Engagement in Sámi language revitalization

In the context of the endangered situation and revitalization of Sámi in a Northern Norwegian local community, this study discusses various aspects of responsibility that are construed and involved in the encounter of a local informant and the researcher in a research interview. The informant uses s...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pragmatics and Society
Main Author: Hiss, Florian
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: John Benjamins Publishing Company 2015
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1075/ps.6.1.02his
http://www.jbe-platform.com/deliver/fulltext/ps.6.1.02his.pdf
Description
Summary:In the context of the endangered situation and revitalization of Sámi in a Northern Norwegian local community, this study discusses various aspects of responsibility that are construed and involved in the encounter of a local informant and the researcher in a research interview. The informant uses storytelling as an artful and elaborate means to position himself, to assess his own and other community members’ responsibility for their endangered heritage language, and to involve the researcher in his account. The analysis shows how storytelling operationalizes different social role relations, and how the informant uses the meaning potential of the interview situation as a resource to communicate his view on who are accountable and who should acknowledge their respective responsibilities for Sámi language use and revitalization.