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Structural and magnetic properties of V2O3-based magnetic heterostructures
No full textVanadium sesquioxide, typified by its first-order metal-insulator transi- tion, structural phase transition, and magnetic changes, transition from a high-temperature rhombohedral metallic and paramagnetic state to a low- temperature insulating monoclinic antiferromagnet. The three transitions occur simultaneously, presenting a complex, intertwined phenomenon. In- vestigating the phase coexistence region in V2O3 is crucial, as its transition is intrinsically inhomogeneous, offering a unique scenario where two phases exist simultaneously within a narrow temperature range. This characteris- tic, coupled with the ability to manipulate it through various parameters, not only underscores V2O3’s distinctiveness but also amplifies its appeal from an applications standpoint, signaling a rich avenue for further research into this material’s potential. The complex nature of V2O3, characterized by simultaneous transitions, offers a unique opportunity to explore the properties of bilayers and observe how overlying layers are affected by the transitions through the interface. For instance, it allows for the creation of a system with a ferromagnet/paramagnet interface at room temper- ature and a ferromagnet/antiferromagnet interface at low temperatures. Particularly at low temperatures, interfacing a ferromagnetic layer with V2O3 introduces the potential for an exchange bias effect, which arises from the ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic interface interaction. Exchange bias systems are extensively researched for their capacity to increase ferromag- netic coercivity and stabilize magnetization from thermal fluctuations, thus providing a method to manipulate magnetic properties. V2O3 demonstrates that alterations in crystal structure due to structural phase transitions can be leveraged to influence magnetic characteristics, thereby introducing an extra dimension of control via its magnetic transition phenomena.
This thesis delves into the study of phase transitions in V2O3 and their inherent characteristics, as well as the subsequent impact on the magnetic properties of overlying magnetic layers. Specifically, we investigate the coercivity response to the phase transitions in V2O3 and emergence of exchange bias within a bilayer system incorporating a nickel (Ni) or a permalloy (Py) layer. The first part of the project was dedicated to optimizing the V2O3 layer on various substrates, including silicon and sapphire with different crystallographic orientations, aiming to achieve the highest crystallinity and effective epitaxy of V2O3. This optimization was crucial for observing the most pronounced metal-insulator transition and structural phase transition. To maintain a focused and concise discussion, these optimization details are not included in this thesis; however, they are documented and presented in the publications referenced herein that are not discussed in this thesis (Paper V and Paper VI). The second part of the project was devoted to investigating the coupling effects between phase transitions in V2O3 and magnetism of the Ni layer. Following the first part, a decision was made to grow a magnetic heterostructure on a sapphire substrate, specifically on two distinct crystallographic directions. This resulted in differing crystallographic and microstructural properties of V2O3, which in turn impacted the magnetic layer in various ways, as detailed in Paper I and Paper III. Concurrently, a different study focused on a magnetic layer composed of Py (Ni80Fe20), presented in Paper II. However, studying magnetic Py films on V2O3 presented challenges—discussed later in this thesis—and thus far, no significant magnetic response or effect of the SPT has been observed in the Py films. The bilayer structure, composed of Ni and V2O3, grown on sapphire r-plane, exhibited the most sensitive response to the phase transition, manifested in enhanced coercivity and tunable exchange bias. Consequently, a comprehensive study of the structural phase transition of V2O3 grown on r-plane sapphire was conducted, the findings of which are detailed in Paper III. Subsequently, the research emphasis shifted to a more detailed analysis of exchange bias, which is discussed in Paper IV, thus highlighting another facet of this thesis with equal foundational and practical significance.Vanadínoxíð (V2O3) er hálfmálsoxíð sem fer í gegnum fasabreytingu þar
sem kristalgerð þess, seguleiginleikar og rafeiginleikar breytast með hitastigi.
Við stofuhita hefur það tígulflötungskristalgerð, er málmleiðandi og hefur
meðseglandi seguleiginleika en ef það er kælt niður fyrir 150 K breytist það
í einangrara með einhalla kristalgerð og andjárnseglandi segulgerð. Allar
þessar þrjár fasabreytingar gerast samtímis og rannsóknir á þeim veita því
innsýn í flókið samspil þeirra, sérstaklega þegar bæði háhita og lághita
fasarnir eru til staðar samtímis. Með því að tvinna saman vanadíumoxíð
við önnur efni í lagskiptum efnum má rannsaka hvernig fasabreytingarnar
hafa áhrif á eiginleika nærliggjandi efna yfir samskeyti þeirra. Þannig
má til dæmis byggja samskeyti efna sem eru járnseglandi/meðseglandi
við stofuhita en járnseglandi/andjárnseglandi við lág hitastig. Sérstaklega
er áhugavert að skoða slík samskeyti við lág hitastig því andjárnseglandi
ástand vanadínoxíðs getur valdið skiptavíxlverkun á samskeytunum sem
veldur hliðrun í seguleiginleikum. Vanadíumoxíð í lagskiptum efnum sýna
því vel hvernig breytingar í kristalgerð nýtast til að hafa áhrif segulgerð og
jafngilda því nýrri aðferð til að stjórna seguleiginleikum efna. Í þessari rannsókn er fasabreyting vanadínoxíðs skoðuð og áhrif hennar á seguleiginleika
nærliggjandi efna.
Í fyrri hluta verkefnisins var unnið að ræktun vanadínoxíð kristalla á
ólík undirlög með það að markmiði að hámarka kristalgæði efnisins en
kristalgerð vanadínoxíðs ræður miklu um eiginleika fasabreytingarinnar í
efninu. Ritgerðin sjálf fjallar ekki sérstaklega um þennan hluta verkefnisins
en vísindagreinar sem tengjast þessum rannsóknarhluta verkefnisins er
hafðar með til hliðsjónar (greinar V og VI).
Í seinni hluta verkefnisins var unnið að rannsóknum á hvernig fasabreytingar í vanadínoxíðihafa áhrif á seguleiginleika segulefna í tvílögum (greinar
I, II, III og IV). Unnið var með vanadínoxíð húðir ræktaðar á safír undirlög
og skoðað hvernig kristalgerð, fasabreytingar og kristalbygging vanadínoxíðs
hefur áhrif á breytingar á eiginleikum segulhúða. Tvílög af vanadínoxíði og
Ni segulhúðum sýndu sterkustu áhrif fasabreytingarinnar á seguleiginleikana
sérstaklega hvað varðar segulheldnisvið og skiptavíxlverkun
Áhrif skilyrtrar stökkbreytingar í Mitf geni músar á þroskun og starfsemi litfruma
No full textEstablishment of melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells, starts from the multipotent
neural crest cells. Melanoblasts, the melanocyte precursor cells, follow a tight schedule
during their development requiring proliferation, migration, and invasion of the
epidermis before they form the pigment producing melanocytes. In the mouse, most
melanocytes localize to the hair bulb where they deliver melanin to the hair, which
gives mice their coat color. As melanocyte development is complex, this process
involves many regulatory proteins and transcription factors. Microphthalmia-associated
Transcription Factor (Mitf) is required for proliferation, survival and migration during
the formation of melanocytes, and has therefore been suggested as the key regulator of
their development. The role of Mitf has been largely studied in melanoma cells, but little
is known about its role in the generation of the melanocytes. In mice, mutations in Mitf
lead in most cases to the absence of melanocytes, making it difficult to observe
melanoblasts during the development in vivo. We have generated an inducible
mutation in MITF in the mouse by changing lysine in position 243 into an arginine. We
induced this mutation in melanocytes resulting in mice with alternating areas of black,
grey and white areas. This means that despite the MitfK243R mutation, some melanocytes
have grown, migrated and differentiated, while others did not (hypomorphic
phenotype), displaying heterogeneity for the fate of melanocytes during development
upon the MitfK243R mutation. We found that in these mice, fewer melanoblasts develop
and they are not able to invade the epidermis to reach the hair follicle. We generated
melanocyte primary cell lines from the mice and used those to perform in vitro studies.
