On Friday, Desember 2nd, Arndís Dögg Jónsdóttir will give the talk "Community participation in the Westfjords of Iceland".

This lecture is about community participation in the Westfjords of Iceland. How people contribute to cultural diversity in small towns and the importance of the individual initiative to maintain an active social life. This is a part of a study carried out in the summer of 2022 called The full story: Dynamic cultures of the Westfjords. The project is a collaborative project between the University of Iceland's Research Laboratory in Strandir/ Institute of Ethnology and Fine foods Íslandica ehf and was sponsored by the Students' Innovation Fund. 

The goal of the study was to examine people’s perspectives on life in the Westfjords and how the region affects it. In this lecture, Arndís will discuss the research as well as a recurring theme in the interviews that are how important individual initiative and community participation are in smaller municipalities. This subject matter was discussed in one way or another in every interview. Inhabitants point out the necessity for residents to participate in available programs so that social and cultural activities can be maintained within the communities. The individual's contribution to culture and social life within a community can have a positive effect on how an individual sees their worth in society. That contributes to increased activity for the community which in turn strengthens the community to which they belong.

Svava Þorsteinsdóttir is studying product design at the Icelandic University of Arts and lives in Reykjavík. In her previous work, Svava has often cultivated a poetic approach to her subjects, focusing on what often misses the eye, hidden in the space between words.

Arndís Dögg Jónsdóttir is a folklorist, and adventure guide and recently graduated with a Master's degree in Information science. Raised in the Westfjords of Iceland, she moved away in her early 20s to pursue her dream of traveling the world and working as an adventure guide. For 8 years she studied and worked as a guide, traveled, and lived by the minimalistic philosophy that if you own more stuff than you can fit in your car, you own too much. In 2020 she felt the need to move back to the Westfjords, slow down and simplify her life. Now she lives in Bolungarvík with her husband and two sons.

The Lunch Lecture is open to everyone and starts promptly at 12:10 in the cafeteria of the Vestfjörður University Center on the 2nd floor. The talk is in Icelandic. 

Lunch Lecture event on Facebook: https://fb.me/e/32iKNaeW7
Webinar link: https://eu01web.zoom.us/j/69264952439

Lunch Lecture topics are extremely diverse, and those who are interested in giving a talk or have ideas or suggestions about interesting topics or people are kindly requested to contact us by email - sissu@uw.is

All are welcome.