Interpretations of Nordic Culture: A case study on conceptualisations of Nordic culture in today’s artistic and cultural field

Sammanfattning: The Nordic region is a geopolitical and cultural region known for its high living standard, democracy and equality, as well as for its innovative, green and sustainable lifestyle. Previous studies have primarily focused on the state and development of Nordic society and culture from a historical, economic, and political perspective, showing how different decisions and processes through history have contributed to the current state in the region. However, the focus has mainly been on general lines instead of showing individual interpretations and comprehensions of societal and cultural concepts in Nordic contexts. Framed by the Nordic Culture Fund’s development strategies and global ambitions, this thesis investigates the role of Nordic culture in the daily practices of artists and cultural practitioners who come both from and outside the Nordic region. By anchoring the case study on cultural and artistic understandings of Nordic culture, the thesis aims to analyse and discuss how the artistic and cultural field interpret and contribute to images of Nordic culture and what impact conceptualisations of Nordic culture have in cultural and societal contexts in the present. The thesis uses theories by Clifford Geertz, Stuart Hall, Kirsten Hastrup and Roy Wagner. It focuses on several analytical concepts, such as constructing culture, cultural identity and position of the cultural field. Based on a cultural analytical project, the thesis explores the breadth and variety of Nordic culture. The empirical material has been gathered with the help of ethnographic methods, such as qualitative semi-structured interviews, focus group, observations and autoethnography. The gathered information and new insights illustrate and exemplify how Nordic culture is defined and interpreted in the artistic and cultural field. The thesis shows that Nordic culture is a fluid concept that is formed and developed in cultural and artistic practices both in Nordic and global contexts. Therefore, the thesis concludes that the concept of Nordic culture should not be taken for granted but as an ever-changing concept that constantly is invented and constructed in social contexts and situations.