From liberation to rights: the organized men’s movement in Norway, 1978–1980

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research article investigates the historical and organizational dynamics of the Norwegian Men’s Liberation Movement, contrasting it with similar men’s movements in Western contexts. Emerging in the 1970s, men’s liberation movements in the United States and other Western countries initially sought to address male roles through feminist-inspired critiques but evolved into platforms expressing male grievances, leading to the rise of men’s rights activism. The study focuses on Norway’s ‘Mannebevegelsen’, which, unlike its counterparts, did not transition into a typical men’s rights agenda but was influenced by a specific demographic – fathers without custody – shaping its objectives and leading to its structural and ideological fragility. This shift underscores the significance of organizational structure in influencing the trajectory and longevity of men’s movements. Utilizing social movement theory and a detailed examination of the Norwegian context, this paper explores why the movement diverged from similar movements in Sweden and Denmark, and why the Norwegian experiment proved relatively short-lived. The findings highlight how different factors, beyond ideological shifts, such as individual agency and backing from ‘agency-laden institutions’, critically shape the evolution of men’s movements.