This article explores how three 21st century Swedish language textbooks represent gendered and cultural diversity for 10-year-old pupils through the use of names. The study is inspired by a Progressive Discourse Analytic approach (cf Hughes 2018), which aims to identify limiting representations (re)constructing prejudice or bias as well aspotentially emancipatory representations offering readers to imagine diversity in new ways. The study focuses on primary school textbooks and an age group that has received little attention in previous research, but is of greatimportance,since pupils’ own experience of the world at this point are still limited, giving authoritative textbooks a stronger influence (Weninger & Williams 2005). By combining quantitative and qualitative approaches, the study discusses who is treated as important enough to be known by name and which cultural and gendered identities seem emphasized or hidden in the construction of diversity. In addition, the study discusses the specific role of naming as tool for inclusion in a multi-semiotic discursive textbook landscape. © 2025 Emilia Aldrin

De personnamn vi bär är språkliga uttryck som är tätt sammanvävda med det vi kallar ”identitet”. Ur ett språkvetenskapligt perspektiv är detta inte så konstigt; namn finns ju till just för att vi ska kunna identifiera, individualisera och singularisera referenter runt omkring oss (Andersson 1996). Vi tar till namn när substantiv och nominalfraser inte räcker till för att vi ska vara entydigt säkra på att vi pratar om samma referenter. Det är helt enkelt inbyggt i namnens funktion i språket att identifiera och fungera som symboler för identiteter. Detta medför att det skapas en relation mellan namn och identitet som befästs och förstärks varje gång namnet används. I psykologiska studier har forskare kunnat påvisa samband mellan uppskattning av det egna förnamnet och graden av självkänsla eller välmående (Joubert 1993, Koole m.fl. 2001), det vill säga empiriskt belägga att förhållningssättet till namnet och förhållningssättet till jaget verkar gå hand i hand. Att omgivningen också drar slutsatser om människors identiteter utifrån namn har framkommit inom bland annat socialpsykologin (t.ex. Mehrabian 2001). I den här artikeln är det dock inte vilka identiteter som helst som står i fokus, utan specifikt diskuteras namns betydelse som resurs för genusrelaterade identiteter. Syftet är dels att föra samman empiriska exempel på hur detta kan te sig i olika sammanhang utifrån min egen forskning, dels att peka på några tendenser inom forskningsfältet som helhet. Texten baseras löst på det plenarföredrag som framfördes under konferensen ”Språk, kön och identitet” i Uppsala, november 2023.

This study examines how place perceptions are presented through naming practices to young readers in school textbooks. The analysis focuses on the inclusion, presentation and contextualization of named places in Swedish textbooks from three subjects (mathematics, social sciences and Swedish language education), employing both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Furthermore, the study reveals shifts in place perceptions over time by comparing contemporary textbooks from the 2010s with historic textbooks from the 1920s. The findings indicate significant changes in geographical representation, reflecting broader societal shifts and highlighting the crucial importance of naming practices in the discursive construction of ideologically colored word views. While the 1920s textbooks display a primary focus on local, Nordic as well as rural places, constructing a strongly domestic and euro-centric worldview, by the 2010s, we find a more urbanized discourse with broader global representation. However, Europe remains prominent even in the contemporary textbooks and is contextually portrayed with a greater sense of closeness, familiarity and unity, contrasting with Asia and Africa, which are depicted as more foreign, tumultuous and non-attractive places. This study contributes to understanding the role of textbook naming practices in shaping students’ perceptions of the world and underlines the importance of critically examining authoritative educational materials for ideological biases. © Emilia Aldrin

This article discusses personal names as a crucial linguistic resource for the construction of gender-related identities. It identifies and discusses trends in research on naming and gender, aiming to highlight key publications, point out changes over time, and suggest fruitful areas for further research. Using a personal name constitutes a categorizing linguistic act that contributes to the construction of gender identities, as well as indexically linking assumptions about gender-related embodiments, roles, and identities to specific types of denominations. Moreover, name usage creates conditions for renegotiating or breaking existing gender-related norms. Research on naming and gender is a well-established international and interdisciplinary field of study. This article particularly emphasizes Nordic studies but does so based on references to a broad international research context.

Navneforskning – herunder socioonomastisk forskning – er et lille forskningsfelt, og i Norden er der få forskere i hvert land. Derfor har et fælles nordisk netværk en vigtig rolle at spille i at skabe en kritisk masse og mulighed for at udnytte fordelene ved fælles fodslag. Desuden har vi i de nordiske lande betydelige ligheder i navnebrug og i sammenhængen mellem navne og sociale strukturer. Dette kan udnyttes ved at studere navne ud fra et fælles nordisk grundlag af ensartede problemstillinger. Samtidig er der også vigtige forskelle mellem de nordiske lande som er interessante at undersøge i både historisk og nutidigt perspektiv. Nordiske navneforskere har udført en stor mængde socioonomastisk forskning med forskellige vinkler, data og teoretiske grundlag. Forskningssamarbejde mellem nordiske socioonomastiske forskere har dog tidligere været sjældent. Derfor satte vi os for at skabe et forskningsnetværk med fokus på nye tendenser inden for nordisk socioonomastik og dermed stimulere et styrket samarbejde og en innovativ forskningsudvikling inden for området. På den måde forsøger vi også at understøtte feltets fremtidige tilpasning til moderne forhold ved at drage fordel af nyere arbejde inden for tilstødende forskningsfelter. I denne artikel beskriver vi netværkets dannelse, dets mål og aktiviteter, og vi identificerer nogle konklusioner med det formål at inspirere og understøtte dannelsen af yderligere onomastiske netværk.

Name changing is an under-researched topic in socio-onomastics. In this article, we extend knowledge of and understanding about gender and name changing by analysing ‘enrolled deed polls’, which people in the United Kingdom can use to change any part or all parts of their names. We examine which names are changed in relation to gender, including those we linked to transitions in gender identity. Our quantitative analyses of 10 665 enrolled deed polls for the period 1998–2019 shows that, over time, women have replaced men as the majority of applicants for name change and that, compared to men, women are more likely to make ‘surname only’ changes to their name. Among men applicants, there was an increase over time in changes made to first and middle names (a doubled figure in 2019 compared to 1998). Although case numbers are small, of the name changes we attributed to gender transition, the majority were changes made to the applicant’s first name and/or middle name. Our article concludes by reflecting on what our analysis of otherwise unexamined records of enrolled deed polls reveals about the (re)doing of gender identities through name changing in contemporary societies.