; however, the institutions and practices governing the churches differed significantly between the Scandinavian countries. This article traces the development of local church government in Norway from its position under 18th-century absolutism to its inclusion into the new system of local self-government, established in 1837. It is compared to the very different institutions of self-government in Sweden in the same period. Although there were many lines of continuity within local government across the political dividing line marked by the Norwegian constitution of 1814, both local church offices and the parish community underwent conceptual changes related to the new constitutional system. Local church government therefore provides an example of how the notion of the population in general changed from absolutism to constitutional rule; from commoners in contradistinction to the state to communities constituting the very foundation of the state.