The results revealed that upon activation of the MitfK243R mutation, the cells exhibited
reduced proliferation and survival. RNAseq analysis revealed genes that are
differentially regulated by MITF upon induction of the MitfK243R mutation that might
explain how this conditional mutation dysregulates the development of melanocytes.Litfrumur eru meðal frumugerða sem eiga uppruna sinn í taugakambi snemma í
þroskun hryggdýra. Forverafrumur litfruma, sem nefnast melanoblast-frumur, myndast í
taugakambi en fjölga sér áður en þær ferðast til að þekja allt yfirborð húðarinnar.
Þessar frumur fara inn í þekju húðarinnar áður en hinar eiginlegu litfrumur verða til og
hefja myndun litarefnis. Í músum enda flestar litfrumur í hársekknum þar sem þær flytja
litarefni í hárið. Þetta flókna ferli kallar á ýmis stjórnprótein og umritunarþætti. Einn
mikilvægasti umritunarþátturinn í litfrumum er MITF eða Microphthalmia-associated
Transcription Factor en hann er nauðsynlegur fyrir frumufjölgun, lifun og frumufar í
myndun litfruma. Hlutverk Mitf hefur einkum verið rannsakað í sortuæxlisfrumum en þótt
þær eigi uppruna sinn í litfrumum hafa frumurnar breyst við æxlismyndunina og því
ekki ljóst að hið sama eigi við í litfrumunum eða forverum þeirra. Stökkbreytingar í Mitf
geni músa leiða oftast til þess að litfrumurnar og forvera þeirra vantar alveg og því
hefur reynst erfitt að skilgreina in vivo hlutverk gensins í hinum ýmsu skrefum
litfrumuþroskunar.
Hér lýsum við skilyrtri stökkbreytingu í Mitf geni músar þar sem táknanum fyrir
amínósýru 243 er breytt úr lýsin í arginín. Þegar þessi breyting var kölluð fram í
litfrumum urðu einungis til mýs með mislit svæði þar sem skiptust á svört, grá og hvít
svæði. Þrátt fyrir MitfK243R stökkbreytinguna hafa einhverjar starfhæfar litfrumur orðið til
(svört svæði), einhverjar eru vanstarfhæfar (grá svæði) og enn aðrar eru óstarfhæfar
eða vantar alveg (hvít svæði). Með því að rekja litfrumurnar í þroskun sýndum við að
mun færri litfrumur verða til og íferð þeirra inn í þekjuna gerist sjaldnar. Frumulínur
voru útbúnar úr litfrumum músanna og notaðar til að skoða áhrif stökkbreytingarinnar in
vitro. Niðurstöðurnar sýna að þegar MitfK243R stökkbreytingin er virkjuð í frumulínunum
fækkar frumuskiptingum og lifun frumanna minnkar. Raðgreining RNA sameinda sýndi
að stökkbreytingin hefur sértæk áhrif á tjáningu markgena og að þau áhrif útskýra að
hluta áhrif stökkbreytingarinnar á þroskun litfruma
Protection of Children against Sexual Violence: Legal Development, Judgments and Societal Perspectives
No full textLooking Beyond the Lab: Risk Factors, Survival, and Comorbidity among Individuals with Multiple Myeloma and Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance
No full textAbstract
Introduction and aims: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a haematological malignancy
caused by abnormal plasma cell proliferation in the bone marrow. All MM cases are
preceded by a precursor condition, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined
significance (MGUS), which does not require any treatment. Risk factors for MGUS are
sex, age, pesticide exposure, and ethnicity, and studies have indicated an increased
risk of MGUS in individuals with autoimmune disorders. MGUS has been associated
with worse survival compared to the general population. Survival of MM has increased
recently, mainly due to advances in treatment. However, MM patients typically suffer
from comorbidities, which may influence survival. Parental longevity generally increases
survival, but studies regarding longevity in specific diagnoses have yielded conflicting
results. The impact of parental longevity on MGUS and MM remains unclear. Using
population-based data, the first part (study I) investigated if parental longevity affected
survival among MGUS and MM patients. The second part (study II) aimed to study the
prevalence and impact of comorbidities on the survival of MM patients using the same
data as in study I. The third part (study III) investigated if autoimmune diseases were
associated with a diagnosis of MGUS in a screened population.
Methods: In study I, we analysed parental longevity and survival in individuals with
MGUS, MM, and their respective controls in Sweden, 1988-2013. All individuals
diagnosed with MM in the Swedish Cancer Registry and those with MGUS in a
nationwide MGUS cohort were included with four population-based controls. All
individuals had a registered parent in the Swedish Multigenerational Registry. The Cox
proportional hazard model evaluated the effect of parental longevity on survival, with
longevity defined as exceeding 90 years of age. In study II, we investigated
comorbidity and survival. All individuals registered with MM in the Swedish Cancer
Registry 1990-2013 were included. Cause and date of death were identified from the
Cause of Death Registry, and information on comorbidities was retrieved from the
Swedish Patient Registry. A Cox model was used to analyse survival in relation to
comorbidities. Study III was a cross-sectional study within the Iceland Screens Treats or
Prevents Multiple Myeloma study, iStopMM, where 75,422 individuals over 40 years
were screened for MGUS. Information on autoimmune disorders was gathered from the
Icelandic Patient Registry. Poisson regression was used to calculate prevalence ratios
(PRs) of MGUS in individuals with or without an autoimmune disease.
Results: In study I, 6,812 individuals with MGUS and 19,110 controls, as well as 4,675
MM patients with 13,398 controls, were included. Parental longevity was associated
with a decreased risk of death in MM and MGUS (hazard ratio (HR) 0.92; 95%
vi
confidence interval (CI): 0.84-0.99 and HR 0·87; 95%CI: 0.78-0.96, respectively). In
study II, 13,656 patients with MM were analysed, with 54% having at least one
comorbidity at diagnosis. Comorbidity increased the risk of death compared to
previously healthy MM patients (HR 1.19; 95% CI: 1.14-1.25). The survival decreased
with the increasing number of comorbid conditions at diagnosis, with HR 1.38 (95% CI:
1.30-1.47) for 2 comorbidities and HR 1.72 (95% CI: 1.62-1.83) for three or more
comorbidities. The Charlson Comorbidity Index, CCI, had low c-statistic and area under
the curve (AUC) or poor survival prediction in relation to comorbidities. In study III,
75,422 individuals were screened for MGUS, where 10,818 participants had an
autoimmune disorder, of whom 599 had MGUS, with 61 a prior clinical diagnosis of
MGUS. Autoimmune disorder was not associated with MGUS (PR 1.05; 95%CI: 0.97-
1.15). However, autoimmune diseases were associated with a prior clinical diagnosis of
MGUS (PR 2.11; 95% CI: 1.64-2.70).
Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that host characteristics influence survival in
patients with MM and MGUS. We found that a longer parental lifespan reduced the risk
of death in both groups. This suggests that parental longevity, influenced by genetic
and environmental factors, can have a survival advantage even in a malignant condition
such as MM. In study II, we found that comorbidities are common in MM, with an
increased risk of mortality with an increasing number of comorbidities. This
underscores the vulnerability of MM patients at diagnosis and highlights the necessity of
considering comorbidities when selecting treatment to avoid under- or over-treatment,
which can negatively impact survival. In study III, we did not observe a correlation
between autoimmune diseases and MGUS in a screened population. However, a clear
association was found between a prior clinical diagnosis of MGUS and autoimmune
disorders. This finding indicates that previous studies, not based on screened
populations, were subject to ascertainment bias. Therefore, we do not recommend
screening for MGUS in patients with an autoimmune disorder.Mergæxli er illkynja blóðsjúkdómur sem orsakast af
stjórnlausri fjölgun einstofna plasmafrumna í beinmerg. Forveri mergæxlis er góðkynja
einstofna mótefnahækkun (monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance,
MGUS) sem er einkennalaust ástand og þarfnast ekki meðferðar. Orsakir MGUS eru
óþekktar en nokkrir áhættuþættir eru til staðar, s.s. aldur, kyn, skordýraeitur, eða
kynþáttur. Fyrri rannsóknir hafa gefið til kynna aukna áhættu í tengslum við
sjálfsofnæmissjúkdóma. Einstaklingar með MGUS lifa skemur en almennt þýði en lifun
einstaklinga með mergæxli hefur batnað umtalsvert síðastliðin ár, þökk sé bættri
meðferð. Sjúklingar með mergæxli eru hins vegar eldri og þjást af fylgisjúkdómum sem
gætu haft áhrif á lifun. Langlífir foreldrar auka lífslíkur afkomenda. Rannsóknir sem
skoða ákveðna sjúkdóma hafa á hinn bóginn ekki gefið einhlíta niðurstöðu og áhrif
langlífra foreldra á lifun einstaklinga með mergæxli og MGUS eru óljós. Verkefninu var
skipt í þrjá hluta. Markmið fyrsta hluta þess var að skoða hvort langlífi foreldra hefði
áhrif á lifun einstaklinga með mergæxli og MGUS í lýðgrunduðu sænsku þýði. Í öðrum
hluta verkefnisins voru áhrif fylgisjúkdóma á lifun skoðuð hjá einstaklingum með
mergæxli og sömu gögn og í fyrsta hluta notuð. Í lokahluta verkefnisins voru tengsl
sjálfsofnæmissjúkdóma og MGUS rannsökuð og notuð gögn úr skimunarrannsókninni,
Blóðskimun til bjargar.Landspitali University Hospital Research Fund
Nordic Cancer Union
Icelandic Centre of Researc
Diversity in the internal functional feeding elements of sympatric morphs of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus)
Full text linkThe diversity of functional feeding anatomy is particularly impressive in fishes and correlates with various interspecific ecological specializations. Intraspecific polymorphism can manifest in divergent feeding morphology and ecology, often along a benthic–pelagic axis. Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) is a freshwater salmonid known for morphological variation and sympatric polymorphism and in Lake Þingvallavatn, Iceland, four morphs of charr coexist that differ in preferred prey, behaviour, habitat use, and external feeding morphology. We studied variation in six upper and lower jaw bones in adults of these four morphs using geometric morphometrics and univariate statistics. We tested for allometric differences in bone size and shape among morphs, morph effects on bone size and shape, and divergence along the benthic-pelagic axis. We also examined the degree of integration between bone pairs. We found differences in bone size between pelagic and benthic morphs for two bones (dentary and premaxilla). There was clear bone shape divergence along a benthic–pelagic axis in four bones (dentary, articular-angular, premaxilla and maxilla), as well as allometric shape differences between morphs in the dentary. Notably for the dentary, morph explained more shape variation than bone size. Comparatively, benthic morphs possess a compact and taller dentary, with shorter dentary palate, consistent with visible (but less prominent) differences in external morphology. As these morphs emerged in the last 10,000 years, these results indicate rapid functional evolution of specific feeding structures in arctic charr. This sets the stage for studies of the genetics and development of rapid and parallel craniofacial evolution.Institute of Biology at the University of IcelandPeer Reviewe
Toward a first drug therapy for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa.
No full textThe goal of this project was to contribute to the pharmaceutical development of CN03, the lead candidate for drug treatment of retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and other inherited retinal degenerations (IRDs). RP is an inherited neurodegeneration of the retina with with currently no treatments available on the market. In recent years, a molecular mechanism for the degeneration pathway of IRDs such as RP was found to be triggered by overactivation of protein kinase G (PKG) by cGMP, as a result of an unnatural build-up of intracellular cGMP. CN03, a phosphorothioate analogue of cGMP (cGMPS) with an RP configuration at phosphorus, was subsequently found to inhibit PKG and lead to preservation of photoreceptors.
The first task undertaken was to develop a chemical process for manufacture of this active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) at larger scales. A synthetic strategy was designed which makes use of H-phosphonate chemistry to construct the required 3′,5′-cyclic RP-phosphorothioate. The internal cyclization and sulfurization of the nucleoside 5′-H-phosphonate monoester to afford the 3′,5′-cyclic phosphorothioate could be steered to obtain the desired RP-diastereomer with 90% selectivity over the thermodynamically favored SP-phosphorothioate. To enable this chemistry, a strategy for protection of the 2′-OH nucleoside hydroxyl was needed. The silylation procedure was developed using triisopropylsilyl chloride, and achieved an impressive 80% selectivity for the 2′-OH over the 3′-OH. CN03 and intermediates were isolated by crystallization. Intermediate 5 was the only compound which could not be crystallized, but the crude could be telescoped to the following step. This allowed for a departure from chromatographic operations and enabled further scale-up. After optimization work, the process was scaled up to 14 liter scale (640 grams of the starting 8-bromoguanosine), which afforded ~125 g of the target CN03 in >99.9% purity. Access to larger amouts of the drug compound and a scalable process for future manufacture enabled further pharmaceutical development.
