Norwegian Society Research Articles

Norwegian society of rheumatology recommendations on diagnosis and treatment of patients with Polymyalgia Rheumatica: a narrative review

BackgroundTo provide evidence-based, up-to-date recommendations for physicians in primary and specialist healthcare setting in diagnosing and treating patients with polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).MethodsThe PMR working group conducted a narrative review of the available evidence in the field and wrote the draft guidelines. These guidelines were discussed and revised according to the standard operating procedures within the Norwegian Society of Rheumatology. The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) and American College of Rheumatology (ACR) recommendations for the management of PMR, the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR) guidelines for the management for PMR, the treat-to-target recommendations in giant cell arteritis and PMR and the 2023 recommendations for early referral of individuals with suspected polymyalgia rheumatica were used in particular for purpose of harmonization.ResultsA total of 10 recommendations have been formulated covering initial diagnostic investigations, comorbidity assessment, imaging, specialist referral criteria, treatment involving glucocorticoids and steroid-sparing agents and follow-up care.ConclusionNorwegian recommendations for diagnostics and treatment to improve management and outcome in patients with PMR were developed.

Levekår, emosjonelle plager, resiliens og foreldrestress – en kartlegging av flyktningfamilier fra Ukraina

The integration program in Norway is mandatory and offered by all municipalities to newly arrived refugees. The program offers education-oriented activities on Norwegian society, including mandatory parent programs. In 2023, a decision was made to allow municipalities to shorten this element for families from Ukraine, due to capacity constraints. To make informed adjustments, the municipalities need more information about the needs of parents from Ukraine. This article aims to provide knowledge that can help decision-makers plan and implement further adaptations of social and health services. The participants were families with children aged 6-12 from seven municipalities. They answered an electronic questionnaire that included questions on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (short version), the Resilience Scale for Adolescents, and the Parenting Stress Index (short version). Our study reveals that refugees from Ukraine are a vulnerable group with significantly low economic living conditions, and 26 % of the sample reported symptoms of anxiety and depression. Despite this, parents demonstrated resilience through their social resources, family cohesion, and low levels of parental stress. However, it is important to note that mental health issues and increased parental stress may emerge after a certain period following flight and settlement in Norway, and poor financial conditions can exacerbate these concerns. Keywords: parent programs, refugees, Ukraine, low economic conditions

From Transmitting Authority to Quiet Adaptation: Social Change and the Translation of Islamic Knowledge in Norway

Abstract This article explores the transmission of textual Islamic knowledge in Norway—a context in which Muslims form a religious minority—using a pioneering method: studying the translation of texts. Many Muslims in Norway either came from another country themselves or have progenitors who did. Important texts relating to Islam have mostly been available in languages other than Norwegian. This makes it possible to use translation as a lens for understanding how Islamic knowledge is transmitted. I identify two tendencies in the transmission of Islamic knowledge through translation. Translation often cements the status of established and canonized texts and authors. But translation activities also show an adaptation to norms in Norwegian society. Texts pertaining to politically charged issues have sometimes been avoided altogether, and the wording of charged sections has in some instances been subtly changed. I label this process quiet adaptation. Many of the translated texts espouse a normativity that is more palatable to Norwegian society at large, and which Muslims living in Norway can more easily identify with. I conclude by discussing how the study of translation can be used as a way to explore social change in Muslim and other diaspora groups in Europe.

The contested terrain of sport, media & indigenous representation: a case study of sámi sport organisation in Norway

This paper examines the representation of Sámi sport in Norwegian media by applying a Nordic-informed ‘critical ethnicity theory’, and a media framing perspective. The study extends previous analyses that have focused on media stereotyping of Indigenous athletes to explore how the media represent Sámi sport. Drawing from a combined quantitative and qualitative analysis of Norwegian print media from 1994-2017, Sámi sport is represented as both a unique organisational phenomenon and as part of the overarching Norwegian sport context. Three main findings are revealed. First, Sámi sport has shifted from being an exotic exhibit to being framed as a potential partner for mainstream (Norwegian) sport within specific contexts, such as during an Olympic bid process. Second, there is an emerging tension between the understanding and celebration of Sámi sport as something exclusive within Norwegian society and its potential to be inclusive via organisational mergers. Third, the findings illustrate the need to recognise that Sámi culture, including sport, also spans Sweden, Finland, and Russia thus any structural reorganisation creates consequences across multiple state borders. Overall, the results indicate several co-existing, and sometimes competing and contradictory representations, all of which must consider the postcolonial conditions of the Sámi as an Indigenous people.

