Fróðskaparrit - 01.07.2004, Page 9

FISKA ELLA IKKI FISKA. FATAN FØROYSKRA UNGDÓMSINS
AV FISKI OG FISKISKAPI
7
Societal shift
Before the crisis After the crisis
Division: ‘old generation’ ‘young generation’
Era: modernity late-modernity
(early modernity) liquid modernity (Bauman)
(late-traditional) reflexive modernity (Giddens)
Economy: industrial varied, knowledge-based
Family structure: nuclear family complex family entities
Development: continuity, stability discontinuity, risk
Culture: local, national local-global in inteiplay
Youth identity: collective, inherited individual, personal choice
Table 1
cal categories. The leap from the tradition-
al society of farmers and fishermen to to-
day’s highly modern Faroese society is
huge, but it happened within just a few gen-
erations (op.cit.). The adult Faroese popu-
lation is standing with one leg in traditional
society and the other in the global latemo-
dern world, but the youngsters, born in the
late 80s and 90s, have both feet safely
planted in post-crisis society, representing a
new generation with new opportunities and
preferences (op.cit.).
The cultural influence from abroad
through television, internet and other media
has increased gradually, the establishment
of a national Faroese television (Sjónvarp
Føroya) in 1984 symbolising the first big
step out of isolation (Forchhammer, 1998).
Satellite dishes and videos were also intro-
duced in the Faroe Islands in the mid-80s,
giving people direct access to foreign tele-
vision emissions and films. In the 90s came
the internet, e-mail, mobile phones etcete-
ra, and today there is no significant differ-
ence between Faroese and other Nordic and
European youth concerning the use of mo-
dern technologies of communication and
information. The consequences of the
opening towards globalisation and post-in-
dustrial society in the Faroe Islands are ex-
tensive, changing e.g. youth cultures and
identity, hence also priorities regarding ed-
ucation, lifestyle and working career.
Who wants to fish?
The interest in fish and fisheries, it must be
admitled, is rather limited among Faroese
teenagers anno 2003, maybe especially
arnong the Tórshavn youth. Only few low-
er secondary school pupils plan to make a