Conditional Belonging: Middle-Class Ethnic Minorities in Norway

Abstract

This chapter discusses how Norwegian egalitarianism is played out in specific ways in relation to an emerging segment of middle class ethnic minorities. Based on a study of highly-educated descendants of migrants from Pakistan, the chapter investigates how they work on their social habitus to become accepted as middle class in Norway. The significance of egalitarianism must be studied empirically in relation to particular contexts and segments of society, as social boundaries are classed in specific ways and as class defines the ideals of equality. For middle class ethnic minorities, the need to fit in in order to be seen as equal and to achieve belonging becomes precarious in specific ways in particular moments in time. The term conditional belonging is used to underline how feelings of belonging to Norway co-exists with awareness of the conditionality of this belonging and of not being in control of these conditions.