A Sense of Place: Outdoor Pursuits and Cabin Fever. a Nordic Haven for Gender Equality
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ISSN 1653-2244 INSTITUTIONEN FÖR KULTURANTROPOLOGI OCH ETNOLOGI DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY A Sense of Place: Outdoor Pursuits and Cabin Fever. A Nordic Haven for Gender Equality By Charlotte Victoria Lily Fisher 2018 MASTERUPPSATSER I KULTURANTROPOLOGI Nr 84 I Abstract This thesis aims to examine how Swedish ‘sommarstuga’ (Summer Cottage) or ‘cabins’ contributes to the production of gender equal values. This ethnographic work is based on the central case study of the members from Uppsala Extremsportförening, (UppX) and their interactions during two cabin trips; one to a surf cabin in Ericeira Portugal and the other a family cabin in Ängskärs, Sweden. The fieldwork conducted was implemented in a multi-sited ethnographic approach allowing for a broader perspective of possible fieldsites and the techniques of ‘Following The People’ and ‘Carnal Sociology’. Consequently, this led to unique experiences where the ‘sense of place’ of Swedish cabin traditions and values could be seen being practiced in Portugal. While, aiming to address the participants of this fieldwork thoughts and views on myths and misconceptions of Sweden’s image as a utopia or role model for egalitarian values. This thesis highlights that cabins and their surrounding spaces facilitate more than just sporting pursuits. They are a microcosm of interactions, a social space for family and friends, for play and gender politics; a world within a world. Concluding that, Swedish cabins are a ‘heterotopia’ or haven that facilitates gender equal interactions, evidencing this through case studies of gender equal participation in various sporting activities while staying in two very different cabins. Key Words: Gender Equality, Carnal Sociology, Sense Of Place, Heterotopia, Sweden, Cabins, Sports. 2 II Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to thank UppX, especially UppX leaders Sofie and Inga, for welcoming me as a member of UppX and allowing me to use their sports club for my thesis as well as for their unwavering encouragement and support. I would also like to thank my surf cabin roommates and ‘Ängskärs Crew’; Amanda, William and Rahmat who made my time in Sweden so amazing and from whom I learnt so much; I will never be able to fully repay your kindness. I also must thank my Mother and Father for encouraging me to take the opportunity to study this Master in Anthropology at Uppsala University. Their love, support and unrelenting belief in me has been my rock throughout this whole journey from Sweden, to Portugal, to Norway and back again. How do you feel about Iceland next? Finally, I must thank Vladislava Vladimirova, for her feedback and words of wisdom and even for little things like always remembering I like to refer to my ‘informants’ as ‘participants’, calling them my ‘co-participants’ in every email and comment without fail. Without your supervision and guidance I would have been lost. Thank you. 3 III Table of Contents I Abstract ...................................................................................................................... 2 II Acknowledgments .................................................................................................... 3 III Table of Contents .................................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 8 1.1 Research Aims .................................................................................................. 10 1.2 Relevance .......................................................................................................... 12 Social and Scientific Relevance ........................................................................... 12 1.3 Theoretical Approach ...................................................................................... 15 The Spatial Turn ................................................................................................... 16 Place, Space and Identity ..................................................................................... 17 A Sense of ‘Home’ ............................................................................................... 18 Gendered Space .................................................................................................... 20 Concepts of Egalitarian Societies and Gender Equality ....................................... 22 1.4 Chapter Overviews .......................................................................................... 23 2. Methodology ........................................................................................................... 25 2.1 Finding And Defining The Field ..................................................................... 25 Who are UppX? ................................................................................................... 27 2.2 Methods ............................................................................................................. 28 Participant Observations and Deep Hanging Out ................................................ 28 Interviews ............................................................................................................. 28 2.3 Sensory Anthropology ..................................................................................... 30 A Note On Reflexivity and Limitations ............................................................... 32 3. Context and Background ....................................................................................... 34 3.1 Thoughts on Sweden as a ‘gender equality role model’ ............................... 34 The Myth Of A Scandinavian Utopia .................................................................. 37 3.2 Cabin Fever ...................................................................................................... 38 4. Sensory Fieldwork .................................................................................................. 41 4.1 ‘Find that Field!’ .............................................................................................. 42 4 Meeting UppX ...................................................................................................... 42 “Ethnography Equals Pursued Luck” .................................................................. 43 From Uppsala to Ericeira ..................................................................................... 45 4.2 Upon Arrival… ................................................................................................. 46 The Surf Cabin ..................................................................................................... 47 A Space of Trust .................................................................................................. 48 A Sense of Style ................................................................................................... 51 4.2 Surf Sweden ...................................................................................................... 55 Surf Culture .......................................................................................................... 55 The Gender Equality of Surfing ........................................................................... 57 “I’m A Feminist Why Aren’t You?” .................................................................... 63 Applying Carnal Sociology .................................................................................. 67 A Cabin With A View .......................................................................................... 68 In Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 69 5. Summer In Sweden ................................................................................................ 71 A Very Swedish Summer ..................................................................................... 71 The Ängskärs Cabin ............................................................................................. 74 Folk Knowledge: A Lesson By Bike ................................................................... 76 5.1 Nurturing Nature ............................................................................................. 77 Is Female To Male As Nature Is To Culture? ...................................................... 78 Lessons From Friluftsliv ...................................................................................... 80 Pyttipanna For Breakfast And Island Hopping Before Noon .............................. 83 5.2 Romanticising The Past ................................................................................... 86 Masculine Mountain Cabins ................................................................................ 87 Modern Issues, Old Problems .............................................................................. 88 “I Feel Like Cleopatra On The Nile” ................................................................... 90 The Power Of Pippi .............................................................................................. 93 In Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 94 6. Concluding Discussion ........................................................................................... 95 The Swedish Model: What Went Right? ............................................................