Television ‐‐ Challenge or Threat to Social Identity in Small Language Communities?

Abstract

In small language communities, radio, books and the press are regarded as the carriers of the national culture. Television, however, is considered as something coming from outside, threatening the local culture and identity. In two of the world's smallest small language communities ‐‐ Greenland and the Faroe Islands ‐ television was introduced very late (in 1969 and 1979 respectively) and has had an appreciable effect on the media structure and culture. Regarding the author's studies of the introduction of television (in Greenland in 1971) and in the Faroe Islands in 1979‐80) and the social premises, the question is discussed of whether television has had a dominant effect (maybe even a destructive one) and what more general media‐political experiences can be derived which are common for small language communities.