1. |
- Ahlberger, Christer, 1956, et al.
(author)
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Consumption fantasies in Modern Literature 1820-1860. The making of the modern consumer
- 2010
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In: ESSHC 2010 – Material and Consumer Culture /MAT03: Homemaking, Cherishing and the Senses.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During the first half of the 19th century Sweden was undergoing a rapid integration with the capitalistic world economy. A fundamental part if this process was a profound change of consumption patterns among ordinary people. This change is the focus of our research project. Earlier research has focused on describing and explaining the concrete changes in consumption during this period. Today we have a reasonably good knowledge of the use of new commodities like colonial goods and textiles among different social groups and the sexes. On the other hand we still have little understanding of the context of the consumption. The methods and sources hitherto used in historical studies of emerging and changing consumption patterns simply do not allow us to fully analyse and interpret the attitudes and circumstances of the use of specific consumer items. Our research project takes as its point of departure a notion first conceived by the sociologist Werner Sombart and later developed by the historian Collin Campbell. Campbell claims in The romantic ethic and the Spirit of Modern Consumerism that the origins of the consumer society should be sought in the dreams for new commodities and the desire of satisfaction by the use of new commodities. The purchase creates however disappointment and frustration, since reality does not correspond to the hopes pinned in advance. From this frustration new needs and consumption fantasies are born. The aim of this project is to investigate how these consumption fantasies were created and what they consisted of. The British historian Maxine Berg stresses in Luxury and pleasure in eighteenth-century Britain the connection between our senses and modern consumption. She says that the ”representations of fashion are typically sexualized”. She quotes Sombart who claims that “sensuous pleasure and erotic pleasure are essentially the same”. When capitalism and industrialization extended the opportunities for consumption to the lower classes, this resulted in an obsession for fashion and luxury, a “sensual arousal”. Therefore you can say, that in the first half of the nineteenth century, along with the agrarian, the demographic and the industrial revolutions, Sweden experienced – along with other western countries – a sensual revolution. There is an extremely rich and currently underutilized source for understanding and analyzing the modern consumption society in contemporary literature. Nancy Armstrong, professor in literature, has shown in her study Desire and domestic fiction: a political history of the novel the great impact of the modern novel in 19th century England. Studies of Swedish contemporary literature, has convinced us that it can be used as a historical source. Hence our project has two specific goals: Firstly to deepen the understanding of the creation of the consumer society, and secondly to develop new methods using literature as a historical source: On the one hand, the Swedish fiction emerging during this time and pious literature, on the other.
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2. |
- Bagerius, Henric, 1974, et al.
(author)
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Methodological reflections on fiction in historical research : Skönlitteraturen i historievetenskapen – några metodologiska reflektioner
- 2013
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In: Historisk Tidskrift. - 0345-469X. ; 133:3, s. 384-410
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- How can novels and short stories be used in historical research? There seems to be three different approaches to the relationship between fiction and society among Swedish historians today: Fiction as reflection of society, fiction as action that influences society and fiction as dialogue between text and society. The main advantage of using literary sources is that they can contribute to a deeper understanding of social phenomena. This is because novels and short stories are often biased, subjective and fictitious. Although the selection of appropriate novels and short stories for use in historical research raises questions of representativeness, similar methodological problems are part of all historical research. In general, it probably seems more proper to historians to choose realistic fiction that describes the contemporary society of the novelist, but this is not an absolute rule. Historians should not view the research methods employed to analyze fiction as particularly unique. Common historical approaches such as comparisons, argument analysis, discourse analysis of ideas, constructions and representations etc. can be applied to novels and short stories as well as to other types of written sources. In three readings of the same short story, 'Tvifvel' by Anne Charlotte Leffler, we provide three examples, based on different research interests, of how historians can analyze a fictional text. These examples also demonstrate different methodological approaches. One reading takes individual words and their meanings and connotations as a starting point. Another emphasizes dialogue in order to scrutinize the fictional characters' views and positions. A third reading focuses on key episodes in the story. As these readings show, fiction can be valuable in historical research by complicating, refining, and qualifying our understanding of the past.
