Greenland’s post-colonial identity formation: a new perspective: About the effects of Greenland’s political and socioeconomic dependency on Denmark, and its consequences for Greenland’s post-colonial identity formation
Author
van Kammen, Han Sietze
Term
4. term
Publication year
2015
Submitted on
2015-07-30
Pages
85
Abstract
Meget forskning i forholdet mellem Grønland og Danmark ser det gennem postkolonialisme, som undersøger, hvordan identitet og magtforhold fra kolonitiden stadig påvirker nutiden. Denne tilgang kan dog overse, hvordan politiske og især socioøkonomiske strukturer også former identitet. Denne afhandling argumenterer for, at afhængighedsteori kan supplere postkolonialisme ved at belyse, hvordan fortsatte politiske og økonomiske bånd til Danmark påvirker dannelsen af en postkolonial grønlandsk identitet. Analysen bygger på litteratur og interviews med embedsfolk fra Grønlands repræsentation i København. Resultaterne peger på, at mindre politisk afhængighed af Danmark styrker en national grønlandsk identitet. Den fortsatte socioøkonomiske afhængighed har derimod mere blandede og ofte negative følger: På den ene side fremmer den en hybrid identitet, hvor grønlandske og danske elementer kombineres, hvilket kan give handlemuligheder i identitetspolitikken. På den anden side betyder afhængigheden—særligt af det danske bloktilskud—at grønlandsk identitetsdannelse og position fortsat præges af et underordnet forhold til Danmark. Studiet giver dermed et supplerende perspektiv på, hvordan kolonihistorien stadig sætter spor i Grønland gennem nutidige afhængigheder.
Much research on Greenland’s relationship with Denmark uses post-colonialism, which examines how identities and power shaped by colonial rule persist today. This lens, however, can overlook how political and especially socioeconomic structures also shape identity. This thesis argues that dependency theory complements post-colonial analysis by highlighting how ongoing political and economic ties to Denmark influence the formation of a post-colonial Greenlandic identity. The analysis draws on literature and interviews with officials from the Greenlandic Representative Office in Copenhagen. The study finds that reduced political dependence on Denmark strengthens a national Greenlandic identity. Ongoing socioeconomic dependence has more mixed and often adverse effects: it supports a hybrid identity that blends Greenlandic and Danish elements—creating room for agency in identity politics—yet dependence, especially on the Danish block grant, also maintains a subordinate position vis-à-vis Denmark. The study thus offers a complementary perspective on how colonial history continues to resonate in Greenland through present-day dependencies.
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