Next, solid forms of CN03 with low aqueous solubility were investigated. This was sought in order to extend the half-life of the drug compound in the eye, which is critical to aid in reducing the frequency of intravitreal injections – the most likely route of administration. Eight salt forms of CN03 as well as its free acid form (CN03-H) were synthesized. A total of 21 crystal modifications were identified with XRPD, some of which were characterized further with NMR. Thermal analyses of all salt forms showed no melting points despite their crystalline character, as they instead underwent thermal decomposition. Their hygroscopicity was studied with dynamic vapor sorption, where each API form exhibited unique sorption properties. The salts of calcium, benethamine, and benzathine (CN03-Ca, -Bnet, and -BZ respectively) achieved sub-milligram solubilities in water, with respective values of 300, 50, and 10 µg/mL. CN03-BZ was identified as the most promising CN03 solid form based on the lowest solubility as well as lowest hygroscopicity. A single crystal X-ray diffraction (SXRD) measurement was also made which led to the first solved crystal structure for a cGMPS analogue in the literature. Determination of the absolute configuration confirmed the RP-chirality of CN03, which had previously been indirectly inferred. SXRD also served to reveal the stabilizing interactions in the crystal lattice.
Finally, three closely related analogues of CN03 were prepared and their effect on in vitro models of RP was studied. The phosphate analogue and the SP-phosphorothioate diastereomer (oxo-CN03 and SP-CN03) were expected to promote photoreceptor cell degeneration, while the activity of the corresponding phosphorodithioate (dithio-CN03) was unknown. All compounds could be readily prepared using the same synthetic process as for CN03 with only minor adaptations to one step, which marked the first synthesis of 3′,5′-cyclic phosphorodithioate nucleosides using H-phosphonothioates reported in the literature. In vitro studies found that SP-CN03 was not toxic to photoreceptors, but instead preserved photoreceptors to a similar level as CN03 itself, alleviating concerns of its presence as an impurity in the drug product. Oxo-CN03 was not significantly more toxic than CN03 or SP-CN03, and as expected provided no neuroprotection. The most promising compound was the novel dithio-CN0, which was identified as the least toxic and provided significantly more protection to photoreceptors than current drug candidate CN03. The aqueous solubility of dithio-CN03 was also measured to explore its viability as a drug candidate for intravitreal applications. The solubility of dithio-CN03 as a triethylammonium salt was measured at 1.8 mM, compared to 13.7 mM for the same salt of CN03, which further establishes dithio-CN03 as a potentially more effective drug compound as part of sustained-release formulations for treatment of RP via intravitreal injections.CA-ITN-2017−765441 (transMed)
EJP RD COFUND-EJP N° 825575, grant #101 (TreatRP
Public participation in marine spatial planning in Iceland
Full text linkAs the global climate is changing dramatically, Northern communities are facing a multitude of challenges including changing weather patterns, sea level rise and invasive species. To cope with the recent climatic changes - many of which present great uncertainties to livelihoods - strategies should be developed to plan and adapt for the future. Iceland has recently launched marine spatial planning (MSP) endeavours, and two of the first planning processes have been conducted. MSP presents opportunities for authorities, stakeholders, and the public to come together to forge a sustainable path ahead for marine areas that are under increasing pressure from human activities. MSP aims at ecosystem-based management of ocean resources that brings different stakeholders and the public together to discuss their conflicts of interest and forge a sustainable path forward. Public participation is a crucial element of MSP to make it democratically legitimate and sustainable in the long-term. However, MSP comes with its own considerable challenges as it attempts to engage stakeholders and the general public in decisions about an ‘invisible’ space largely beneath the surface of the sea. MSP was formally introduced by law in Iceland in 2018 and two projects were initiated in the Westfjords and Eastfjords in 2019, with one further planned in Skjálfandi Bay. This dissertation explores MSP in Iceland in three research articles. In paper I, the uncertainties of the environmental changes in the Westfjords are explored in conjunction with the multitude of societal challenges to coastal and marine planning in Iceland. Data from the planning documents as well as from semi-structured interviews and a workshop conducted in the Westfjords are analysed and discussed to establish how environmental changes and the societal context set the scene for Icelandic MSP.
To assess the scope and depth of public participation in the Icelandic MSP process, paper II presents data that was collected through participant observation, unstructured and semi- structured interviews (n=80) and document analysis in the three case studies. The results show that a limited group of people including institutional actors and formal stakeholders had been engaged in the information gathering stages of the process, but in the later phases of discussion and decision-making, local community members were notably absent. This lack of public participation highlights the need for more in-depth communication about the MSP process and marine issues in the adjacent communities as well as an urgent need for inclusion of the public into marine decision-making and MSP.
Whereas marine spatial planning is new to Iceland, coastal zone planning (CZP) is well established in Norway. Paper III investigates how participation in coastal and marine planning
viii
processes compare between Iceland and Norway, and what lessons can be shared between them. Data was collected in two case studies in the Tromsø region in Norway and the Westfjords of Iceland through analysis of planning documentation, literature review and semi-structured interviews. The results show that public participation is formally integral to both processes, but in practice varies considerably. Both planning processes are driven by the expansion of the aquaculture industry and a variety of issues faced during the planning process are similar. However, divergent frameworks of the planning processes result in major differences between the implementations and their implications for local communities. In Norway, public participation is politically desired and guided by a participation strategy, emphasising synergies between expert and local knowledge. In the Tromsø region, meaningful public participation varied across the involved municipalities and issues regarding indigenous participation remain. In Iceland, there is little evident political expectation of public engagement, and the process is characterised by a passive approach to participation that aims to inform the public but does not include wider sharing of decision-making power
Möguleikar útimenntunar á Íslandi: Hvernig náttúran stuðlar að staðartengdri reynslu, ígrundun og vináttu
No full textThe study reported here is essentially in two parts. The principal part is five published papers, framed by a kappa that shows how they connect within the context of Outdoor Education.
The research aims to explore different aspects of outdoor activities in Iceland and highlight some key factors that contribute to its educational value (thus making it Outdoor Education) and simultaneously place it in the context of children's outdoor life. I argue that nature itself takes precedence, but social interaction, personal experiences, place, and reflection are all key components that ensure that the outdoor activities become significant as Outdoor Education, which thus undoubtedly belongs in the realm of good education. The doctoral project as a whole sheds light on a range of Outdoor Education activities that can be found as vital components in leisure and schools, but notably also in tourism.
The overarching concern of this study is to connect and answer three fundamental questions. The study starts from the question of what characterises the discourse about and within Outdoor Education in Iceland, in order to set the stage for an in-depth probing of the field, seen both in the Icelandic and international context. This led to two principal questions, which in turn gave rise to the specific research questions in the five research papers that underpin my study. The second question defines the principal focus of the study and thus the foci of three papers: How does Outdoor Experiential Education in Iceland value and explore issues of place, reflection and friendship in the context of nature? This emphasises that nature is a principal characteristic of the outdoor settings being studied and identifies the three principal dimensions emerging from the studies. The third question brings attention to the children themselves, by asking: How are the outdoor and travel behaviours of children impacted by social and health factors? Thus, the three questions ask and lead to exploration how some of these fundamental values of Outdoor Education relate to the lives of Icelandic children. By doing this the study contributes to the field of Outdoor Education and education more generally by examining the affordances of Outdoor Education in relation to children's outdoor life and their experience of nature. Importantly, it raises questions about the position of Outdoor Education in schools, leisure, and tourism and identifies a need to strengthen its status so that people, especially children, can better enjoy the affordances of Outdoor Experiential Education in nature.