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3. |
- Bagerius, Henric, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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Skönlitteraturen i historievetenskapen : några metodologiska reflektioner [Methodological reflections on fiction in historical research]
- 2013
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In: Historisk Tidskrift. - Stockholm : Svenska historiska föreningen. - 0345-469X .- 2002-4827. ; 133:3, s. 384-410
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- How can novels and short stories be used in historical research? There seems to be three different approaches to the relationship between fiction and so- ciety among Swedish historians today: Fiction as reflection of society, fiction as action that influences society and fiction as dialogue between text and society. The main advantage of using literary sources is that they can contribute to a deeper understanding of social phenomena. This is because novels and short stories are often biased, subjective and fictitious. Although the selec- tion of appropriate novels and short stories for use in historical research raises questions of representativeness, similar methodological problems are part of all historical research. In general, it probably seems more proper to historians to choose realistic fiction that describes the contemporary society of the novelist, but this is not an absolute rule. Historians should not view the research methods employed to analyze fiction as particularly unique. Common historical approaches such as comparisons, argument analysis, discourse analysis of ideas, constructions and representations etc. can be ap- plied to novels and short stories as well as to other types of written sources. In three readings of the same short story, ‘Tvifvel’ by Anne Charlotte Lef- fler, we provide three examples, based on different research interests, of how historians can analyze a fictional text. These examples also demonstrate dif- ferent methodological approaches. One reading takes individual words and their meanings and connotations as a starting point. Another emphasizes dialogue in order to scrutinize the fictional characters’ views and positions. A third reading focuses on key episodes in the story. As these readings show, fiction can be valuable in historical research by complicating, refining, and qualifying our understanding of the past.
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4. |
- Bagerius, Henric, 1974, et al.
(author)
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Skönlitteraturen i historievetenskapen – några metodologiska reflektioner
- 2013
-
In: Historisk Tidskrift. - 0345-469X. ; 133:3:3, s. 384-410
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- How can novels and short stories be used in historical research? There seems to be three different approaches to the relationship between fiction and so- ciety among Swedish historians today: Fiction as reflection of society, fiction as action that influences society and fiction as dialogue between text and society. The main advantage of using literary sources is that they can contribute to a deeper understanding of social phenomena. This is because novels and short stories are often biased, subjective and fictitious. Although the selec- tion of appropriate novels and short stories for use in historical research raises questions of representativeness, similar methodological problems are part of all historical research. In general, it probably seems more proper to historians to choose realistic fiction that describes the contemporary society of the novelist, but this is not an absolute rule. Historians should not view the research methods employed to analyze fiction as particularly unique. Common historical approaches such as comparisons, argument analysis, discourse analysis of ideas, constructions and representations etc. can be ap- plied to novels and short stories as well as to other types of written sources. In three readings of the same short story, ‘Tvifvel’ by Anne Charlotte Lef- fler, we provide three examples, based on different research interests, of how historians can analyze a fictional text. These examples also demonstrate dif- ferent methodological approaches. One reading takes individual words and their meanings and connotations as a starting point. Another emphasizes dialogue in order to scrutinize the fictional characters’ views and positions. A third reading focuses on key episodes in the story. As these readings show, fiction can be valuable in historical research by complicating, refining, and qualifying our understanding of the past.
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5. |
- Brismark, Anna, 1970, et al.
(author)
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En judisk elit i det tidiga 1800-talets Göteborg
- 2011
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In: Svenska historikermötet Göteborg 5–7 maj 2011 Sessionen ”Kulturmöten och svensk-judisk historia: Ny forskning om judisk 1800-talskultur”..
