Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht die Konstruktion von Identität in den Diskursen dergermanisch-neuheidnischen Bewegung in den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika. ErsteOrganisationen des Asatru, wie die Anhänger selbst ihre Religion nennen, entstanden in den siebziger Jahren und sind seitdem stetig angewachsen. Asatru versteht sich als die indigene Religion der Europäer, distanziert sich dementsprechend deutlich vor christlich geprägtenLeitkultur der amerikanischen Gesellschaft und erscheint dabei doch im Gegensatz zu den meisten anderen neuheidnischen Strömungen erstaunlich wertekonservativ. Asatru, so meine These, reagiert auf die Krise der Moderne und die daraus resultierende Krise westlicher Identität, indem es ebendiese Identität auf Grundlage einer diskursivenKonstruktion europäischer Ethnizität neu definiert. Die Notwendigkeit einer Neudefinierung euroamerikanischer Identität ergibt sich aus dem anwachsenden Druck, den die nicht-europäischen Minoritäten in ihren Bestrebungen zur Durchsetzung der eigenen kulturellen und politischen Interessen auf die vorherrschende europäisch geprägte Kultur in den Vereinigten Staaten ausüben. Da diese vorherrschende Kultur in der Tradition der europäischen Moderne steht, ist die von ihr gestiftete westliche Identität geprägt von Normen und Werten, die als absolut und universell gültig definiert sind. Daher ist die Erfahrung einer zunehmendpluralistischen Gesellschaft problematisch für die westliche Identität. Asatru scheint seinenAnhängern eine Lösung dieses Problems zu bieten.Um die Qualität dieser Lösung aufzuzeigen, werden nach einer allgemeinen Einführung zur amerikanischen Asatrubewegung zunächst der sich aus den pluralistischen Tendenzen in der amerikanischen Gesellschaft ergebende Kulturkonflikt sowie die Ursachen undAuswirkungen der Krise der Moderne aufgezeigt. Darauf folgt eine Diskursanalyse zurKonstruktion von Identität im Asatru. Der Schwerpunkt liegt dabei auf der Konstruktion von Ethnizität, welche jedoch vom religiösen Diskurs und der Konstruktion religiöser Identität nicht abzulösen ist. Integraler Bestandteil dieser ethnisch-religiösen Identität ist eine Ethik, die in groben Zügen ebenfalls untersucht wird. Abschließend widmet sich diese Arbeit der Frage nach der Einordnung der Asatru-Religion und der von ihr neudefinierten kulturellen Identität in die gegenwärtigen politisch-kulturellen Zusammenhänge der Amerikanischen Gesellschaft.
Table of Contents
Prologue: Ancient Bones and Current Contention
1. Introductory: Allies of Asgard in America
Overview: Community History of American Asatru
Review: Previous Perspectives and Pretermissions
Preview: Outline of Procedure
2. Kennewick Man, Cultural Pluralism, and the Postindustrial Crisis of Western Modernity
Bones to Pick over Discursive Power
Reorganization and Repercussions of Modernity
Alterternative Geographies, Competing Modernities, and the Reality of Religion
3. Ancestry, Ethnicity, and the Politics of Belonging
Of Longing and Not Belonging
Of Lost and Reclaimed Belongings
Of Belonging and Borderlines of Order
4. Community, Commitment, and the Practice of Being True
Togetherness and the Motivation to Mastery
Commitment and the Moods of Virtuous Conduct
5. In Conclusion: Rescue Unit Asatru?
Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis examines the construction of identity within the Asatru movement in the United States, specifically focusing on how the reconstruction of a pre-Christian Germanic religion serves as a response to the perceived crisis of Western identity in a modern, pluralistic society. It explores how adherents invent a European ethnicity to anchor their individual and communal identity, thereby asserting a meaningful existence within a postindustrial context.
- The role of the Kennewick Man controversy as a catalyst for Asatru public visibility.
- Discursive construction of ethnic and religious identity among modern Heathens.
- The critique of Western modernity and the quest for spiritual "homecoming."
- The ethics of "living true" and the practice of individual empowerment through ritual.
- The challenge of reconciling ancestral traditions with a pluralistic American cultural landscape.