The study is principally comprised of papers published in five academic publications. Paper I, opens the research project by providing theoretical discussion of “sense of place” and associated challenges. Paper II delves further into the discussion about the contextual and practical foundation of pedagogy of place and the understanding of sense of place. Paper III provides an opportunity to place nature and its unpredictability in an educational context and to examines how reflective practice can be used to learn from it. Paper IV analyses the amount of time children spent outside, emphasizing the importance and benefits of outdoor activities, as well as exploring the influential social and economic factors that affect children's outdoor behaviour. Paper V sheds light on young people’s participation in tourism with respect to socioeconomic factors and addresses these factors in the context of domestic travel behaviour, social tourism, and education. The research examines experience in the environs of Reykjavik with the sea and shores as context, and also further away in the mountains and highlands. These different outdoor educational experiences offer different affordances that are valuable in different ways.
The main findings of the research are that the affordances of Outdoor Education relies on three main factors: (1) the discourse about and within Outdoor Education in Iceland; (2) how Outdoor Education activities are facilitated, which includes the companionship (the social environment); the methods applied, such as experiential and reflective approaches (the educational environment), as well as the places and spaces of the educational activities (the natural or physical environment); and (3) the stance taken towards appreciating values or significance of spending time outdoors and participating in outdoor activities and education, especially for children. When these factors are recognized and acknowledge, the affordances of Outdoor Education are significant, and its role in modern education holds high relevance.
A significant concluding chapter presents advice concerning both policy and practice that is inspired by my research work, reflects my pragmatic stance, and is perhaps the motivation for this research journey.Ágrip
Rannsóknin miðar að því að kanna ólíka þætti útivistar á Íslandi og draga fram þá lykilþætti sem gera hana að útimenntun og setja þá í samhengi við útiveru barna. Færð eru rök fyrir því að sú umgjörð sem náttúran skapar og samneyti við hana sé í forgrunni, en vinátta og félagsleg tengsl, upplifun og reynsla, staður og ígrundun geri útivist að mikilvægri útimenntun sem eigi heima í litrófi góðrar almennrar menntunar. Doktorsverkefnið í heild varpar ljósi á breitt svið útimenntunar, t.d. í frístundastarfi, ferðaþjónustu og skólum. Þrjár spurningum eru lagðar fram sem fjalla um hvað einkennir orðræðu um útimenntun á Íslandi, hvernig möguleika felur reynslumiðuð útimenntun í náttúrunni á Íslandi í sér til að virkja staði, ígrundun og vináttu og hvernig útivera og ferðahegðun barna er undir áhrifum frá félagslegum og heilsufarslegum þáttum. Gildi rannsóknarinnar fyrir útimenntun og menntun almennt er að kanna þá möguleika sem felast í útimenntun í samhengi við útivist barna og upplifun af náttúru. Mikilvægið felst í því að vekja máls á stöðu útimenntunar í skólum, frístundastarfi og ferðaþjónustu og gildi þess að styrkja stöðu hennar svo að fólk, sérstaklega börn, geti notið möguleika reynslubundinnar útimenntunar í náttúrunni.
Fjallað er um rannsóknina í fimm fræðigreinum. Grein 1 opnar rannsóknarverkefnið með fræðilegri umfjöllun um staðarkennd og tengdar áskoranir. Í grein 2 er kafað nánar í umræðuna um hagnýtan grunn og samhengi kennslufræði staðar og skilning á staðarkennd. Í 3. grein gefst tækifæri til að setja náttúruna og ófyrirsjáanleika hennar í menntunarlegt samhengi og skoða hvernig hægt er að nota ígrundaða starfshætti til að læra af reynslunni. Grein 4 fjallar um hve miklum tíma börn verja úti, gildi þess og hvaða félags- og efnahagslegu þættir hafa áhrif á útivist og útivera barna. Grein 5 þjónar sem brú frá menntun til ferðamála með því að varpa ljósi á þátttöku unglinga í ferðamennsku m.t.t. félagslegra og efnahagslegra þátta og til að ræða í samhengi við ferðahegðun innanlands, félagslega ferðamennsku og menntun. Í rannsókninni er skoðuð upplifun nærri þéttbýli með sjó og strendur sem umhverfi, og einnig fjær með fjöll og hálendi sem umhverfi. Þessar ólíku upplifanir bjóða upp á mismunandi menntunarlega virknikosti.
Meginniðurstöður rannsóknarinnar eru að möguleikar eða virknikostir útimenntunar byggja á þremur meginþáttum: (1) orðræðunni um útimenntun og innan hennar (tengist m.a. því orðfæri sem fagfólk skilur og hefur yfir að ráða), (2) hvernig skapaður er farvegur fyrir útimenntun, sem nær til fólks (félagslegt umhverfi), og aðferðanna sem er beitt á borð við upplifunar- og ígrundandi aðferðir (menntunarlegt umhverfi), sem og þeirra staða og svæða sem er vettvangur starfsins (náttúrulegt eða manngert umhverfi), og (3) afstöðu til gildi þess, sérstaklega fyrir börn, að verja tíma utandyra og taka þátt í útivist. Þegar við áttum okkar á og viðurkennum þessa áhrifaþætti útimenntunar eru möguleikar hennar ríkulegir og hlutverk hennar í nútímamenntun stórt.
Lagðar eru fram í lokakafla tillögur um stefnu og mögulegar aðgerðir sem eru grundaðar á rannsókninni og reynslu höfundar. Þær endurspegla það sjónarmið, sem var hvatinn að baki rannsókninni, að hafa áhrif á fagvettvang útimenntunar með það að leiðarljósi að skapa fleiri og ríkulegri tækifæri fyrir börn að vera úti.
Lykilorð:
Náttúra – Staður – Tómstundir – Upplifun – Útimenntu
Postwar Mnemonic Anti-fascism: The Nordic Committees against the Greek Junta, 1967-1974
No full textEftir valdaránið í Grikklandi árið 1967 settist herstjórn við stjórnvölinn sem varð alræmd fyrir að beita stjórnarandstæðinga pyntingum á sjö ára valdatíma sínum. Valdaránið var harðlega gagnrýnt víða í Vestur-Evrópu og vakti upp sögulegar minningar um hægri einræðisstjórnir og stjórnarhætti fasista. Slík viðbrögð voru sérstaklega áberandi í Skandinavíu þar sem skipulagðar pólitískar aðgerðir til að koma aftur á lýðræði í Grikklandi náðu lengst. Þessi ritgerð fjallar um starf þverþjóðlegrar norrænnar félagshreyfingar sem barðist gegn herforingjastjórninni í Grikklandi. Greind er sú pólitíska barátta sem hún háði og fjallað um þær aðgerðir sem hún stóð fyrir. Megináherslan er lögð á andfasíska þætti í starfsemi hreyfingarinnar, sem hafði mun víðtækari áhrif en ráða má af fyrri rannsóknum á pólitískri andstöðu gegn herforingjastjórninni.