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- I internationell forskning finns flera exempel som mer specifikt lyfter fram judarnas roll inom handel och hur detta innebar att de fick allt mer omfattande rättigheter. Historikern Benjamin Ravids pekade tidigt på de ekonomiska motiven bakom judarnas legala status. Ravid beskriver de privilegier och den unika position som handelsmän ur den judiska gruppen i Venedig erhöll under 1500-talet. Som enda grupp var de behöriga att bedriva handeln mellan Venedig och Levanten. Enligt Ravid var det ekonomiska krafter och religiösa-ekonomiska övervägande som medförde en ökad tolerans och tillträde för den judiska gruppen. I övrigt var de dock inte jämställda med Venedigs övriga befolkning. Det förekom också en rad protester från stadens egna köpmän som menade att judarna la beslag på den internationella handeln. Dessa invändningar innebar inte några förändringar av judarnas villkor. Herbert Bloom har betonat ekonomiska och merkantilistiska motiv som orsak till att judar fick ett positivt mottagande i olika städer under 1600- och 1700-talen. Enligt Bloom ansågs deras erfarenhet och vida internationella nätverk kunna bidra med nya influenser och välfärd i Amsterdam. Även här reglerades länge judarnas rättigheter och i likhet med Venedig förekom protester från stadens andra köpmän. Ravids och Blooms slutsatser kan knytas till den under senare år framväxande forskningen kring ”Port Jews”. I stort intresserar sig denna forskningsinriktning för den judiska gruppens väg till modernitet och emancipation. En av de centrala utgångspunkterna är att hamnstäder var relativt gynnsamma platser för judar. Icke-judiska ekonomiska intressen överträffade djupgående antisemitiska fördomar. Pragmatiska övervägande hos myndigheter skapade tolerans och förbättringar i judarnas legala status. Denna forskning utgår från tanken att handel och hamnstäder utgör centrum för utbyte av varor, människor, idéer och information. Det kosmopolitiska perspektivet är självklart för internationella handelsmän. Detta gör det ofta möjligt för diasporor att fungera som en bro mellan det specifika och det generella. Hamnjudarna var både klassiskt gränsöverskridande och förmedlare mellan olika kulturer. Vissa judiska nätverk sammanförde judar av olika etniska ursprung, andra opererade mellan olika religiösa och etniska grupper. Ekonomiska intressen hade också betydelse för den judiska gruppens möjlighet att etablera sig i Göteborg och till deras interaktion med andra grupper. I tidigare forskning har historikern Bertil Andersson, som ingående studerat Göteborgs handlande borgerskap, konstaterar att judarnas knappast framstod som allvarliga konkurrenter till stadens övriga köpmän, och att den judefientliga debatt som fanns på riksplanet sällan återspeglades i Handelssocieteten, som var de göteborgska handelsmännens organisation. Det finns dock anledning att undersöka detta vidare och i vår studie kommer vi att behandla förekomsten av samarbete respektive konkurrens mellan judiska och icke-judiska köpmän i Göteborg. Hur agerade övriga köpmän i olika mer eller mindre offentliga sammanhang och institutioner gentemot den judiska gruppen? I vilken utsträckning förekom samarbete mellan och inom olika firmor? I vilken utsträckning hade de olika grupperna förbindelser i form av handel, krediter och kommissionärskap? Kan man karaktärisera Göteborg som en öppen och tolerant handelsstad i förhållande till de immigrerade judarna under tidigt 1800-tal? Resultaten kommer att diskuteras i förhållande till den ovan refererade Port Jews forskningen.
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6. |
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7. |
- Brismark, Anna, 1970, et al.
(author)
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Jewish Merchants and the Consumer Market in early 19th Century Sweden
- 2012
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In: ESSHC 2012 Glasgow, Scotland, UK 11 -14 April 2012 – Material and Consumer Culture /MAT06: The Early Modern Consumer (R)evolution(s) in Comparative Perspective.
