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Unpacking the modern working class: Life chances, social cohesion and recognition in an age of migration

With the surprising election of Donald Trump, and the Brexit vote in the UK, the question of the contemporary working class is back on the agenda. However, this is a category poorly understood in contemporary social science, and this is especially the case in Norway.

About the Project

Our project raises four crucial question that seek to describe the contemporary working class, its political orientation, lived experience and their media representations.

First, our project will detail the changing demographic composition of the group, with particular emphasis on its gender, ethnic and generational make-up. By taking advantage of the novel class scheme, ORDC, we will scrutinise changes both between the working class and other classes, as well as within the working class.

Second, we will detail their changing political orientation, with particular emphasis to generational shifts. We will also unpack its internal political heterogeneity, seeking to explain its fracturing into a loyal social-democratic wing and supporters of right-wing populism.

Third, we will study the representations of specific working-class occupations in the media, with emphasis on whether these representations are framed in terms of threat or conflict, and which topics characterize media coverage of these groups.

Fourth, we will inquire into the relationship between ascribed low-status of these occupations and workers' feelings of self-worth through interviews and participant observation. We will also study the relation between workers notions of the elite/the dominant cultural group and how they imagine their national belonging and access to power.

Objectives

Primary objective: To gather new knowledge about the working class, with special attention to the ethnic composition of this class, the relations within this category, and between workers and the broader society, its central institutions and the government.

Secondary objectives:

1) Study class formation and social mobility into and out of the working class.

2) Explore the political attitudes on migration and the welfare state, and the levels of social trust and political participation among workers.

3) Study how the working class, represented by specific occupations, is portrayed and represented in mass media.

4) Provide knowledge about contemporary cultures of esteem and recognition through conducting ethnographic fieldwork

Cooperation

Department of Jounalism and Media Studies, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences

NOVA, Norwegian Social Research, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences

Institute of Social Research

Funding scheme

The total grant award was for NOK 7 988 000.

Welfare, Working Life and Migration (VAM)

The Research Council of Norway

Publications

  • Flemmen, Magne & Savage, Mike (2017). The politics of nationalism and white racism in the UK. British Journal of Sociology.  ISSN 0007-1315.  68, s S233- S264 . doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.12311
  • Jarness, Vegard & Flemmen, Magne (2017). A Struggle on Two Fronts: Boundary Drawing in the Lower Region of the Social Space and the Symbolic Market for 'Down-to-Earthness'. British Journal of Sociology.  ISSN 0007-1315. . doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.12345
  • Schmitz, Andreas; Flemmen, Magne & Rosenlund, Lennart (2017). Social Class, Symbolic Domination, and Angst - The Example of the Norwegian Social Space. Sociological Review.  ISSN 0038-0261. . doi: 10.1177/0038026117738924
  • Figenschou, Tine Ustad; Eide, Elisabeth & Nilsen, Ruth Einervoll (2021). Investigations of a journalistic blind spot: Class, constructors, and carers in Norwegian media. Nordicom Review. ISSN 1403-1108. 42(3), p. 71–87. doi: 10.2478/nor-2021-0027.
  • Orupabo, Julia (2021). Enacting efficient care within a context of rationalisation. Sociological Review. ISSN 0038-0261. doi: 10.1177/00380261211052390. Full text in Research Archive
  • Orupabo, Julia (2021). Hverdagsmotstand: den skjulte kampen om anerkjennelse. In Ljunggren, Jørn & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (Ed.), Arbeiderklassen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202646240. p. 257–271.
  • Hansen, Marianne Nordli & Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Arbeiderklassen i Norge - definisjon, sammensetning og endring. In Ljunggren, Jørn & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (Ed.), Arbeiderklassen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202646240. p. 37–62.
  • Andersen, Patrick Lie & Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Tillitsfulle vinnere? Klasseforskjeller i tillit blant osloungdom. In Ljunggren, Jørn & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (Ed.), Arbeiderklassen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202646240. p. 413–432.
  • Helland, Håvard & Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Arbeidere og yrkesstatus i Likhets-Norge. In Ljunggren, Jørn & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (Ed.), Arbeiderklassen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202646240. p. 293–312.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Hvordan skape en arbeidskar. In Ljunggren, Jørn & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (Ed.), Arbeiderklassen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202646240. p. 199–214.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Å åpne opp arbeiderklassen. In Ljunggren, Jørn & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (Ed.), Arbeiderklassen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202646240. p. 19–36.
  • Eide, Elisabeth & Figenschou, Tine Ustad (2021). Arbeidsliv, arbeidsfolk og klasse i norske aviser. In Ljunggren, Jørn & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (Ed.), Arbeiderklassen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISSN 9788202646240. p. 331–352.
  • Halvorsen, Pål & Ljunggren, Jørn (2020). A new generation of business masculinity? Privileged high school boys in a gender egalitarian context. Gender and Education. ISSN 0954-0253. 33(5), p. 499–513 . doi: 10.1080/09540253.2020.1792845. Full text in Research Archive
  • Jarness, Vegard & Flemmen, Magne (2019). A struggle on two fronts: boundary drawing in the lower region of the social space and the symbolic market for ‘down‐to‐earthness. British Journal of Sociology. ISSN 0007-1315. 70(1), p. 166–189. doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.12345.
  • Orupabo, Julia & Nadim, Marjan (2019). Men doing women's dirty work: Desegregation, immigrants and employer preferences in the cleaning industry in Norway. Gender, Work & Organization. ISSN 0968-6673. 27, p. 347–361. doi: 10.1111/gwao.12378. Full text in Research Archive
  • Jarness, Vegard; Flemmen, Magne & Rosenlund, Lennart (2019). From Class Politics to Classed Politics. Sociology. ISSN 0038-0385. 53(5), p. 879–899. doi: 10.1177/0038038519838740. Full text in Research Archive
  • Flemmen, Magne; Jarness, Vegard & Rosenlund, Lennart (2018). Class and status: on the misconstrual of the conceptual distinction and a neo-Bourdieusian alternative. British Journal of Sociology. ISSN 0007-1315. 0(0), p. 1–51. doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.12508.

