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Likhet Is Not Equality: Discussing Norway in English and Norwegian

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Egalitarianism in Scandinavia

Part of the book series: Approaches to Social Inequality and Difference ((ATSIAD))

Abstract

This chapter considers some views of Norwegian egalitarianism from the outside. English-language accounts of the Norwegian state describe a welfare state marked by national egalitarianism. This chapter argues that such an impression is misleading, and that the idealistic image is in fact doing the work of nationalism rather than political analysis. It contrasts such accounts with critiques of the notion of ‘likhet’ (“sameness”) in the Norwegian language and with writings on the nationalism of Norway by Norwegian anthropologists. In doing so, it demonstrates how easily social scientists may misinterpret the politics and sociology of other countries when they are represented in international debate by a few centrally placed authors who, intentionally or otherwise, reproduce the myths of nationhood.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Østerud 1984, cited in Eriksen (1993), 49.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham, UK

    Simone Abram

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  1. Simone Abram
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept of Social Anthropology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Synnøve Bendixsen

  2. University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    Mary Bente Bringslid

  3. University College Southeast Norway, Skien, Norway

    Halvard Vike

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Abram, S. (2018). Likhet Is Not Equality: Discussing Norway in English and Norwegian. In: Bendixsen, S., Bringslid, M., Vike, H. (eds) Egalitarianism in Scandinavia. Approaches to Social Inequality and Difference. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59791-1_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59791-1_4

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-59790-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-59791-1

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