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- The 1830s has been singled out as the decade when the Swedish market of consumer goods really started to expand. Changing consumer patterns were a crucial condition for the continued industrial development in the 19th century and a key element in the growth of a modern society. In relation to this, previous research has emphasized the importance of the importing firms in Gothenburg – Sweden’s second town and main port city – since imported goods were sold on to traders focused on the domestic market. At the same time, the production of consumer goods like calicoes, sugar and tobacco increased in Gothenburg. Furthermore, Sweden’s commercial structure developed and the availability of goods rose markedly. In this process, we have in our earlier research emphasized the cooperation between different types of commercial actors such as peddlers, village shops, urban wholesalers and retail traders. When Jews were allowed to settle down in Sweden in the late 18th century, a great deal of them soon established themselves as wholesalers and retailers in textiles. The impact of the Jewish group on the growth of the consumer goods market is consistent with international research, as well as the connection between Jewish commercial actors and the business and industry of textiles. In our paper we would like to discuss the role of the Jewish entrepreneurs in the early 19th century Sweden, and their contribution to the renewal of the consumption market. This is a part of our research project, “A Jewish web of textiles and trade”. The main purpose of the project is to increase our knowledge of how modern and attractive textiles and other consumer goods reached a growing range of Swedish customers. In this context, the integration of the Swedish domestic market with the European and global market is an essential aspect. The numerically small group of Jews in Gothenburg gives an opportunity to study different types of relations, which in turn can be linked to previous research on business and kinship networks in the early modern period. We also want to call attention to aspects of ethnicity, gender and class in the study of the Jewish minority and it’s role on the consumption market.
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8. |
- Brismark, Anna, 1970, et al.
(author)
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Judiska entreprenörer i det tidiga 1800-talets Göteborg
- 2011
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In: Det nordiske historikermøtet, Tromsö 11–14 augusti 2011 Sessionen: Etnisitet, kjønn og entreprenørskap i nordiske byer, ca. 1850-2000.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Internationell forskning har visat att judar i mycket högre utsträckning än icke-judar var involverade i de branscher som var framträdande i den ekonomiska moderniseringsprocessen och i framväxten av ett marknadssamhälle. I samband med detta har deras entreprenörsinriktade verksamhet och betydelse för förnyelse av tillverkning och handel särskilt betonats. Detta gäller framför allt textilindustrin där judar både agerade som handelsaktörer och producenter. Deras framgång har bland annat ansetts bero på deras tillgång till gränsöverskridande relationer. Den judiska tron och gemensamma erfarenheter kunde utgöra en viktig grund för handelsförbindelser. Vidare har man lyft fram hur den diskriminerande lagstiftningen utestängde judarna från många verksamheter. Detta innebar att de skapade sig en smal nisch inom såväl internationell som nationell handel. Samtidigt som detta, åtminstone delvis, kan förklara deras framträdande roll inom produktionen av och handeln med textiler och kolonialvaror bör detta ha påverkat gruppens möjligheter att integreras med städernas övriga borgarklass. År 1815 fanns cirka 800 judar i Sverige. Av dessa bodde 481 i Stockholm, 215 i Göteborg, 54 i Norrköping och 35 i Karlskrona. Enligt judereglementet, som gällde mellan 1782 och 1838, fick judar endast vara bosatta i dessa svenska städer. De hade begränsad handelsfrihet och fick heller inte syssla med hantverk som innefattades av skråstadgan. Trots att de var så få kom den grupp som bosatte sig i Göteborg kring sekelskiftet 1800 att spela en viktig roll för stadens tidiga industrialisering och de sysslade även med handel. Särskilt många fanns inom textil- och manufakturhandeln. Trots detta har deras betydelse för svenskt näringsliv och samhällsutveckling inte uppmärksammats i någon större omfattning. Vid den aktuella sessionen kommer vi att presentera en begränsad del av vårt 3-åriga forskningsprojekt ”En judisk väv av textilier och handelskontakter”. Projektets mål är att öka kunskapen om hur moderna och eftertraktade konsumtionsvaror förmedlades till en bred allmänhet inom Sverige och mer specifikt vilken roll de judiska köpmännen och producenterna i Göteborg spelade i detta sammanhang. Den delstudie som presenteras här fokuserar på den verksamhet den judiska gruppen bedrev och deras relation till övriga köpmän och producenter i Göteborg. Studien berör både lagstiftning och mer informella politiska och sociala relationer, men framför allt näringsidkarnas verksamheter och kommersiella nätverk.
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9. |
- Brismark, Anna, 1970, et al.
