Myten om at ein stor stat fører til eit svakt samfunn

Abstract

Title: The Myth that a Strong State Leads to a Weak Society. Summary: This article discusses the myth that a strong state makes for a weak society. This is a myth evident both in the view that a comprehensive welfare state entails a weak civil society and the hypothesis that big government “crowds out” social capital. The article examines both of these views against the backdrop of the historical relationship between state and civil society in Norway. First, rather than undermining civil society, the article demonstrates how a strong welfare state has in fact co-existed with and encouraged over time the vitality of civil society, based on social movements with broad recruitment bases. In the Nordic countries, a specific kind of “state individualism” has also emerged. Second, the article argues that this strong civil society – today visible, for example, in the vitality of labour unions and growing participation in voluntary organizations in the fields of culture, sport and recreation – generates bridge-building social capital, thus weakening the “crowding-out” hypothesis. The final section of the article examines the myth that older people cared for by family members receive better care than those in the public healthcare system, in light of evidence that indicates care from family members can lead to asymmetrical relations or perceived indignity which in turn can jeopardize the quality of the interaction between the older person and the caregiver.