Ideology and power: the influence of current neo‐liberalism in society

Abstract

Understanding power requires analysis of the intra-personal, interpersonal, inter-group as well as the ideological levels. The present study demonstrates the importance of the ideological level. A longitudinal analysis of media language in Norwegian public discourse demonstrates how the current globalised capitalist market ideology has increasingly permeated this longestablished Scandinavian welfare state; individualism increasing at the cost of communal values. The current hegemonic shift is reflected in that the usage of the Norwegian equivalents of

Responsibility for Psychological Sense of Community and Well-Being in Old Age: A Qualitative Study of Urban Older Adults in Norway

“…Triandis and Gelfand [30] as well as Gullestad [26] thus describe the Norwegian culture as individualistic but not a culture that favors hierarchy or competitiveness, as vertical individualistic cultures often do [31]. However, Norwegian values have recently changed towards a stronger vertical individualism [32].…”

Communal Values and Individualism in Our Era of Globalization: A Comparative Longitudinal Study of Three Different Societies

“…For example, "solidaritet" (solidarity) and "samhold" (cohesion) decreased by 43% and 48%, respectively, from 1990 to 2000, whereas "rettighet" (rights) increased by 17% and "brukere" (users) by formidable 131%. Our analyses indicate that in fl uences in the Norwegian society by globalizing neoliberalism peaked in the early 2000s (cf., also Nafstad et al 2007Nafstad et al , 2009a . Observing relative small changes in percentage (Table 4.4 ), fewer signi fi cant correlations with linear time, and smaller EMACs (Tables 4.1 , 4.2 , and 4.3 ) in Norway than in the other two societies across the past decade, it is reasonable to assume that globalizing neoliberalism has imbued the Western Norwegian welfare society years before the Ghanaian and Czech societies.…”

“…This ideology or worldview is based strongly on excessive individualism (Bauman 2000 ;Giddens 1991 ;Nafstad et al 2007Nafstad et al , 2009bStiglitz 2002 ) . Thereby, there is a danger of neglecting the human being as a social and civic virtuous person capable of empathy and concern for others and the common good (Batson 1991 ;Hoffman 2000 ;Nafstad 2005 ) .…”

To What Extent Does the Ideological Construct of Collectivism Continue to Govern the British Trade Union and Labour Movement?

“…Likewise, the changes in modern capitalism have had an impact on trade union collectivism. Individual union members increasingly find themselves in a world characterised by competition, freedom from others, self-fulfilment and consumerism -this undoubtedly impacting upon their activity (Nafstad & Blakar & Carlquist & Phelps & Rand-Hendriksen, 2007).…”