Public defence: Narrative as technology in nineteenth century Norway

Master Erica Colman-Denstad at the Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages will defend her dissertation Wildness and control: Mediating technology and perceptions of nature in nineteenth century Norway for the degree philosophiae doctor (PhD).

 

How has technology mediated human-nature relationships in the past, and how can this question illuminate current questions regarding technology and sense of place?

Colman-Denstad has explored the relationship between technology, use of nature, and perceptions of nature in the context of nineteenth century Norway. Central to this investigation is the role of narratives as technology, mediating across social, cultural, spatial, and temporal dimensions.  The dissertation demonstrates that narratives are flexible tools that are open to reinterpretation, adapting to evolving contexts, and contributing to these contexts by ordering and framing experiences and places. While narratives and the use of them may change across time, their foundational role in mediating human-nature relationships remains.

Erica successfully successfully defended her dissertation on April 5 2024.

Trial lecture

Designated topic: "The concept of wilderness from a cultural-historical perspective"

Evaluation committee

  • Dr.philos. Susanne Østerlund-Pötzsch, Åbo Akademi (first opponent)
  • Professor Kyrre Kverndokk, University of Bergen (second opponent)
  • Associate Professor Line Esborg, University of Oslo (committee administrator)

Chair of the defence

Supervisors

Published Mar. 14, 2024 11:13 AM - Last modified Apr. 9, 2024 1:06 PM