Why did a rural dialect from the heart of Norwegian farm country win a national dialect popularity contest? What were the effects of this win, and what has happened to the winning dialect since?
A Winning Dialect tells a story of linguistic and cultural transformation in the rural district of Valdres, Norway. It shows how lifelong residents have adapted to changing social, economic, and political circumstances
particularly the shift from family farming to tourism development
and how they have used local linguistic and cultural resources to craft a viable future for themselves and
the places their ancestors have called home for centuries. Once stigmatized as poor and uneducated, the distinctive dialect of Valdres now holds a special place as a valuable part of Norwegian national heritage, as well as a marker of local belonging. Based on two decades of research and fieldwork, A Winning Dialect considers how a traditional dialect is transformed
linguistically and culturally
as it is put to new uses in the contemporary world.
By:
Thea R. Strand Imprint: University of Toronto Press Country of Publication: Canada Dimensions:
Height: 236mm,
Width: 157mm,
Spine: 13mm
Weight: 300g ISBN:9781487545956 ISBN 10: 1487545959 Series:Teaching Culture: UTP Ethnographies for the Classroom Pages: 164 Publication Date:18 July 2024 Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Primary
,
Undergraduate
Format:Hardback Publisher's Status: Active
Illustrations Tables Acknowledgments 1. Winning the Dialect Popularity Contest 2. A Tradition of Language Politics 3. Dialect as Style, Stereotype, and Resistance 4. Pro-Dialect Ideology and the Dynamics of Language Change 5. A Must-Hear Attraction in the Nature and Culture Park Appendix: Transcription Conventions References Index
Thea R. Strand is a senior lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago.
