Dugnad: A Fact and a Narrative of Norwegian Prosocial Behavior

Simon, Carsta; Mobekk, Hilde

doi:10.1007/s40614-019-00227-w

Cited by 20 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 58 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It comes from the old Norse word dugnaðr , meaning help, support or virtue, good quality. The word has been in Norwegian discourse for centuries, making it akin to a master narrative on unity and working together, which is also echoed in the foundations of the Norwegian welfare state (Lorentzen & Dugstad, 2011; Simon & Mobekk, 2019). Usually, dugnad is a shared project or undertaking that is performed by a local community, like a sports group or a housing association.…”

Section: The Norwegian Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

“Everybody Needs to Do Their Part, So We Can Get This Under Control.” Reactions to the Norwegian Government Meta‐Narratives on COVID‐19 Measures

Moss

Sandbakken

2021

Political Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

On March 12, 2020, the Norwegian government put the country on lock‐down to get the COVID‐19 situation under control. Making people adhere to restrictive measures is difficult. Even so, the Norwegian government largely succeeded in getting the population to comply and became the first European country to announce control over the situation. In this study, we ask what narratives the government put forth in their communication of the measures and how these measures were handled and made sense of in personal narratives at the general population level. We base our discussion on near daily government press conferences in March–April, as well as qualitative interviews with 16 individuals. Using a cultural narrative perspective on the data, we tie these meta‐narratives and personal narratives together. Persuading people to comply with prevention and control measures in a crisis is crucial, and our study shows the importance of the selection of meta‐narratives. There will be cultural differences in governance and receptiveness of the population across different settings, and our study suggests that governments will have to balance where on different continua they place their COVID‐19 narratives, balancing freedom up against restrictions, hope against fear, and individualism against solidarity. Highlights Practitioners and policymakers need to be aware of the narratives they use to communicate COVID‐19 measures and how these fit with the overarching narratives in society. Using narratives that resonate as much as possible with people's personal narratives may aid meaning making and compliance. Practitioners also need to balance where on different continua they place their COVID‐19 narratives: balancing freedom against restrictions, hope against fear, and individualism against solidarity. The ideal placement of the narratives depends on culture and context. Ambiguously communicated messages make room for subjective interpretations in people's everyday lives, allowing for differing and conflicting personal narratives. Therefore, communication should be as concrete and consistent as possible.

show abstract

Section: The Norwegian Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Nordic model consists of a welfare model with high taxes, a large public sector, and inclusive welfare structures (Simon & Mobekk, 2019). Being a high-trust society, Norwegian citizens express trusting the government to a larger degree than many other countries (OECD, 2017).…”

Section: The Norwegian Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Everybody Needs to Do Their Part, So We Can Get This Under Control.” Reactions to the Norwegian Government Meta‐Narratives on COVID‐19 Measures

Moss

Sandbakken

2021

Political Psychology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Context is crucial when investigating how individuals handle the COVID-19 pandemic (Jetten et al, 2021 ). Norway is a welfare state, characterised by a certain redistribution of income through high taxes to pay for inclusive welfare structures, as well as an extensive public sector (Simon & Mobek, 2019 ). This structure ensures access to social welfare services for people, regardless of income.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Now We Are All in the Same Boat. At the Same Time, We Are Not.” Meaning-Making and Coping Under COVID-19 Lockdown in Norway

Sandbakken

Moss

2021

Hu Arenas

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

On March 12, 2020, Norway went on lockdown to handle the COVID-19 outbreak. Near overnight, people faced a new and unfamiliar situation, with restrictive measures in place, extensive uncertainty and the closing down of much of society. The present study explores the meaning-making and coping in everyday life of 16 participants interviewed early in the pandemic. Norway, compared to many other settings in the world, is a privileged context. Nonetheless, participants struggled with this breach with their normal lives. The participants spoke of adapting to the new normal, how the concept of time had changed, how they handled socialisation, dealing with restricted freedom, and imagining the future. Actively drawing on communal coping, as well as problem-focused and emotion-focused individual coping strategies, participants’ accounts illustrate the on-going process of making meaning of their new lives under lockdown. In our discussion, we synthesise various coping processes that the participants made use of in their handling of the new situation. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is a shared stressor, it influences people differently, and our research contributes with valuable insights into this variation. The recognition of different meaning-making and coping strategies is crucial, as it can constructively inform the development of political and social responses to the pandemic that actively encompasses the variation in individual experiences and ramifications.

show abstract

“…Third, the results lead to thinking about the social relevance of school and its potential to make substantive changes in individuals and therefore society. For example, in areas, such as civic education, if it is conceived not only as a cognitive exercise for learning concepts but also is stimulated with prosocial behaviors, its potential contribution in the formation of happier citizens is augmented (Simon and Mobekk, 2019;Lubian, 2020) and from multiple perspectives of happiness (Ryan and Deci, 2001;Keyes et al, 2002;Lyubomirsky, 2008;Waterman, 2008;Seligman, 2011;Goodman et al, 2018). At the same time, they would be more committed to the issues of their community and its development (Eisenberg et al, 2006;Grant and Dutton, 2012;Luengo et al, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At societal level, prosocialness promotes civic virtue, which in turn is positively associated with happiness (Simon and Mobekk, 2019;Lubian, 2020); moreover, it constitutes an effective way to increase happiness sustainably (Lai et al, 2020), which can also involve the economic dimension (Aknin et al, 2020;Dunn et al, 2020). This is relevant since a common goal of human beings is to achieve happiness (Buss, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prosocialness and Happiness in Chilean Student Teachers

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The aim of the study was to evaluate the relation between prosocialness and happiness in a sample of student teachers (N=224, age=21.42). Adapted versions of a prosocialness scale and another on happiness were used. A structural equations model was estimated that presented a suitable fit (CFI=0.951; TLI=0.944 and RMSEA=0.065). The results yielded a positive relation between prosocialness and happiness. Its implications for initial teacher training are discussed.

show abstract

Dugnad: A Fact and a Narrative of Norwegian Prosocial Behavior

Cited by 20 publications

References 58 publications

“Everybody Needs to Do Their Part, So We Can Get This Under Control.” Reactions to the Norwegian Government Meta‐Narratives on COVID‐19 Measures

“Everybody Needs to Do Their Part, So We Can Get This Under Control.” Reactions to the Norwegian Government Meta‐Narratives on COVID‐19 Measures

“Now We Are All in the Same Boat. At the Same Time, We Are Not.” Meaning-Making and Coping Under COVID-19 Lockdown in Norway

Prosocialness and Happiness in Chilean Student Teachers

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About