Scholars and Literati at the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters (1760–1800)

Scholars and Literati at the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters (1760–1800)

The Sámi Pathfinders: Addressing the Knowledge Gap in Norwegian Mainstream Education

For at least two decades, lack of knowledge about the Sámi in Norway has been recognised as a reason for the perpetuation of stereotypes and discriminatory acts and hate speech towards them. Education about the Sámi, their lifeways, culture and rights is posited as a means of closing this gap, with the intention of influencing the majority Norwegian society’s attitudes towards the Sámi. The relatively new Norwegian curriculum (LK20) reflects this understanding. It requires teachers at every level of the educational system to include Sámi perspectives and themes in all subjects. This paper looks at how Indigenous Education is included in mainstream schools in Norway. It asks, if Indigenous Education can provide a counterbalance to existing stereotypes and discrimination of the Sámi People, then what kind of knowledge is sufficient to this end? To explore this, I specifically consider the efforts of the Sámi Pathfinders—a group of young Sámi adults (18–25 years) who visit and provide lectures about Sámi history, language and culture for Norwegian high school pupils. Through semi-structured interviews with five Pathfinders, I explored what kind of Indigenous Education they provide, how the Pathfinders interpret their role in relation to combatting stereotypes and discrimination, and their perception of the impact they have. Through reflexive thematic analysis, this study confirmed that there is a lack of knowledge about the Sámi in mainstream education. It also shows that most teachers did not prepare their pupils for the Pathfinders’ visit. Although the Pathfinders’ visit arguably improved pupils’ and teachers’ knowledge about the Sámi, this research suggests that how and how often knowledge is presented matters. It also suggests that who presents knowledge is a factor. Indigenous knowledge that is coupled with contact that is sufficiently close, positive and frequent has greater potential in altering discriminatory tendencies towards the Sámi.

African Academics in Norway: Experiences of Inclusion and Exclusion and Impact on Mental Wellbeing

This study explored the experiences of inclusion and exclusion of African academics in Norway in various sectors of the society and their participation in these sectors. Using a mixed method research approach, 166 African academics completed a 20-item questionnaire entitled Perceived Exclusion Scale (PES) and two open-ended questions about their mental effects and coping mechanisms of exclusion. Descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis procedures were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the participants experienced exclusion in almost all the sectors of the Norwegian society with concomitant effects of depression and insomnia for most of the participants. Participants mentioned acceptance, confrontational strategy, avoidance strategy, theological group discussion and positive attitudes as key coping mechanisms to exclusion and discrimination. This study could be used as a baseline for future research on the psychological and mental health effects of discrimination of Africans and African- Norwegians. The study is a pointer to the public discourses on the positive sides of immigration in general and the role of migrants’ contribution to the Norwegian society. Keywords: Norway, African academics, inclusion and exclusion, mental wellbeing, minorities

Leading the church through institutional change

While institutional changes in the religious landscape of Norwegian society have received much scholarly interest in recent decades, less attention has been paid to the agency provided by actors within the Church of Norway. Among the many ecclesial actors, the role of Director General of the National Council of the Church of Norway has emerged as one of the more important in the process of disestablishing the Church of Norway as a state church. In asking how the Directors General of the Church of Norway performed their institutional work during the disestablishment of the Church of Norway, the article reveals the manner in which three sequential Directors General provided institutional leadership while navigating the church through its institutional change. Using theoretical perspectives on institutional work and leadership, the article analyzes the work undertaken by these three Directors General in relation to state–church matters between 1998 and 2021. By considering previous studies showing how institutional leadership engages in securing internal cohesion and external support while overcoming external opposition, the article shows how each of these elements played a pivotal role in directing the agency of the Directors General at a specific point in the process.

