The Norsk Hostfest: a Celebration of Ethnic Food and Ethnic Identity (Publications in Ethnography)

What does it mean to be Norwegian-American? This study, of interest to laymen and scholars alike, answers this question by examining the prominent traditions and functions of food at the annual Norsk Høstfest celebration held in Minot, North Dakota. In this book, the author uses anthropological methodology to demonstrate the ways in which the Norsk Høstfest serves as a celebration of what it means to be Norwegian-American. There are many powerful symbols of ethnic identity in evidence at the festival, but food is the most pervasive, and so it is the chief symbol examined in this study.

The Norsk Høstfest not only allows for the maintenance and celebration of Norwegian-American culture, but it synthesizes the forces of globalization, localization, and ethnicity in order to keep Norwegian-American ethnic identity alive and vital in a changing world. Norwegian-Americans of all ages who want to better understand their own culture will find this book both intriguing and informative. Students of food, culture, and ethnic identity will find the application of symbolic anthropology useful.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Abstract

Introduction
Interpreting Norwegian-American Foodways

Methods
Semiotic Analysis
Participant Observation
Content Questions

Theory
Globalization
Localization of Culture

Literature Review
Performance and Symbols
The Symbolism of Food and its Effects on Group Identity
Foodways and the Symbolic Anthropology Perspective
Food and Religion
Eating as a Social Experience
Subconscious Culture
Food, Friendship, and Communication
Food as Language

Food Traditions of Norway in Historical Perspective
The Seasonality of Norwegian Foodways
Fish, the Backbone of Coastal Society
Butchering Time
Breads and Other Staples

Traditional Norwegian Foods that Were Never Brought to America

Demographics of Norwegian Americans in North Dakota

Traditional Norwegian Cultural Attributes Continued in the New World

The Norsk Høstfest
Historical Background of the Norsk Høstfest
Cultural Context of the Norsk Høstfest
The Elderly Population
The Norsk Høstfest 2005
The Norsk Høstfest 2006

Results
Specific Symbols in Norwegian-American Foodways and Culture
The Lutefisk Ritual
Milk Consumption as a Symbol of "Norwegianness"
What it Means to be Norwegian American

Discussion
Fieldwork at the 2005 Norsk Høstfest
Fieldwork at the Fargo Sons of Norway Lodge
Fieldwork at the 2006 Norsk Høstfest

Summary and Conclusions

Glossary of Norwegian and Non-English Terms

References