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Between a Rune Stone and a Hard Place: Deconstructing Mass Media Influence on Knowledge Production in Viking Age Archaeogenetic Publications

Koch, Kyle LU (2023) ARKM21 20231
Archaeology
Abstract
The archaeological traditions of the Viking Age have a complex history. Some of it has been
nationalist in orientation, at times constructing proud historical narratives reflecting ownership in
and continuity of the past. These narratives conflict with increasing population diversity in the
Scandinavian nations, where contemporary identity politics grapple with real and imagined
realities of immigration, ethnicity, and origin. Within this complex climate of public and political
debate, archaeology, now bolstered by ancient genetic data, is often deployed. Ancient DNA
studies on Viking Age mobility are forcing ideologically polarized stakeholder groups to
reconsider their perceptions of Nordic identity both past and present.
... (More)
The archaeological traditions of the Viking Age have a complex history. Some of it has been
nationalist in orientation, at times constructing proud historical narratives reflecting ownership in
and continuity of the past. These narratives conflict with increasing population diversity in the
Scandinavian nations, where contemporary identity politics grapple with real and imagined
realities of immigration, ethnicity, and origin. Within this complex climate of public and political
debate, archaeology, now bolstered by ancient genetic data, is often deployed. Ancient DNA
studies on Viking Age mobility are forcing ideologically polarized stakeholder groups to
reconsider their perceptions of Nordic identity both past and present.
This creates an opportunity to investigate the relationship between science, mass media, and
diverse publics as the nature of knowledge production and communication changes. The
historically dominant mode of knowledge dissemination has been a linear, one-way model of
simplification from the “expert” source of production to a generalized public to then consume.
This thesis takes a different approach borrowed from science and technology studies, deemed
medialization, in which knowledge is produced through an integrated, reciprocal relationship
between research institutions, public consumers, and the media. This thesis investigates this
medialization, evaluating knowledge production and translation in a meta-analysis of three
archaeogenetic case studies that focus on Viking Age population genomics and migration.
It concludes that medialization alone is not a sufficient enough lens with which to clarify the
relationship between science, its stakeholders, politics, and the mass media that ties them all
together. This relationship varies case by case in which institutions and individual researchers
cannot be absolved of responsibility when research is not communicated with integrity or press
releases are not vetted for misinformation. This research is indicative of a likely paradigm shift
in Viking studies. The current political climate and use of new aDNA data is broadening the
definition of Viking identity. This situates it in a polarized public and political discourse to suit a
more diverse, globalized Scandinavia to the support of some, and disapproval of others. This
medialization, while inevitable, is not inherently reductive. Scientific knowledge production and
communication is changing. The relationship that archaeologists and research institutions have
with media, society, and politics must also change accordingly (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Koch, Kyle LU
supervisor
organization
course
ARKM21 20231
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
language
English
id
9126455
date added to LUP
2023-06-26 12:50:21
date last changed
2023-06-26 12:50:21
@misc{9126455,
  abstract     = {{The archaeological traditions of the Viking Age have a complex history. Some of it has been 
nationalist in orientation, at times constructing proud historical narratives reflecting ownership in 
and continuity of the past. These narratives conflict with increasing population diversity in the 
Scandinavian nations, where contemporary identity politics grapple with real and imagined
realities of immigration, ethnicity, and origin. Within this complex climate of public and political 
debate, archaeology, now bolstered by ancient genetic data, is often deployed. Ancient DNA 
studies on Viking Age mobility are forcing ideologically polarized stakeholder groups to 
reconsider their perceptions of Nordic identity both past and present.
This creates an opportunity to investigate the relationship between science, mass media, and 
diverse publics as the nature of knowledge production and communication changes. The 
historically dominant mode of knowledge dissemination has been a linear, one-way model of 
simplification from the “expert” source of production to a generalized public to then consume. 
This thesis takes a different approach borrowed from science and technology studies, deemed 
medialization, in which knowledge is produced through an integrated, reciprocal relationship 
between research institutions, public consumers, and the media. This thesis investigates this 
medialization, evaluating knowledge production and translation in a meta-analysis of three 
archaeogenetic case studies that focus on Viking Age population genomics and migration.
It concludes that medialization alone is not a sufficient enough lens with which to clarify the 
relationship between science, its stakeholders, politics, and the mass media that ties them all 
together. This relationship varies case by case in which institutions and individual researchers 
cannot be absolved of responsibility when research is not communicated with integrity or press 
releases are not vetted for misinformation. This research is indicative of a likely paradigm shift 
in Viking studies. The current political climate and use of new aDNA data is broadening the 
definition of Viking identity. This situates it in a polarized public and political discourse to suit a 
more diverse, globalized Scandinavia to the support of some, and disapproval of others. This 
medialization, while inevitable, is not inherently reductive. Scientific knowledge production and 
communication is changing. The relationship that archaeologists and research institutions have 
with media, society, and politics must also change accordingly}},
  author       = {{Koch, Kyle}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Between a Rune Stone and a Hard Place: Deconstructing Mass Media Influence on Knowledge Production in Viking Age Archaeogenetic Publications}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}