Guidelines for Treatment of Hyperemesis Gravidarum and Implementation in Clinical Practice in Norway: A Descriptive Study

Background. The severe pregnancy complication hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) requires intravenous fluids, antiemetics, and nutrition to prevent maternal and fetal complications. Several guidelines exist for the treatment of HG within and across countries. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the guideline issued by the Norwegian Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology (NGF) was implemented in clinical practice by comparing department treatment protocols and assessing provided treatment. Methods. Department protocols for the treatment of HG were requested from all Norwegian gynecology departments and compared to the NGF guideline regarding the use of Pregnancy Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE-24) score, antiemetics, thiamine, and fluid and nutritional therapy. Additionally, we performed a retrospective chart review of provided treatment during 2017–2019 at four hospitals. Results. In all, 28 of 39 (72%) departments replied, of which 11 reported using the NGF guidelines unaltered. Of the 17 local department protocols in use, 16 closely resembled the NGF guidelines regarding the use of PUQE score, fluid therapy, nutritional treatment, and thiamine. Eight department protocols differed slightly from the NGF guidelines regarding the antiemetic medication treatment pathway, and two recommended antiemetic medication not supported by national or international guidelines. The retrospective chart review of 343 patients at four hospitals showed that the provided care aligned with the guidelines regarding intravenous fluids and the use of PUQE score, and the use of antiemetics mostly aligned with the treatment pathway provided in the NGF guideline. However, the proportion of patients receiving ondansetron varied between 32% and 79% and thiamine from 38 to 86% between hospitals. Overall, few patients were provided with nutritional treatment by partial peripheral nutrition (14%), enteral tube feeding (8%), or total parenteral nutrition (1.5%). Conclusion. The NGF guideline was used unaltered or largely integrated in department protocols. Treatment data suggest that the guideline was implemented in clinical practice, but differences in the provision of ondansetron and thiamine suggest geographical inequality of care. Infrequent use of nutritional treatment by parenteral nutrition or enteral feeding tube could suggest improvements in pharmacological symptom management or undertreatment of malnutrition.

The Norwegian Cabin in Christian Valeur’s Steffen tar sin del av ansvaret

"The Norwegian Cabin in Christian Valeur’s Steffen tar sin del av ansvaret. The purpose of this article is to provide an analysis of the representation of the hytte or the Norwegian cabin in Christian Valeur’s 2009 novel Steffen tar sin del av ansvaret (“Steffen Takes His Share of the Responsibility”). Discussing the topos of the hytte, I seek to show how the novel offers a commentary on the Norwegian cabin tradition in the context of the climate crisis in particular and, more generally, on the paradoxical ideas of closeness to nature through consumerism. Drawing on Ellen Rees’s study about cabins in Norwegian literature (2014) and understanding this locus as a heterotopia (Foucault 1986), I discuss how the cabin ironically loses its value of being an “environmentally friendly” form of dwelling, and therefore cannot accomplish its potential role as a heterotopia of compensation. On the other hand, the cabin becomes a place of refuge and self-reflection for the narrator and therefore functions as a heterotopia of crisis. Finally, I suggest we can read the novel in relation to the hyttebok (“cabin book”) conventions, underlining the satirical and subversive nature of the novel towards ecological attitudes in Norwegian society. In this way, I aim to propose a new interpretation of the novel as a work of climate fiction. Keywords: Norwegian cabin, heterotopia, Christian Valeur, hyttebok, climate fiction."