Excerpt from the Book
BONES TO PICK OVER DISCURSIVE POWER
As I interpret the unconcluded affair around Kennewick Man, it presents a fine example of the ongoing cultural and sociopolitical crisis which, whenever it erupts in conflicts such as this one, emerges like the skeleton from the closet of political correctness and affirmative action: For what is really at stake in the controversy, is not only the assertion of hard-won Native American rights against the interests of a powerful science lobby, but also, vice versa, the defense of a well-established cultural paradigm, of which science is a highly prestigious ingredient, against the encroachment of pluralism exercised by a minority culture that, until recently, had been effectively marginalized but can no longer be ignored. As the lengthy litigation implies, the supremacy of that cultural paradigm has become impeachable. Indeed, NAGPRA legislation itself was a direct assault on its sovereignty insofar as it compelled the public institutions of archeological research and education, which are a cherished offspring of that paradigm, to compromise with the sensibilities of a minority religion.
Summary of Chapters
Prologue: Ancient Bones and Current Contention: Introduces the Kennewick Man discovery and the subsequent legal and symbolic battle over his remains, highlighting the intersection of science, Native American heritage, and Asatru claims.
1. Introductory: Allies of Asgard in America: Provides an overview of the Asatru community's organizational history, defining the scope of the study and the author's critical, alternative approach to existing scholarly perspectives.
2. Kennewick Man, Cultural Pluralism, and the Postindustrial Crisis of Western Modernity: Analyzes the Kennewick Man affair as a site of discursive struggle, linking the crisis of hegemonic culture to the emergence of Asatru as a form of cultural navigation.
3. Ancestry, Ethnicity, and the Politics of Belonging: Explores how Asatruar construct a "new order" by defining ethnic identity in terms of belonging and difference, using rhetorical devices to reclaim a sense of historical continuity.
4. Community, Commitment, and the Practice of Being True: Examines the ethical framework of Asatru, focusing on how communal rituals and personal commitments empower the individual to "live true" within a secular society.
5. In Conclusion: Rescue Unit Asatru?: Synthesizes the findings, arguing that Asatru functions as a "rescue unit" for Western values while attempting to provide a viable identity structure in the postmodern age.
Keywords
Asatru, Heathenism, Identity Construction, Ethnicity, Cultural Pluralism, Kennewick Man, NAGPRA, Modernity, Discourse Analysis, Ancestry, Belonging, Reconstructionism, Ritual, Ethics, Postindustrial Society.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
This thesis examines the construction of identity within the Asatru (Germanic neo-pagan) community in the United States, specifically exploring how this religion addresses the crisis of Western identity in a pluralistic society.
What are the central themes discussed?
Key themes include the invention of European ethnicity, the importance of ancestry and belonging, the critique of modern hegemonic culture, and the role of ritual practice in fostering community and individual empowerment.
What is the core research question?
The research investigates how identity is constructed in Asatru discourse, how this identity affects the lives of its practitioners, and how this cultural innovation impacts the broader American cultural landscape.
Which methodology is employed?
The work utilizes a discursive approach, analyzing writings, manifestos, and theological treatises from prominent Asatru authors and organizations to understand how they construct meaning and identity.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body explores the social background of American Asatru, the discursive significance of the Kennewick Man controversy, the political and ethnic construction of belonging, and the ethical practices that define the "Heathen" subject.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Essential keywords include Asatru, Heathenism, ethnic identity, postmodernity, cultural pluralism, and the politics of belonging.
Why did Asatru followers enter the Kennewick Man dispute?
The Asatru Folk Assembly viewed the controversy as a unique opportunity to enter the public discourse and assert a respectable place for their religion, claiming the skeleton as a symbol of pre-Christian European roots in America.
How does Asatru ethics differ from traditional Christian morality?
Asatru ethics are portrayed as "situational" and value-based, emphasizing individual empowerment, self-reliance, and direct relationships with ancestors and gods, rather than obedience to absolute laws, sin, or guilt-based religious structures.
Is Asatru considered a conservative movement?
While the movement often emphasizes traditional values and gender roles, the author argues it is not simply a version of the religious political right, as its schemes for "rescuing" society are rooted in ecological complexity rather than authoritarian moralism.
- Citation du texte
- Gundula E. Rommel (Auteur), 2004, Asgard in America, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/174179
