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In My Flowering Garden : Nordic picture books in the era of student occupation 1968

Källström, Lisa LU (2020) EKO 2020. Litteraturvetenskap, miljö och hållbarhet
Abstract

The aim of my presentation is to examine the concept of gardening as a cultural construct, and how this concept is created and transformed in picture books from 1968 (the canonical year of student revolt). We often think of the 1970s as the decade when Nordic children’s literature became political. But such a judgment may be premature. An analysis might show that this claim only offers a schematic image of the 1970s as the period dismissing fairy tales, idyllic representations, and fantasy stories because they were too ”conservative and by extension obscured capitalistic power relations in society” (Widhe 1). Dwelling, place, and garden arealso a recurring theme in these tumultuous times. I am particularly interested in how Garden (as... (More)

The aim of my presentation is to examine the concept of gardening as a cultural construct, and how this concept is created and transformed in picture books from 1968 (the canonical year of student revolt). We often think of the 1970s as the decade when Nordic children’s literature became political. But such a judgment may be premature. An analysis might show that this claim only offers a schematic image of the 1970s as the period dismissing fairy tales, idyllic representations, and fantasy stories because they were too ”conservative and by extension obscured capitalistic power relations in society” (Widhe 1). Dwelling, place, and garden arealso a recurring theme in these tumultuous times. I am particularly interested in how Garden (as in a cultivated landscape) works as a rhetorical topoi.In rhetoric, topos refers to a method for developing arguments.Topoi could be analysed through Kenneth Burke’s explication of cluster analysis (for finding topoi in texts and pictures), which he identifies as a qualitative method designed to analyse rhetorical discourse. What I want to show through is thatthe concept of the pastoral garden is set out with much more complex and ambivalent features than usually taken forgranted. A garden can be infused with the essence of dwelling, emulatinga home. But it can also be a threat representing world detachment and confinement.
(Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
The aim of my presentation is to examine the concept of gardening as a cultural construct, and how this concept is created and transformed in picture books from 1968 (the canonical year of student revolt). We often think of the 1970s as the decade when Nordic children’s literature became political. But such a judgment may bepremature. An analysismight show that this claim only offersa schematic image of the 1970s as the period dismissing fairy tales, idyllic representations, and fantasy stories because they were too ”conservative and by extension obscured capitalistic power relations in society” (Widhe 1).Dwelling,place,and garden arealso a recurring theme in these tumultuoustimes.I am particularly interested in how Garden (as in a... (More)
The aim of my presentation is to examine the concept of gardening as a cultural construct, and how this concept is created and transformed in picture books from 1968 (the canonical year of student revolt). We often think of the 1970s as the decade when Nordic children’s literature became political. But such a judgment may bepremature. An analysismight show that this claim only offersa schematic image of the 1970s as the period dismissing fairy tales, idyllic representations, and fantasy stories because they were too ”conservative and by extension obscured capitalistic power relations in society” (Widhe 1).Dwelling,place,and garden arealso a recurring theme in these tumultuoustimes.I am particularly interested in how Garden (as in a cultivated landscape) works as a rhetorical topoi.In rhetoric, topos refers to a method for developing arguments.Topoicould be analysedthrough Kenneth Burke’s explication of cluster analysis (for finding topoi intexts and pictures), which he identifies as a qualitative method designed to analyse rhetorical discourse. What I want to show through is thatthe concept of the pastoral garden is set out with much more complex and ambivalent features than usually taken forgranted. A garden can be infusedwith the essence of dwelling, emulatinga home. But it can also be a threatrepresenting world detachment and confinement. (Less)
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author
organization
alternative title
I min grönskande trädgard : Nordiska bilderböcker i studentrevolten fartecken
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
published
subject
conference name
EKO 2020. Litteraturvetenskap, miljö och hållbarhet
conference location
Göteborg
conference dates
2020-12-03 - 2020-12-04
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3f68bddb-d511-4fb1-a401-c6dfb84ed8eb
date added to LUP
2020-10-31 09:33:58
date last changed
2022-03-10 11:14:29
@misc{3f68bddb-d511-4fb1-a401-c6dfb84ed8eb,
  abstract     = {{<br/>The aim of my presentation is to examine the concept of gardening as a cultural construct, and how this concept is created and transformed in picture books from 1968 (the canonical year of student revolt). We often think of the 1970s as the decade when Nordic children’s literature became political. But such a judgment may be premature. An analysis might show that this claim only offers a schematic image of the 1970s as the period dismissing fairy tales, idyllic representations, and fantasy stories because they were too ”conservative and by extension obscured capitalistic power relations in society” (Widhe 1). Dwelling, place, and garden arealso a recurring theme in these tumultuous times. I am particularly interested in how Garden (as in a cultivated landscape) works as a rhetorical topoi.In rhetoric, topos refers to a method for developing arguments.Topoi could be analysed through Kenneth Burke’s explication of cluster analysis (for finding topoi in texts and pictures), which he identifies as a qualitative method designed to analyse rhetorical discourse. What I want to show through is thatthe concept of the pastoral garden is set out with much more complex and ambivalent features than usually taken forgranted. A garden can be infused with the essence of dwelling, emulatinga home. But it can also be a threat representing world detachment and confinement.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Källström, Lisa}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  title        = {{In My Flowering Garden : Nordic picture books in the era of student occupation 1968}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/115128393/Materia.pdf}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}