Findes meningen i en solbærbusk? - En psykologisk undersøgelse af mening og identitet i tre danske økosamfund

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the concepts of identity and meaning in the context of danish ecovillages (EV), and to additionally understand the importance and influence of the surrounding society, both locally and nationally. Prior to this project, a literature review on ecovillages has been conducted, which revealed a sci-entific gap implying a lack of psychological research in the realm of EV as well as a lack of research on EV’s in a Danish context. In order to investigate the initially men-tioned interest, this paper has been based on a combination of participant observation and interviews, as methods for collecting data. Three different rural EV’s across Denmark were visited for a total of five days each during which four interviews were conducted. This research project is rooted in the scientific theory of critical realism, which has influenced the decisions made throughout the entirety of the process. Post data collection an analysis was performed, which revealed six different themes of specific significance. These are identity, community, nature, time, freedom and the surrounding society. The analysis of these themes was conducted based on relevant theoretical perspectives. Overall, four main theories were introduced including those by Brinkmann, Honneth, Rosa and Reckwitz. The analysis of the six themes present-ed different yet cohesive and interdependent insights into the research question. It is found that identity is a continuous process of self interpretation, which is highly sen-sitive to the practices and values present in the specific context of the EV, while this context is both influenced and formed by the surrounding society. The degree to which the residents are able to live in accordance with their values is an indicator to the level of meaning they experience in their lives, which for many people has been the main reason and catalyst for seeking out life in an EV. Issues and challenges may arise in the EV context, which the residents cope with differently. Some people find meaningful compromises, whilst others eventually decide to leave the EV as it could not live up to their expectations. This dynamic of meaning across the realms of the surrounding society and the context of EV indicates that those who choose to stay, choose this life form despite its inherent challenges as it still constitutes the most meaningful choice among the options. To understand the research question of this paper, it has become evident that all of the analyzed themes contribute with para-mount knowledge as to how processes of identity and experiences of meaning are influenced by living in an EV, and how these nuances are to some extent influenced by the surrounding society.

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A master thesis from Aalborg University

Findes meningen i en solbærbusk? - En psykologisk undersøgelse af mening og identitet i tre danske økosamfund

[Is meaning to be found in a blackcurrant bush? - A psychological investigation of meaning and identity in three danish ecovillages]