Discourse and Inuit Identity
Author
Svendsen, Nichlas Appelby
Term
4. term
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-05-31
Pages
70
Abstract
This thesis examines how leading Canadian Inuit organizations shape Inuit identity in relation to plans for socio-economic development in Inuit territories. Drawing on Critical Discourse Analysis and Fairclough’s three levels (text, discursive practice, and social practice), it integrates concepts from Anna De Fina on discourse and identity, George Lakoff’s framing, and nationalism theories by Gellner, Anderson, Smith, and Thomsen. The empirical basis is organizational texts and communicative events from Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, and the Inuit Circumpolar Council. The analysis focuses on representations of history and tradition, the articulation of socio-economic inequalities relative to the rest of Canada, and claims for self-determination and autonomy. The thesis finds that Inuit discourses work to distance Inuit identity from a Canadian national identity and challenge the dominant national narrative, while pragmatically viewing remaining within the Canadian state as the most rational path to development. The organizations call for enhanced self-determination and autonomy rather than full sovereignty, aligning with neo-nationalism and portraying Inuit as an ethnie; their discursive practices thus actively contribute to shaping Inuit identity within the politics of development.
Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan ledende canadiske inuitorganisationer bidrager til at forme inuitisk identitet i relation til planer for socioøkonomisk udvikling i inuitterritorier. Med afsæt i Critical Discourse Analysis og Faircloughs tre niveauer (tekst, diskursiv praksis og social praksis) kombineres begreber fra Anna De Fina om diskurs og identitet, George Lakoffs framing samt nationalismeteori af Gellner, Anderson, Smith og Thomsen. Det empiriske grundlag er organisationstekster og kommunikative begivenheder fra Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Qikiqtani Inuit Association og Inuit Circumpolar Council. Analysen fokuserer på, hvordan historie og tradition fremstilles, hvordan socioøkonomiske uligheder i forhold til resten af Canada italesættes, og hvordan krav om selvbestemmelse og autonomi formuleres. Specialet konkluderer, at de inuitiske diskurser søger at distancere inuitisk identitet fra en canadisk national identitet og udfordre den dominerende nationale fortælling, samtidig med at de pragmatisk ser forbliven i den canadiske stat som den mest rationelle vej til udvikling. Organisationerne efterspørger udvidet selvbestemmelse og autonomi frem for fuld suverænitet, i tråd med neo-nationalisme, og fremstiller inuit som en etnisk fællesskabsgruppe; den diskursive praksis bidrager dermed aktivt til at forme inuitisk identitet i udviklingspolitikernes kontekst.
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Keywords
Discourse ; Inuit ; Identity ; Nationalism ; Nation ; Ethnic community ; Ethnie ; Neo-nationalism ; Classic nationalism ; Stateless nations ; Nations without states ; Autonomy ; Independence ; Socio-economic development ; Arctic ; Arctic Framework Policy ; Imagined community ; High culture ; Low culture ; Framing ; Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)