(author)
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Sidensjalar och socker: Judiska näringsidkares betydelse för konsumtionsrevolutionen i Sverige
- 2013
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In: Från sidensjalar till flyktingmottagning: Judarna i Sverige – en minoritets historia (red.) Lars M Andersson & Carl Henrik Carlsson. - Uppsala : Historiska institutionen, Uppsala universitet. - 0284-8783. - 9789197963251
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Book chapter (peer-reviewed)abstract
- During the eighteenth century, Sweden and other western European countries were characterized by a growing domestic market. Demand for goods such as coffee, sugar, tea and cotton fabric increased among a significant portion of the population. This demand, termed the ”consumer revolution,” is now seen as an important condition for the continued industrial development in the nineteenth century and a key element in the development of modern society. In addition to increased demand and greater supply, a functional distribution of goods was essential for maintaining this growth in consumption. Parallel to change in consumption patterns, Sweden’s commercial structure began to develop, leading to a marked rise in the availability of goods. Diverse commercial forms such as peddling and village shops as well as urban wholesale and retail traders played a prominent role in this growth. Among these commercial actors, Jewish merchants were a particularly interesting and important group. This article deals specifically with the production and distribution roles of Jewish merchants in early to mid-nineteenth century Gothenburg. Within this article, case studies of Moses Frenkel, the spouses Pineus, and L.E. Magnus & Co. have revealed that products were distributed in a wide geographical area mainly in western Sweden both through retailers in Gothenburg and by peddlers. This study also shows several examples of how this Jewish group cooperated through business and personal contacts. For example, they were members of the same companies and financially supported each other. In addition, they were often related to one another by marriage. The article stresses the importance of the Jewish merchants’ international network of contacts, which often consisted of fellow Jewish merchants. Many questions are yet to be answered, and these case studies would benefit through more systematic analysis of the commercial activity of Jewish merchants in Gothenburg. The small number of Jews within this group creates an opportunity to study the distinct roles of different types of contacts. In addition, this study could also be linked to previous research on trade networks in the early modern period. Further study of trade and commercial relations with foreign merchants and producers would make it possible to discuss the integration of Sweden into a European and even global market of consumer goods.
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10. |
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Dolda innovationer : textila produkter och ny teknik under 1800-talet
- 2013
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Editorial collection (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Den industriella revolutionen började med det textila. Med tillkomsten av fabrikerna började massproducerade vävnader av alla de slag översvämma marknaden. Ny teknik och en mångfald mönster, färger, material och olika slags design förebådar ett konsumtionssamhälle. Ett nytt Sverige och Norden.Denna bok om textila produktinnovationer har sin utgångspunkt i de kommersiella entreprenörer som växte fram i början av 1800-talet. De var ett nytt slags företagare med en internationell referensram som förmedlade av ny teknik och nya försäljningsmetoder från de industriella huvudländerna. Nu spreds den första industriella revolutionen från Storbritannien till regioner också i Europas utkant. Antologin ger en ny tolkning av den industriella revolutionens dynamik.Forskningen har kunnat visa att entreprenörerna spelade en avgörande roll framväxten av fabrikssystemet i Norden. De kombinerade kunskaper om tekniska och kommersiella utländska landvinningar med kunskap om den växande efterfrågan på skandinaviska hemmamarknaden. Sverige och de övriga nordiska länderna saknade stora städer och massmarknader. Konsumenterna bestod av små befolkningskoncentrationer som var spridda över en stor yta. Därför krävdes en mer aktiv försäljningsorganisation i Norden jämfört med övriga Europa. Mekaniker, formgivare, ämbetsmän och köpmän ingick i de textila entreprenörernas personliga nätverk.I antologin studerar en grupp textilforskare en magnifik tygprovssamling från KTH:s föregångare Tekniska Instituet. Syftet med undersökningarna är att belysa, utforska och precisera de små stegvisa men osynliga viktiga textiltekniska produktinnovationer (mönster, färgning, efterberedning) som förändrade textilmarknaden under 1800-talet. Resultaten visar vad dessa kommersiellt aktiva entreprenörer konkret gjorde när de revolutionerade textilmarknaden. Samlingen, som tidigare tillhörde Tekniska museet i Stockholm, har överförts till Textilmuseet i Borås där den förtecknats och konserverats. Projektet är ett samarbete mellan Textilmuseet, Uppsala universitet samt Textilhögskolan i Borås.
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