Doctoral Defence in Sociology
Friday, June 21, Gréta Bergrún Jóhannesdóttir will defend her doctoral thesis in Sociology at the University of Akureyri.
The doctoral thesis is entitled: One of those stories. Social control, migration, and gossip: young women in small rural communities in Iceland.
The defence will be held in English in the University’s Ceremonial Hall (Hátíðarsalur) in Akureyri at 11:00 and is open to everyone. It will also be streamed here.
Please confirm your attendance here
The thesis was prepared under the guidance of Þóroddur Bjarnason, Professor at the University of Akureyri and University of Iceland. In addition, the doctoral committee included Unnur Dís Skaptadóttir, Professor at the University of Iceland, Ólöf Garðarsdóttir, Professor at the University of Iceland and Vífill Karlsson, Associate Professor at the University of Akureyri.
The opponents are Ruth McAreavey, Professor in Sociology at Newcastle University, and Gyða Margrét Pétursdóttir, Professor in Gender Studies at the University of Iceland.
Dr. Guðrún Rósa Þórsteinsdóttir, Director of the Centre for Doctoral Studies, and Dr. Tom Barry, Dean of the School Humanities and Social Sciences, will preside over the ceremony.
About the doctoral candidate
Gréta Bergrún Jóhannesdóttir was born and raised on the farm Gunnarsstaðir by the Þistilfjörður fjord. She currently resides near her childhood home in the town of Þórshöfn on the Langanes peninsula. In 2007, she completed a Bachelor's degree in Media Studies at the University of Akureyri, followed by a Master's degree in Gender Studies at Lund University in Sweden in 2009. From 2009 to 2020, Gréta worked as a research specialist at the Husavik Academic Center. She has a keen interest in rural and equality issues.
In addition to her doctoral studies, Gréta Bergrún has been teaching at the University of Akureyri, primarily in sociology and rural studies, as well as in research methods and supervising BA students. As part of her doctoral research, she spent a short period working at the Ruralis rural research center in Trondheim, Norway, and at the University of Groningen. She has presented her findings at numerous international and local conferences in Iceland, and her project has garnered some media attention.
Abstract
This Ph.D thesis focuses on young women in small rural communities in Iceland and different social factors that influence their residence and residential satisfaction in these locations. Special emphasis is placed on the social control of gossip and the effects it has on women.
The research is based on quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data was obtained by surveys conducted in Iceland in 2019-2020 in the project Residential Stability and Migration. The results show that the social control of gossip affects the migration intentions of both men and women. Those who perceive much gossip about their love life are twice as likely to have migration intentions than people who do not experience much gossip about their love- life. Of those who have already migrated to the Capital Region from rural areas, women who mention gossip as a reason for prior migration are statistically less likely to return than other migrants.
Qualitative data comes from interviews conducted with women in small coastal communities in Iceland in 2019-2021. The interviews focused on gossip, and how the women perceive gossip in their community. The results show that there is gendered social control and slut-shaming in these small communities, where women’s freedom to enjoy privacy is restricted without being the subject of gossip. The women show avoidance behaviour whereby the fear of gossip and shaming affects their actions and behaviour. Single women especially experience strong social control when it comes to sexual activities and love life.
Keywords: gossip, social control, migration, women, rural communities
The thesis can be found here.
ALL WELCOME!