Voluntarism Rationality in Norway: The Relevance of Ferie for Alle

The article examines a voluntary phenomenon that exists in “Ferie for Alle”. The name refers to a voluntary-based program organized by the Norwegian Red Cross, a prominent NGO in Norway. The program is oriented in ensuring free holiday experiences for children and families who are deemed unfortunate. Interestingly such a regard is attached due to their inability to afford vacation trips during holiday time. This article aims to address why such phenomenon of Ferie for Alle able to emerges in Norwegian society and attracts people to volunteer to it. This paper uses an ethnographic approach. In specific, it utilizes qualitative method such as semi-structured in-depth interview for the data collection process, and narratives analysis for data analysis process. Through the result, this paper argues that the existence of voluntarism in Ferie for Alle is instigated by volunteers’ reasoning towards prominent social aspects, that is: (1) growing up experiences in Norwegian society, (2) interpretation of Norwegian culture (3) understanding of a certain Norwegian welfare provision discourse. Moreover, actualization of volunteering further gave an idea of how Norwegian welfare system is supposed to be conducted. As reflected by the Ferie for Alle volunteers, such meaning helps them navigate activism in addressing transnational political issues happening in Norway.

Peculiarities of ship power plant diagnostics using the ERS-500 TechSim TRANSAS MIP LTD simulator complex in the process of ship engineers' training

This paper presents an analysis of the results obtained using the ERS 5000 TechSim Engine Room Simulator software. The software simulates remote control from the ship's central control station using virtual equipment panels, which are dedicated hardware combined into a separate console. The simulator covers the main areas of training in accordance with the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers with the Manila Amendments of 2010 and meets the requirements of IMO Conventions and Resolutions and IEC standards. The simulator is certified by the Norwegian classification society DNV/GL. Main engine diagnostics are performed using the Cylinder Combustion Quality diagnostic panel and the Indicator Diagram Comparison panel. Analysis of changes in gas turbine engine parameters and the indicator diagrams themselves at different levels of piston ring wear showed a decrease in compression pressure, mean indicated pressure and maximum combustion pressure, as well as an increase in the return oil temperature of the piston cooling system and the consumption of lubricating oil in the cylinder. The advantages of using simulators in the training process include the ability to perform laboratory work in a frontal method, which significantly improves the learning experience

Alone yet accountable, the unseen buffers: A qualitative study of nurses' experiences working in home care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Norwegian society's resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in low mortality rates and moderate economic decline. The accessible primary healthcare system played a vital role in this, especially in the care of elderly and chronically ill patients. However, nurses in home care experienced emotional burdens, ethical dilemmas and limited access to protective equipment. These challenges were overshadowed by media coverage of hospital struggles, and municipal home care services were oddly absent from post-pandemic reports. This research therefore aimed to explore and describe how nurses experienced working in home care during the pandemic. We designed a qualitative study and conducted semi-structured interviews with nine home care nurses from different municipalities in Southeast Norway. Systematic text condensation inspired by Malterud was employed for data analysis. Nurses' experiences were described through two categories: 'adapting approaches' and 'adapting work practices'. The results showed how nurses often felt alone while simultaneously shouldering a significant responsibility for patients facing a novel and unfamiliar illness. The pandemic necessitated treating patients in their own homes to minimise infection risks, intensifying the nurses' treatment responsibilities. Furthermore, limited access to medical expertise and physical separation from management due to remote work accentuated feelings of isolation and amplified the nurses' responsibility for patient care. Additionally, the nurses encountered frequent changes in work routines, demanding adaptability. This study underscores the significant role of home care nurses, who, despite feeling professionally isolated and unsupported, demonstrated impressive adaptability. They served as a crucial buffer in the healthcare system, ensuring vulnerable individuals received essential care. This highlights the importance of a robust primary healthcare system with a skilled nursing workforce that can work autonomously, shoulder responsibility, and make clinical decisions, even when medical expertise is less readily available. It also reminds us that healthcare preparedness depends on collaborative efforts across all sectors.

