«Dát lea mo nu munnje oahpis» – kulturáddejupmi ja konteaksta girjjálašvuođa analysas
Lill Tove Fredriksen (Romssa universitehta)
Viečča artihkkala dás (pdf).
Mo sáhtán geavahit konteavstta ja iežan kulturmáhtu girjjálašvuođa guorahallamis? Dán fáttá guorahalan dán artihkkalis. Geahčadan mo sámi dutkit gieđahallet erohusaid ja distinkšuvnnaid doahpagiid máhttu ja diehtu gaskkas. Sáhttá dadjat ahte máhttu čujuha praktihkalaš máhttui ja diehtu fas eanet analyhtalaš dássái. Gieđahalan mo doaba jávohis máhttu čilgejuvvo iešguđet máhttodási hárrái ja mo jávohis máhttu čatnasa sámi kultuvrii ja praktihkalaš vásáhusaide. Čájehan de ovdamearkkaiguin mo kulturáddejupmi ja máhttu iežas kultuvrra birra leat šattolaš gáldut, jos dutki máhttá daid diđolaččat geavahit.
“This is somehow familiar to me” – Cultural understanding and context in literary analysis
I often ask myself: how can I use my cultural knowledge when working with literary texts written by Sami authors? In this article I discuss how I can incorporate cultural understanding and context, together with common literary devices into my literary analysis. This forms part of my PhD project, “Coping strategies in the trilogy Árbbolaččat (1997–2005) by the Sami novelist Jovnna-Ánde Vest”. Sometimes when reading i.e. dialogues, I get the feeling that they are somehow familiar to me. In order to figure this out, and to try to explain these feelings, I examine what Sámi academics have written regarding cultural understanding, cultural sensitivity, tacit knowledge and the distinction between máhttu and diehtu. Both words mean ‘knowledge’ in English. Máhttu refers to experiential knowledge while diehtu refers to analytical knowledge. In order to illustrate this distinction, knowing for example how to speak Sámi would constitute máhttu as opposed to diehtu, which, for example, would be knowing about the Sámi language. I also refer to different forms of hints and allusions as well as to familiarity with Sámi history and culture as different types of knowledge. When using personal experience in research, an awareness of blind spots is crucial, and as a researcher, one has to be conscious of this. My conclusion is that cultural sensitivity, cultural understanding and a conscious use of cultural knowledge are all valuable sources providing fruitful interpretation potential for researchers who choose to do their research in areas related to their own culture, in this case literary fiction.