Many Norwegians are feeling guilty, according to Elisabeth Oxfeldt. The professor of Scandinavian literature at Oslo University says wealthy Norwegians are increasingly contrasting their comfortable lives with those of people who are struggling, particularly overseas.
Oh my, the poor dears!
“We’ve seen the emergence of a narrative of guilt about people’s privileged lives in a world where others are suffering,” she says. Thanks to its significant oil reserves, the largest in Europe after Russia’s, Norway is one of the world’s richest countries. The strength of its economy, as measured per member of its population, is almost twice that of the UK,, external and bigger even than that of the US. Norway even runs a budget surplus – its national income exceeds its expenditure. This is in marked contrast to most other nations, including the UK, which have to borrow money to cover their budget deficits.
And so, the bleak Scandinavian psyche must needs discover something to fret about, instead of revelling in their good fortune.
Prof Oxfeldt is an expert on how Scandinavian books, films and TV series reflect the wider culture of their time. She says she increasingly sees these mediums explore Norway’s wealth guilt.
“By looking at contemporary literature, films and TV series, I found that the contrast between the happy, fortunate or privileged self and the suffering ‘other’ brought about feelings of guilt, unease, discomfort or shame.
“Not everyone feels guilty, but many do,” adds Prof Oxfeldt, who has coined the phrase “Scan guilt”. Plots featured in recent Norwegian dramas include members of the “leisure class” who rely on services provided by migrant workers who reside in bedsits in their basements. Or women who realise that they have achieved gender equality in the workplace by relying on low-paid au pairs from poor countries to care for their children, says Prof Oxfeldt.
Hmm, doesn’t sound that different to the UK, really. Have they considered all getting columns in the ‘Guardian’ or ‘Independent’…?
Unsurprisingly, Norway has long been one of the happiest in the world, according to the World Happiness Report. It is currently in seventh place., external But on the other hand, reasons Børre Tosterud, an investor and retired hotelier, Norway’s “utter reliance on oil earnings” has resulted in an excessively large government budget, an inflated public sector, and a shortage of labour that holds back the private sector. “It’s not sustainable,” he insists.
It’s not? Oh, well, I guess that’s a warning our own government should be heeding, then. Anyone think they will?