Á öllum Norðurlöndunum voru stofnaðar nefndir til að berjast fyrir endurheimt lýðræðis í Grikklandi og töldu þær að hér væri um að ræða framhald á sögulegri baráttu gegn fasisma. Með því að taka slíka afstöðu gengu norrænir stjórnmálamenn og aðgerðasinnar stundum gegn ráðandi hugmyndafræði kalda stríðsins sem birtist í hugmyndabaráttu tveggja heimsvelda, Bandaríkjanna og Sovétríkjanna. Jafnaðarmenn fóru með tögl og haldir í nefndunum í Noregi, Svíþjóð og Danmörku, þótt þær spönnuðu vítt pólitískt svið. Sýnt verður að þeir höfðu bein pólitísk áhrif á utanríkisstefnu þessara ríkja í Grikklandsmálinu, ekki síst með því að beita sér fyrir einangrun herforingjastjórnarinnar í alþjóðastofnunum. Þessi pólitíski þrýstingur skilaði þeim árangri að herforingjastjórnin ákvað að ganga úr Evrópuráðinu árið 1969 áður en Grikklandi yrði vísað formlega úr því. Norrænu aðgerðasinnarnir voru þó reiðubúnir að ganga mun lengra en löghlýðnir sósíaldemókratískir ráðamenn. Til að sameina gríska stjórnarandstæðinga var t.d. hvatt til þess að ráðherrar í herforingjastjórninni yrðu ráðnir af dögum og að gripið yrði til virkrar andstöðu, þar sem ofbeldi yrði beitt, í Grikklandi.
Í ritgerðinni er starf norrænu andstöðuhreyfingarinnar sett í samhengi við andfasíska baráttu á Norðurlöndum eftir síðari heimsstyrjöld. Á tímabilinu 1945–1975 hverfðist hún um þrjá mál: Franco-stjórnina á Spáni, „faraldri gyðingahaturs“ í formi veggjakrots víða um heim og einræðisstjórnina í Portúgal. Mest bar á andstöðunni gegn einræðisstjórn Francos á fimmta og sjötta áratug síðustu aldar, þar sem Norðmenn voru í forystu. Hér var um að ræða fyrstu tilraunina eftir stríð til að byggja pólitíska baráttu á minningunni um sögulega andstöðu gegn fasisma. Ekki tókst þó að stofna sameinaða þverþjóðlega hreyfingu á Norðurlöndum í þessu skyni vegna áhrifa kalda stríðsins, þar sem baráttan gegn kommúnisma gekk fyrir. Engu að síður tókst Norðmönnum, sem beittu andfasískum rökum, að koma í veg fyrir að Spánn fengi aðild að NATO svo lengi sem einræðisstjórn væri þar við völd. Hugmyndin um breiða and-fasíska hreyfingu var því ekki dauð og hún gekk í endurnýjun lífdaga á valdatíma grísku herforingjastjórnarinnar.
Í ritgerðinni eru færð rök fyrir því að norrænu nefndirnar sem stofnaðar voru til að berjast gegn einræðisstjórnunum á Spáni og í Grikklandi hafi verið reistar á sameiginlegri andfasískri sjálfsmynd. Með því að skilgreina þessar stjórnir sem fasískar reyndu þær að endurvekja baráttuna gegn fasisma eftir síðari heimsstyrjöld. Þessi þverþjóðlega hreyfing sóttist eftir stuðningi með því að vísa til sögulegra minninga, einkum spænsku borgarastyrjaldarinnar og hernáms Danmörku og Noregi. Litið var svo á að valdaránið í Grikklandi markaði pólitísk þáttaskil sem græfi undan lýðræðisskipulaginu og yki hættuna á að fasismi næði aftur fótfestu í Evrópu. Þessi túlkun var ekki aðeins í ósamræmi við ráðandi pólitísk viðmið í kalda stríðinu, heldur skapaði grundvöll fyrir stofnun hreyfingar sem gerði sér far um að „eigna“ sér fortíðina til að skilja samtímann. Með vísun í fræðiskrif um fasisma, andfasisma, minni og félagshreyfingar er sýnt hvernig andfasískt minni var notað til ljá þessari baráttu gegn fjarlægri herstjórn lögmæti og virðingu.
Lögð er áhersla á að þessi sögulega minnisnálgun jók ekki aðeins áhrif hreyfingarinnar heldur takmarkaði þau einnig. Þannig var vonlaust að samhæfa ólíkar minningar Skandinava, sem rekja mátti til eigin andstöðu gegn fasisma á stríðsárunum og reist var á orðræðu um samstöðu ólíkra pólitískra afla, og Grikkja sem höfðu gengið gegnum annars konar reynslu í borgarastríðinu eftir síðari heimsstyrjöld þar sem andkommúnísk og kommúnísk öfl tókust á. Minningapólitík, sem þjónaði því markmiði að virkja fólk í nafni réttláts sögulegs málstaðar, gat því dregið úr baráttuvirkni þegar engin sátt náðist um sameiginlega sjálfsmynd og minni. Hinni þverþjóðlegu norrænu andstöðuhreyfingu, sem var leidd af nefndunum í Svíþjóð, Danmörku og Noregi, mistókst að fá nefndir í öðrum ríkjum til að fylkja sér um andfasískt minni í baráttunni gegn einræðisstjórninni í Grikklandi. Grískir menntamenn úr röðum marxista voru meðal þeirra sem áttu í erfiðleikum með að samþykkja þessa pólitísku baráttuaðferð vegna þess að þeir litu ekki svo á að herforingjastjórnin væri fasísk. Áhugi á Grikklandsmálinu fór þverrandi á Norðurlöndum þegar ljóst varð að grísk stjórnarandstöðuöfl voru ekki nægilega öflug til að steypa stjórninni af stóli. Togstreita í samskiptum við grískra flóttamanna og samtaka þeirra varð til þess að veikja enn frekar starf norrænu nefndanna. Að lokum var það þó ekki andstaðan gegn herforingjastjórninni sem felldi hana, heldur misheppnuð tilraun hennar til að innlima Kýpur sem leiddi til innrásar Tyrkja á eyjuna.