Teaching about the Qur’ān in public schools in Norway


 This article discusses what teachers in Norwegian public schools have to say about teaching their pupils about the Qur’ān. Exploring what teachers find important or challenging is relevant to what both Muslim and non-Muslim pupils learn about the Qur’ān, since religious education (RE) in Norway is non-confessional and compulsory. The empirical material consists of four semi-structured interviews with RE teachers. Following James Watts’ model (2013, 2019), which suggests that religious scripture is ritualized along three dimensions, this study finds that the interviewed teachers emphasize working with content and meaning (the semantic dimension) rather than recitation (the expressive dimension) or any special treatment (the iconic dimension) of the Qur’ān. Another finding is that the teachers are reluctant to address Qur’ān recitations in their classes. The article examines this uncertainty in relation to the teachers’ perceptions of what pupils should learn about religious scriptures in general, pedagogical considerations about how to teach RE, and overarching RE-specific aims and concerns in relation to debates about Muslims and Islam in Norwegian society.

‘That’s not how you do it’: Moralising the migrant in the Norwegian outdoors

Participation in outdoor recreational activities is encouraged as a successful method for refugees to learn Norwegian language and culture, based on an assumption that this facilitates social inclusion into Norwegian society. Whilst diversity and engagement in the outdoors is highly valued and strongly encouraged, much because of their social and health benefits, there is also much to suggest that the Norwegian outdoors works to include some more than others. The outdoors is, hence, not a neutral space for everybody to access and enjoy. This article engages with organisers of outdoor recreational activities, or friluftsliv, for refugees through an investigation of how and why organisers are ‘engineering’ the refugees’ behaviours so as to fit established normativities and ideologies inherent in the outdoors. By drawing on conceptualisations of moral geographies and the ‘moralisation of citizenship’, the article identifies three categories of normativities which serve as a basis for a discussion of how the moral ordering of bodies contributes to a citizen-making project, aiming to create certain types of ideal outdoor citizens. The article also contributes to discussions of whether and how moralisation of citizenship can create a moral order that places newcomers as outsiders, fuelling already-existing challenges regarding inclusion and exclusion of refugees in Norwegian society.

Learning to live with COVID-19 in Norway: Moving from a pandemic to an endemic state

ObjectivesTo analyze the relationship between the stringency of policies that focus on containment, mitigation and elimination and practices to change behavior implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and apparent impacts in the Norwegian population and society. In particular, to consider how the escalation and de-escalation of policy stringency relates to both health and non-health societal factors. MethodsObservational analysis of publicly available statistics, government documents and media sources. ResultsThe stringency of policies relating to social containment, mitigation and elimination and practices to change behaviour were linked to infection rates and pressures on the health system until the endemic phase of COVID-19. In the endemic phase all restrictions were removed despite high levels of infection justified on the basis of the success of the vaccination programme. ConclusionsIn the Norwegian context containment policies were highly effective in limiting both infections and deaths from COVID-19 and more so than reliance on vaccinations alone despite high levels of public participation. In part this is due to the significant trust in the state apparent in Norway that leads to compliance with even highly restrictive policies. Therefore compliance may be more important than the level of stringency in explaining the consequence of public policies on pandemic outcomes.

“Not a Major or Complicated Task”: Activating Dugnad under COVID-19 and the Imagination of Equality in the Norwegian Welfare State

In Norway, the institution of the welfare state and trust in the government defined the country’s approach to tackling the pandemic. In particular, the government’s strategy to activate the cultural concept of dugnad (voluntary, reciprocal communal work), which relies on an equal standing of all participants, plays into the national imaginary of an egalitarian and just society. However, like in other countries, COVID-19 has put the spotlight on inequalities in access to healthcare, information, adequate housing, and more. Investigating infection measures and their indirect consequences can clarify which values and people are given priority in a crisis and who is seen as belonging to Norwegian society. This article points to the pandemic as a magnifying glass revealing the lack of enough emergency care nurses, physicians, equipment, hospital and psychiatry beds, adequate health literacy efforts and more. Moreover, it magnifies heteronormative and Eurocentric ideas of who makes up a family, compounded by nationalistic notions of who is Norwegian enough to belong. By activating dugnad, politicians transferred their responsibilities as elected leaders to individual citizens, leading to the growth of socioeconomic inequalities and health disparities during the pandemic while also resulting in the poor communication of the long-term and indirect costs of pandemic measures.

