essay

The mountain woman and the presidency

images of contemporary iceland : everyday lives and global contextsIowa City • Published In 1996 • Pages: 106-125

By: Inga Dóra Björnsdóttir.

Abstract
In June 1980 Iceland elected Vigdís Finnbogadóttir as first woman president of the republic. It is a popular belief in Iceland that Finnbogadóttir's election reflects Icelander's age-old liberal attitudes toward women, and that as president she has been an exemplary advocate of women's liberation in Iceland (p. 106). In addition to details of the election itself, and Finnbogadóttir's role and function as president, this essay also presents information on previous presidents of the republic, the development of nationalism in the country with its identification with the Mountain Woman as one of the central symbols in Icelandic nationalist discourse, and the evolution of the women's movement in Iceland (the Red Stocking Movement).
Subjects
Cultural identity and pride
Public lectures
Chief executive
External relations
Political parties
Elections
Political movements
culture
Icelanders
HRAF PubDate
2004
Region
Europe
Sub Region
Scandinavia
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Type
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle ; 2002
Field Date
no date
Coverage Date
ca. 1944-1980s
Coverage Place
Iceland
Notes
Inga Dóra Björnsdóttir
For bibliographical references see document 20:[Gísli Pálsson and E. Paul Durrenberger]
LCCN
9535078
LCSH
Icelanders