Books published by Finnish Literature Society

Words as Events introduces the tradition of short, communicative rhyming couplets, the mantinádes, as still sung and recited in a variety of performance situations on the island of Crete. Recently, these poems have also entered modern mass media and they are widely being exchanged as text messages by Cretans. Focusing on the multi-functionality of the short form, Sykäri demonstrates how the traditional register gives voice to individual experiences in spontaneous utterances. The local focus on communicative economy and artistry is further examined in a close analysis of the processes and ideals of composition. By analyzing how the "restrictions" of form and performative conventions in fact generate impulses of creativity, the author creates a theoretical approach that is sensitive to the special characteristics of the short, rhymed poetic traditions.In this interdisciplinary study, the reader is invited to become familiar with the current folklore theory of oral poetry, which has a long tradition in Finland. The author combines the results of earlier folkloristic and anthropological insights, and extends the theoretical concerns further to address questions of spontaneity and individual agency. The research data has been produced in communicative interactions during long-term fieldwork. As a result, the short, rhymed poetry, often neglected by scholars in earlier research paradigms, can now be seen in new light - specifically as dialogic poetry - through its extended, multi-layered dialogic qualities.

Talk in interaction - Comparative dimensions is a collection of current conversation analytical work on interactional practices. How do speakers correct the errors made by other speakers? How is disappointment expressed in interaction? How are disputes constructed in different kinds of interaction? Do girls and boys construct play interaction in the same way? These are among the topics addressed in the volume.The central theme of the volume is comparative analysis of interactional practices. The authors analyse the specific phenomena through different kinds of comparative perspectives. Some of the studies analyse the different ways of construction a certain conversational action, some compare the realization of certain activities in different kinds of interactions (e.g. everyday vs. institutional interaction), and some explore the culture- and language-specific aspects of interaction. In addition, the articles address the issues of gender and the change in interactional practices over the time. Furthermore, the volume explores the possibilities and challenges of comparative analysis within conversation analysis in general.

Democracy is today a concept that is overwhelmingly positively evaluated almost everywhere. A lot has been written about socio-economic and cultural backgrounds of democratic regimes as well as their institutional settings. By contrast, not much is known about the political manoeuvres and speech acts by which 'democracy' has been tied to particular regions and cultures in concrete historical situations.This book discusses a series of efforts to rhetorically produce a particular Nordic version of democracy. It shows that the rhetorical figure 'Nordic democracy' was a product of the age of totalitarianism and the Cold War. It explores the ways in which 'Nordic democracy' was used, mainly by the social democrats, to provide the welfare politics with cultural and historical legitimacy and foundations. Thus, it also acknowledges the ideological and geopolitical context in which the 'Nordic welfare state' was conceptualised and canonised.The contributors of the book are specialists on Nordic politics and history, who share a particular interest in political rhetoric and conceptual history.