Tuition Fees for International Students in Norway: A Policy-Debate

Abstract The provision of equitable chances for students from all socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue higher education is a fundamental principle in Norway’s egalitarian educational system. Providing free higher education to domestic and international students, has long been praised. In accordance with this, the Norwegian government has long sought to internationalize higher education, to enhance the quality of higher education. Statistics reveal a rapid increase in the number of international students enrolled during the past decade, indicating that international student mobility, both inbound and outbound, has expanded significantly in Norway. However, the Norwegian government announced the imposition of tuition fees for foreign students attending higher education outside of the European Economic Area (eea) and Switzerland from August 2023. The fundamental free principle in Norwegian higher education has been viewed as being broken by this action, along with the government’s own political platform and party platforms. In relation to international higher education literature and tuition fee policies in other Nordic contexts and beyond, this article addresses the government’s justifications for enacting tuition fees for foreign students in Norway. Additionally, it investigates internationalization of the Higher Education system in Norway by shedding light on the status of internationalization as well as how the Norwegian society has responded to the imposition of tuition fees for international students. By considering elements like revenue generation, academic diversity, global competitiveness, and social inclusion, the article further emphasizes the potential implications for the landscape of Norwegian higher education and its position in the worldwide arena. With this policy debate, we aim to contribute to the continuing discussion about international students’ tuition fees and offer insightful information to policymakers, practitioners, and scholars working in international higher education.

Towards Industry 5.0: Developing Knowledge and Skills in a Research and Innovation Lab

The challenging global environmental, economic, and societal transformations urge Norwegian industry to capitalize on all value creation from the manufacturing processes. For many companies, this implies taking manufacturing back to Norway. However, high labour costs do not allow Norway to compete in the global market, and therefore industry needs to take advantage of state-of-the-art technologies. Norwegian society is experiencing a steep learning curve: the acquisition of new knowledge and skills for engineers and managers in companies, while simultaneously transforming and aligning educational programs in universities with Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. This research presents a knowledge management perspective of the Industry 5.0 competence platform from the viewpoint of Manulab, a research and innovation lab specializing in Industry 4.0 technologies for the small-scale production of customized products. Located at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Ålesund, Manulab collaborates closely with regional industries, including marine, maritime, furniture, and food production, as well as suppliers to these sectors. While Industry 4.0 concepts developed in Manulab have significant potential for value creation, companies and stakeholders have yet to fully capitalize on them. To address this issue, the research adopts Nonaka and Takeuchi's organizational knowledge creation model and applies it to the competence building processes in Manulab, investigating the contribution from different knowledge workers to each phase. The term "knowledge workers" refers to individuals with specialized knowledge and expertise who create value for their organization. The study shows that involving additional knowledge workers in various phases of the Manulab competence building process is crucial for successful implementation of research projects in industry. Furthermore, this human-centric approach can assist companies in transitioning to the Industry 5.0 paradigm. The research is a collaborative effort among researchers, students, and employees holding various positions within industrial companies.

Christmas in Norwegian Kindergartens: How Are Muslim Children Included?

Abstract Like the rest of Norwegian society, Norwegian kindergartens are becoming increasingly diverse in terms of religion. This is also reflected in the governing documents of kindergartens, which state that they should work with religion. This article explores to what extent Christmas in kindergartens is adapted to include Muslim children in the group. The article is based on interviews with six kindergarten teachers conducted between 2020 and 2022. Perspectives related to inclusion, freedom of religion, and previous research are used as a starting point to discuss the findings. The article highlights that adaptations of Christmas traditions are largely focused on ensuring that all children have the opportunity to participate in activities without being seen as practicing a specific religion. There is minimal focus on adapting the content to better suit a multireligious group of children.