Í ritgerðinni er því haldið fram að minni gegni lykilhlutverki í að viðhalda andfasískum frásögnum og endurnýja þær. Með því að hvetja til þess að minnast með virkum hætti þeirra hörmunga sem fasisminn leiddi yfir Evrópu var skapaður grundvöllur fyrir sameiginlegri and-fasískri sjálfmynd sem hefur haft veruleg pólitísk áhrif frá lokum síðari heimsstyrjaldar. Einnig eru færð rök fyrir því að finna þurfi stað fyrir minni í fræðilegri skilgreiningu á andfasisma sem lágmarksvörn lýðræðisins. Unnt er að flokka valdboðsstjórnir og annars konar andlýðræðislegar stjórnir undir fasisma, þótt þær kenni sig sjálfar ekki við þá hugmyndafræði og stefnu, vegna þess að stjórnarhættir þeirra vekja upp slíkar minningar. Í þeim skilningi er þessi ritgerð framlag til fræðilegra rannsókna á andfasisma, sem hafa eflst mjög á undanförnum árum. Hér er sýnt hve nauðsynlegt það er að vísa til hlutverks sameiginlegs minnis og menningarminnis í starfi pólitískra hreyfinga.The 1967 military coup in Greece brought a brutal Junta to power, which gained international notoriety for its use of torture against political opponents during its seven-year rule. The coup shocked Western European public opinion, evoking memories of past right-wing dictatorships and historical fascist regimes. This sentiment was especially felt in Scandinavia, where organized struggle for the restoration in democracy in Greece became the strongest. This thesis deals with the transnational activities and political agitation of a Nordic social movement that was created to fight the Junta and whose far-reaching influence has largely been overlooked in historical narratives. The main focus is on the anti-fascist aspects of the opposition movement. It is shown that the individual committees, which were created in all the Nordic countries, framed their acts of resisting the military regime as a continuation of past resistance against fascism. Thus, despite the centrality of the ideological clash between two empires—the Soviet Union and the United States—Nordic politicians and activists also transcended political dogmas during the Cold War. While spanning a broad political spectrum, the Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish Committees, in particular, were dominated by social democratic members. As a testimony to their political influence, they helped shape Nordic foreign policies on the Greek issue through attempts to isolate the Junta in international institutions. This political pressure forced the military regime, in 1969, to withdraw from the Council of Europe before Greece’s formal expulsion. It is, furthermore, shown that despite close links with social democratic governments, these anti-fascist activists were prepared to go beyond legal means as part of their covert efforts to unite the Greek democratic opposition, calling for the assassination of Junta members and for engaging in direct resistance activities in Greece. The thesis puts the anti-Junta movement within the historical context of post-war anti-fascism in the Nordic countries. Besides this movement, from 1945 to 1975, organized Nordic anti-fascism revolved around three main issues: Francoist Spain, the Portuguese dictatorship, and a global antisemitic episode dubbed the “Swastika Epidemic.” The opposition to Franco’s regime was strongest in the late 1940s and the 1950s, with Norway leading the way. Building on continuities from earlier anti-fascist social movements, it represented the first postwar attempt at forming an anti-fascist memory regime. As a social movement, however, it remained fractured. Scarred by Cold War tensions, it never succeeded in creating a unified Nordic network of committees that opposed Franco. Yet Norway managed to keep Spain out of NATO as long as it was under a dictatorship, using anti-fascist arguments to make its case. And the idea of broad-based political committees designed to organize anti-fascist activities lived on, resurfacing, in a powerful way, during the years of the Greek Junta from 1967 to 1974. It is argued in the thesis that the Nordic Committees on Spain and Greece formed a collective anti-fascist identity. By labeling these regimes as fascist, the activists sought to resume the historical struggle against fascism in a post-war setting. This transnational social movement garnered support for its cause by summoning memories of this past, especially of the Spanish Civil War and the Nazi occupation of Denmark and Norway. The military coup in Greece was seen as an “event of critical juncture,” which unsettled the existing democratic order, and which raised the specter of fascism in Europe. Undercutting a Cold War paradigm, it formed the basis for the establishment of a social movement, which sought the “social appropriation” of the past to make sense of the present. Referring to scholarly writings on fascism and anti-fascism, memory, and social movements, the dissertation shows how through mnemonic practices, legitimacy and respectability were brought to a struggle that objectively concerned itself with a distant military dictatorship. What is stressed is that the dynamic of this Nordic movement enabled as well as constrained its activities, when it came in contact with split memories of the past—between Scandinavians, whose wartime experiences evoked a solidarity discourse against a common fascist foe, and the Greeks steeped in a different political past dominated by a communist/anti-communist struggle during their Civil War. Thus, this memory work not only unleashed mobilizing and legitimizing potential in opposing fascism; it also had a debilitating effect in cases where there was no consensus on a shared collective identity and memory. Even if the transnational Nordic anti-Junta network was led by the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian Committees, their anti-fascist line failed to attract full support from Greek committees in other countries. Thus, Greek Marxist intellectuals struggled to adopt an anti-fascist discourse against the Junta since they did not define the regime as fascist. In the Nordic countries, interest in the Greek case began to wane when it became clear that Greek opposition groups were powerless to topple the military regime. The Nordic Committees’ strained relationship with the Greek exiles and immigrants and their organizations also contributed to their decline. In the end, it was not resistance against the dictatorship but a failed Greek attempt to annex Cyprus in 1974, which led to fall of the Junta following a full-scale Turkish invasion of the island. The thesis posits that the longevity and resilience of anti-fascist narratives can be explained through mnemonic functions. By calling for an active remembrance of the catastrophe that historical fascism produced in Europe, anti-fascism represents a powerful collective identity. The argument is made that the academic interpretation of anti-fascism as containing a minimum of defense of democracy must be complemented with memory. It also means that the fascist epithet should be viewed as more than a pejorative. Authoritarian and anti-democratic regimes that do not identify themselves as fascist might still be classified in such terms because they trigger memories of fascism through their behavior and actions. Thus, the study contributes to the growing field of anti-fascist studies by emphasizing the need for engaging with the important role played by collective and cultural memory in political movements.I was privileged to receive funding from the Nordic ReNEW research hub, through the EDDA Research Center at the University of Iceland (UI), from the University of Iceland Research Fund, and the Educational Fund of the UI’s School of Humanities
Kvika þjóðarinnar: Þættir úr menningarsögu íslenskra eldgosa frá átjándu öld til okkar daga
Full text link[Íslenska]
Í þessari doktorsritgerð er reynt að svara eftirfarandi rannsóknarspurningu: Hvernig hefur nábýli Íslendinga við eldfjöll mótað sjálfsmynd þeirra og hugmyndir um þjóðerni og sögu síðustu 250 árin? Markmið verkefnisins var að finna svar við rannsóknarspurningunni með því að greina frásagnir af eldgosum frá 18. öld til nútímans. Efniviðurinn til að vinna úr var afmarkaður við lýsingar af eldgosum og eldfjöllum sem finna má í skáldsögum, ljóðum, sjálfsævisögum og svokölluðum eldritum frá þessu tímabili. Afrakstur rannsóknarinnar voru fjórar greinar sem hafa komið út í ritrýndum fræðitímaritum og einn kafli að auki. Þessi ritgerð hefst á ítarlegum inngangi, eða svokallaðri kápu. Þar eru útlistaðar fyrri rannsóknir um þetta efni og svo eru aðferðafræði og nálganir rannsóknarinnar útskýrðar og sagt frá þeim hugtökum og kenningum sem koma við sögu í ritgerðinni. Greinarnar og kaflinn koma síðan sem viðaukar aftan við kápuna. Efni þeirra er eftirfarandi:
(1) Ritrýnda greinin „Ægifögur reiði“, sem birtist í Ritröð Guðfræðistofnunar, fjallar um guðfræði og fagurfræði eldgosa. Í nútímanum er umfjöllun um eldfjöll að mestu flokkuð undir eldfjallafræði sem rannsakar eðli og orsakir eldgosa á forsendum náttúruvísinda og það virðist vera algeng skoðun að Íslendingar hafi í gegnum aldirnar yfirleitt hugsað um eldfjöll og eldgos á raunsæjan og pragmatískan hátt. Í þessari grein er fjallað um höfunda frá sautjándu til nítjándu aldar sem nálguðust ekki eldfjöllin á þessum forsendum, heldur frekar á forsendum trúarinnar eða listarinnar eða pólitískra hugsjóna.
