Detta vill jag berätta : Materiell kultur och identitet hos ogifta Svenska kvinnliga amerikaemigranter verksamma inom sjukvården

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study was to create a deeper understanding of the identity and self-image of female Swedish emigrants of the 1880s-1920s with the help of preserved personal objects by answering the following questions with a microhistory approach: What significance did material objects have for the identity formulation of female Swedish emigrants in healthcare in America? And, What do the material objects tell us about the identity, self-image and experience of these unmarried female Swedish-American emigrants? To answer the questions material sources have been examined with the use of Wilhelm Dilthey's hermeneutic method of interpretation. A method where historical understanding is viewed as essential for our ability to interpret historical meaning. And with the use of material culture theory, grounded in the theoretical concepts of objectification, consumption and performativity resulted in the following conclusions: The material objects had meaning in the identity formulation in such a way that they helped the women in this study to create and interpret their identities in relation to their material surroundings, the ideals of the time, their professional status and professional role. With clothes, personal items and documents, they created their identities according to the ideals of the time in relation to their professional status and professional role. The material objects have a lot to tell about the identities, self-images and experiences of the female Swedish American emigrants and about how they created a sense of belonging and a place for themselves in their new life. Through the material objects they use to portray their identity, they demonstrate their disposable income and legitimize and confirm their social, personal and professional success and status. Above all, the source material tells about the importance of their professional identity in shaping their identity and self-image, something that is reinforced in their expression over the years. Based on how they stage and create the image of themselves as successful, independent and with high professional status, we can also understand that this was a large part of their self-image.