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  • Ljunggren, Jørn & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (2021). Arbeiderklassen. Cappelen Damm Akademisk. ISBN 9788202646240. 494 p.

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  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Fattige og ulikhetsutvikling i Norge de siste 40 årene.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Den norske arbeiderklassen.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Arbeiderklassen.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Er publikum kunstens nødvendige onde?
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Er den norske arbeiderklassen blitt konservativ?
  • Hansen, Marianne Nordli (2021). The Working Class and Social Inequality in the 21st Century: Marianne Nordli Hansen & Mike Savage - Institutt for sosiologi og samfunnsgeografi (ISS) (uio.no).
  • Hansen, Marianne Nordli (2021). The Working Class and Social Inequality in the 21st Century: Wendy Bottero & Shamus Khan.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Arbeiderklassegutter.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Jernrosaforedraget 2021.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Hvem er den norske arbeiderklassen.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2021). Den norske arbeiderklassen.
  • Orupabo, Julia; Ljunggren, Jørn ; Hansen, Marianne Nordli & Figenschou, Tine Ustad (2020). Den moderne arbeiderklassen. 1 Mai med Manifest Tankesmie. [Radio]. P2.
  • Figenschou, Tine Ustad; Eide, Elisabeth & Einervoll Nilsen, Ruth (2020). Investigations of a journalistic blind spot: Class, construction and carers in Norwegian media.
  • Orupabo, Julia & Ljunggren, Jørn (2020). Yrkesfag – en alternativ vei til integrering. Aftenposten (morgenutg. : trykt utg.). ISSN 0804-3116.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2020). Hvilken status har arbeidermannen i dagens Norge? Kilden kjønnsforskning.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2020). Det "nye" arbeidslivet. Norsk sosiologisk tidsskrift. ISSN 2535-2512. 4(1), p. 51–57.
  • Andersen, Patrick Lie & Ljunggren, Jørn (2019). Class Origin and Distrust among Adolescents: A cross-national comparison of distrust in 16 European countries.
  • Hansen, Marianne Nordli & Flemmen, Magne (2019). – Fattige velger ikke å ha lite penger. Aftenposten (morgenutg. : trykt utg.). ISSN 0804-3116. p. 3–3.
  • Hansen, Marianne Nordli & Ljunggren, Jørn (2019). Elite: Ordet toppene ikke bruker om seg selv. [Newspaper]. Aftenposten.
  • Andersen, Patrick Lie (2019). Political engagement and participation among youth. A cross-region comparison of the importance of social class origin in Europe. .
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2019). Å vokse opp i Oslo - ulikhetenes by.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2019). Manglende sosial bærekraft?
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2019). Når ulikhet følger geografiske skiller - tilfellet Oslo.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2019). Norge - et klassesamfunn?
  • Ljunggren, Jørn & Flemmen, Magne (2019). Klassesamfunnet 2.0.
  • Tica, Sabina & Ljunggren, Jørn (2019). The Workings of Racialization and Class in the Norwegian Field of Literature.
  • Andersen, Patrick Lie & Ljunggren, Jørn (2019). Class Origin and Distrust among Adolescents.
  • Andersen, Patrick Lie & Ljunggren, Jørn (2019). Class differences in political mistrust and political behaviour among youth.
  • Hansen, Marianne Nordli (2019). I en klasse for seg. [Internet]. https://www.forskerforum.no/i-en-klasse-for-seg/.
  • Hansen, Marianne Nordli & Flemmen, Magne (2018). Agendakveld: Er Norge et klassesamfunn?
  • Hansen, Marianne Nordli (2018). Utdanning til besvær – Hvilken rolle spiller skole og utdanning for de økonomiske forskjellene i befolkningen?
  • Hansen, Marianne Nordli (2018). Klasseanalyse – brennaktuell eller uvitenskapelig og utdatert?
  • Flemmen, Magne (2018). What does inequality do to us? .
  • Flemmen, Magne (2018). Politiske skillelinjer blant arbeidere.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2018). Constructing a Working Class Body.
  • Ljunggren, Jørn (2018). Å reise "hjem" - feltarbeid i et tidligere yrke.
  • Andersen, Patrick Lie & Ljunggren, Jørn (2018). Creating a Distrustful Working Class? Social Cohesion Among Adolescents in Oslo .
  • Eide, Elisabeth; Figenschou, Tine Ustad & Nilsen, Ruth Einervoll (2018). Constructors and Carers in Norwegian Press Coverage 1996-2017.
  • Uvaag, Stian Aleksander & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (2018). The Class Trajectories of Skilled and Unskilled Workers. Universitetet i Oslo.
  • Bennetzen, Johannes Emil & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (2018). Hvem gjelder det? En klasseanalyse av låneopptak i Norge. Universitetet i Oslo.
  • Ellingsen, Julie Hjelde & Hansen, Marianne Nordli (2018). "Fordi jeg har muligheten". En kvalitativ studie om Oslo-ungdommens vei inn i videregående skole. Universitetet i Oslo.

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Published Feb. 23, 2018 3:26 PM - Last modified Dec. 12, 2023 10:24 AM

Participants

Detailed list of participants