(2) Ritrýnda greinin „Meðvirknin með landinu: um þjóðskáld 19. aldar, sjálfsmyndir og eldgos“ birtist í Skírni. Eins og titillinn gefur vísbendingu um fjallar hún um ættjarðarljóð þjóðskálda á 19. öld og hvernig eldgosum og eldfjöllum er þar lýst. Ákveðin þversögn felst í því að tilgangur eða undirliggjandi forsenda flestra Íslandsljóða er að draga fram kosti landsins og lýsa yfir ást sinni á landinu en tilvist eldfjalla og eldgosa sem eru hættuleg fyrirbæri flækja myndina, til dæmis ef horft er til þeirra hörmunga sem þjóðin gekk í gegnum í móðuharðindunum. Í þessari grein er reynt að svara eftirfarandi spurningu: Hvernig fara skáldin að því að segja frá þeirri ógn sem stafar frá landinu vegna eldfjallanna án þess að gefa ást sína upp á bátinn?
(3) Kaflinn „Upprifjun hörmunga“ fjallar um viðtökusögu eldklerksins Jóns Steingrímssonar og ræktun minninga um Skaftárelda. Hann hefst á vangaveltum um það hvers vegna fólk rifjar upp hörmungar. Svo er reynt að svara sértækari spurningum með hliðsjón af íslenskri sögu: Hvers vegna og af hvaða tilefni hafa Íslendingar rifjað upp Skaftárelda? Og jafnframt: Hvers vegna er þeirri upprifjun iðulega miðluð í gegnum verk og persónu eldklerksins?
(4) Ritrýnda greinin „Hamfarir samfélagssjónleiksins“, sem birtist í Ritinu og fjallar um svokallaðar stórslysabókmenntir frá öðrum áratug 21. aldar. Óvenju margar skáldsögur voru skrifaðar um eldgos og aðrar náttúruhamfarir á áratugnum 2010–2019 og í þessari grein er kannað hvernig á þessu stendur. Skýringa er leitað í greiningu tíu skáldsagna frá áratugnum sem innihalda eldgos, eða aðrar hamfarir sem minna á eldgos.
(5) Ritrýnda greinin „Eldrit á mannöld“, sem birtist í Ritinu, fjallar um Fjallið sem yppti öxlum eftir Gísla Pálsson og bókmenntir á tímum loftslagsbreytinga. Hún er aðeins öðruvísi en hinir kaflarnir/greinarnar að því leyti að hér er fjallað aðallega um eina bók, nefnilega endurminningar Gísla Pálssonar, prófessors og mannfræðings, um uppvöxt hans í Heimaey og eldgosið 1973 sem tortímdi æskuheimili hans. Útgangspunkturinn í umfjölluninni eru orð sem Gísli skrifar nálægt endinum í sinni bók þegar hann lýsir því að hann telji sögu sína hluta af stærra samhengi sem hafi orðið til vegna loftslagsbreytinga af mannavöldum.[English]
This PhD thesis tries to answer the following research question: How has the proximity to volcanoes affected the identity of Icelanders and their ideas about nationality and history in the last 250 years? The goal of the project was to find an answer to the research question through analysing narratives about volcanic eruptions from the 18th century to modern times. The material was delimited to description of volcanoes and eruption that can be found in novels, poems, autobiographies and so-called firebooks from this period. The outcome of the research project was four articles that have been published in peer-reviewed journals and one additional chapter. This thesis begins with a detailed introduction, or so-called cover-essay. It begins with a discussion of previous research in the field and then the methods and approach of the research are outlined and the relevant concepts and theories are explained. The articles and the chapter then follow as appendixes to the cover-essay. Their content are as follows:
(1) The peer-reviewed article, Ægifögur reiði (e. Sublime Anger), which was published in Studia Theologica Islandica, is about the theology and aesthetics of volcanic eruptions. Today the discussion of volcanoes is mostly classified under volcanology which studies the nature and causes of volcanic eruptions from the premisses of science and it appears to be a widespread idea that Icelander through the ages have mostly had a realist and pragmatic view of volcanoes and volcanic eruptions. This article discusses authors from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century that did not approach volcanoes in this way, but instead from the viewpoint of faith, art, or political ideologies.
(2) The peer-reviewed article, Meðvirknin með landinu (e. Traumatic bonding with the land: on 19th century national poets, identities, and volcanic eruptions), was published in Skírnir. As the title alludes it is about patriotic poetry of 19th century Icelandic national poets and how it describes volcanoes and eruptions. It is a certain paradox that the aim or underlying premise of most Iceland-poems is to describe the good things about the country and declare one’s love of the land, but the existence of volcanoes and the threat of eruptions complicate the picture, e.g. when the horrors of the “haze famine” of the 18th century are considered. This article tries to provide an answer to the question how the poets manage to describe the threat posed by volcanoes without letting go of their love for their country.
(3) The chapter Upprifjun hörmunga (e. Remembering disasters) is about the reception history of the fire-pastor Jón Steingrímsson and the cultivation of memories about the Laki eruption of 1783–1784. It starts on speculations about the reason why people recollect disasters of the past. Then an attempt is made to answer more specific questions related to Icelandic history: Why and on what occasions have Icelanders chosen to remember the Laki eruption? And in addition: Why is this commemoration almost always mediated through the works and person of the fire-pastor?
(4) The peer-reviewed article, Hamfarir samfélagssjónleiksins (e. Metamorphosis of the Social Drama), was published in Ritið and deals with disaster literature from the second decade of the 21st century. A surprising number of novels were written about volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters in the decade 2010–2019 and this article tries to find the underlying reason for this. Answers are sought in the analysis of ten novels from this decade, which include a volcanic eruption, or other similar disasters.
(5) The peer-reviewed article, Eldrit á mannöld (e. A Book of Fire in the Anthropocene), which was published in Ritið, is about the book Down to Earth: A Memoir by Gísli Pálsson and literature in the time of climate change. This article is a bit different in that it deals mostly with this one book, the memoir of the anthropology professor Gísli Pálsson about growing up in Heimaey and the volcanic eruption in 1973 that destroyed this childhood home. The starting point of the discussion are the words of Gísli near the end the book that he considers his story to be part of a larger context which has been created by anthropogenic climate change.Rannsóknasjóður Rannís (doktorsnemastyrkur), og Menntasjóður Hugvísindasviðs