The German language as a defining feature of ethnic identity in Pomerode

This work analyzes the German language as a defining feature of German-Brazilian ethnic identity in Pomerode city (SC) since the 1980s, by the means of German-Brazilians‟ accounts of their personal and social lives. To do so, the study investigates the meanings attributed by the deponents to the Ger...

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Main Author: Paulo Maltzahn
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Universidade de São Paulo 2017-11-01
Series:Pandaemonium Germanicum: Revista de Estudos Germanísticos
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.revistas.usp.br/pg/article/view/140883
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author Paulo Maltzahn
author_facet Paulo Maltzahn
author_sort Paulo Maltzahn
collection DOAJ
description This work analyzes the German language as a defining feature of German-Brazilian ethnic identity in Pomerode city (SC) since the 1980s, by the means of German-Brazilians‟ accounts of their personal and social lives. To do so, the study investigates the meanings attributed by the deponents to the German language, both regarding its objective and subjective aspect. This study is supported by the relational ethnicity theory, by research on ethnic-cultural identity, and by the Oral History methodology. In Pomerode, the German language is both individually experienced and shared within the ethnic collective. Moreover, it is related to the production of meanings that each deponent experienced in their family and ethnic community, characterizing permanence and transformation of the language‟s role, as well as a negotiation of individual and collective meanings. On the one hand, the redefinition of the German language‟s role in Pomerode is associated with its own ethnic group. In other words, it is connected with the self-understanding of the group‟s ethnic identity. On the other hand, it is associated with identity‟s commercialization, that is, with the language‟s instrumentalization.
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spelling doaj.art-6289c7af39354a6ab1f764c67ae92ddf2022-12-22T02:39:36ZdeuUniversidade de São PauloPandaemonium Germanicum: Revista de Estudos Germanísticos1414-19061982-88372017-11-012133The German language as a defining feature of ethnic identity in PomerodePaulo MaltzahnThis work analyzes the German language as a defining feature of German-Brazilian ethnic identity in Pomerode city (SC) since the 1980s, by the means of German-Brazilians‟ accounts of their personal and social lives. To do so, the study investigates the meanings attributed by the deponents to the German language, both regarding its objective and subjective aspect. This study is supported by the relational ethnicity theory, by research on ethnic-cultural identity, and by the Oral History methodology. In Pomerode, the German language is both individually experienced and shared within the ethnic collective. Moreover, it is related to the production of meanings that each deponent experienced in their family and ethnic community, characterizing permanence and transformation of the language‟s role, as well as a negotiation of individual and collective meanings. On the one hand, the redefinition of the German language‟s role in Pomerode is associated with its own ethnic group. In other words, it is connected with the self-understanding of the group‟s ethnic identity. On the other hand, it is associated with identity‟s commercialization, that is, with the language‟s instrumentalization.https://www.revistas.usp.br/pg/article/view/140883German LanguageEthnic IdentityPomerodeOral History.
spellingShingle Paulo Maltzahn
The German language as a defining feature of ethnic identity in Pomerode
Pandaemonium Germanicum: Revista de Estudos Germanísticos
German Language
Ethnic Identity
Pomerode
Oral History.
title The German language as a defining feature of ethnic identity in Pomerode
title_full The German language as a defining feature of ethnic identity in Pomerode
title_fullStr The German language as a defining feature of ethnic identity in Pomerode
title_full_unstemmed The German language as a defining feature of ethnic identity in Pomerode
title_short The German language as a defining feature of ethnic identity in Pomerode
title_sort german language as a defining feature of ethnic identity in pomerode
topic German Language
Ethnic Identity
Pomerode
Oral History.
url https://www.revistas.usp.br/pg/article/view/140883
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