Valerie-Therese Taus, M.A.

Dissertation Project

"Longing for the alp. Cultural anthropological considerations on the "idyllic rural life" and the stereotype of the dairymaid in the Enns valley” (Working title)

On the one hand, the aim is to describe the attraction of rural areas for city dwellers for a certain period of time as a kind of “break from everyday life” and to find out the decisive motives for it. On the other hand, the imagination of the dairymaid's stereotype should be scientifically examined and demonstrated. Heavy physical work, which has hardly appeared in previous literature, is also discussed. This is intended to be an example of social change.

This Phd project deals with the manifold changes in the working conditions of dairywomen (Sennerinnen) in Upper Styria but also with the changes in the – mostly urban and male – imaginations about this profession and thus fits very well into the thematic framework of “Transformations in European societies”.
The project shall cover the historical situation as well as newest tendencies, like the increasing interest of urban women to engage in alpine economy for some weeks to months. In this respect as well as in that of changing working conditions, the topic is very closely connected to the field of tourism research, but also to that of mobilities in different ways. Gender aspects are of course highly implicit.

Supervisor: Ao.Univ.-Prof. Dr. Burkhard Pöttler