Halvard Vike

The book aims to explain the emergence of the Norwegian—and to some extent, the Scandinavian—welfare state in historical and anthropological terms. Halvard Vike argues that particular forms of political grassroots mobilization contributed heavily to what he calls “a low level of gravity state”—a political order in which decentralized institutions make it possible to curtail centralizing forces. While there is a large international literature on the Nordic welfare states, there is limited knowledge about how these states are embedded in local contexts. Vike's approach is based on an ethnographic practice which may be labeled “in and out of institutions.” It is based on ethnographic work in municipal assemblies, local bureaucracies, political parties, voluntary organizations, and various informal contexts.

The book aims to explain the emergence of the Norwegian—and to some extent, the Scandinavian—welfare state in historical and anthropological terms. Halvard Vike argues that particular forms of political grassroots mobilization contributed heavily to what he calls “a low level of gravity state”—a political order in which decentralized institutions make it possible to curtail centralizing forces. While there is a large international literature on the Nordic welfare states, there is limited knowledge about how these states are embedded in local contexts. Vike's approach is based on an ethnographic practice which may be labeled “in and out of institutions.” It is based on ethnographic work in municipal assemblies, local bureaucracies, political parties, voluntary organizations, and various informal contexts.

Denne sosialantropologiske studien fra Modum Bad undersøker disse spørsmålene – og mange flere. Studien bygger på deltakende observasjon av psykoterapeutisk behandling over en periode på om lag åtte måneder, og analyserer hvordan behandlingen skaper mening, gir inspirasjon til å ta risiko og tilegne seg ny erfaring. Den danner også grunnlag for felleskap og dialog. Den kaster samtidig lys over hvilke kulturelle og organisatoriske betingelser som gjør dette mulig, og retter blikket mot betydningen helsesport, miljøarbeid, sjelesorg og kulturaktiviteter får for pasienter som søker mestringsevne og helbredelse.

Denne boken gir et innblikk i det komplekse kulturbegrepet og kulturstudiers humanistiske teorigrunnlag, den sosiale og empiriske orienteringen etter britiske cultural studies, den kritisk reflekterte diskursive praksisen etter fransk forbilde og sentrale temaer i nye kulturstudier. Har litteraturliste og personregister.