The concept was coined by Elisabeth Oxfeldt, an academic at the University of Oslo, and refers to specific feelings she identified among the population.
Norway It is one of the richest countries in the world. and its strong economy has led its national income to exceed its spending, an unusual situation in most countries around the world.
Among the advantages enjoyed by its inhabitants, compared to those of other similar territories, there are Their workdays tend to be shorter and their labor rights are stronger. .
Its quality of life also stands out for its good positioning. In fact, The country has been among the most happy of the planet according to the World Happiness Report.
In 2024, it ranked seventh on the list, while other of its Nordic neighbours also featured in the ranking. Finland is in first, Denmark in second, Iceland in third and Sweden in fourth, depending on what was saved. cnn .
The wealth of Norway, which has a population of around 5.5 million, They are largely supported by their oil and gas reserves. .
However, despite its positive points, Some local researchers have noted a tendency towards feelings of guilt among citizens. during the last years.
Elisabeth Oxfeldt, a specialist in Scandinavian literature at the University of Oslo, invented a term that sums up this phenomenon: “ Scanning the guilt » .
This could be translated as “scandiculpa” and, as he explained to BBC it’s him reflection of “the emergence of a narrative of guilt about people’s privileged lives, in a world where others suffer.”
What is the “Scanning the guilt” and how this is reflected in the case of Norway
Elisabeth Oxfeldt has analyzed in depth a series of contemporary books, films and series of Scandinavian origin .
In his review of this work, he found that “The contrast between the happy, fortunate or privileged self and the suffering ‘other’ generates feelings of guilt, worry, discomfort or shame” .
Although he acknowledged that this is not a phenomenon that affects all citizens, he assured that This trend affects “many” people and is noticeably evident .
For example, mentioned two productions of Norwegian origin .
One of those shows stories of privileged people who depend on the services of migrant workers who live in apartments located in their basements.
She pointed out that another issue concerns women who are fighting for gender equality in their workspaces, while they have domestic workers from less developed countries who receive insufficient wages .
Such stories, according to Oxfeldt, reflect these feelings of guilt .
But his hypothesis is not based solely on literary and audiovisual projects. Also, Some organisations have strongly criticised the origin of Norwegian income. .
One of the usual points of these criticisms is related to your fish industry what is relevant in Europe
In this sense, from the environmental group Global Comments openly blamed the Norwegian salmon industry’s “voracious appetite for wild fish” leads to loss of livelihoods and malnutrition in West Africa, creating a new type of food colonialism “.
Faced with these abrupt remarks, From the government, they responded that their goal is to “guarantee sustainable food.” .
Furthermore, they stated that They are developing measures for “greater use of local and more sustainable raw materials.” as part of its plan to implement a green and environmentally friendly economy.
However, This industry is not the only one in the crosshairs activists.
Criticism has also been levelled at the achievement of drilling for oil and gas two of the fundamental elements of the Norwegian economy.
On this point, investor and retired hotelier Børre Tosterud told the aforementioned media that his country had an “absolute dependence on oil revenues”, which is “not sustainable” over time .
It is a source of income that they discovered in the late 1960s and have adopted over the years. a key role in the growth of its economy .
And its export earnings has increased further since Russia began its military invasion of Ukraine February 24, 2022.
For this last reason, several reviews suggested that Norway has benefited indirectly since the beginning of the war and that its contributions to victims have not been sufficient .
These accusations have also been reproduced by the government. .
Prime Minister since 2021, Jonas Gahr Støre, He rejected the criticism and stressed that they supplied Europe in times of crisis and international tensions. .
At the same time, he clarified that They have consistently supported the country of President Volodymyr Zelensky economically and have not remained outsiders. to the conflict triggered by the Kremlin.
According to Oxfeldt, Norway is also one of the main donors of humanitarian aid to other countries .
“They are generous contributors to good causes.” he stressed.
However, The strengths of the Norwegian economy are not reflected in the perception of a large part of its citizens on this point. Economist Jan Ludvig Andreassen, who heads the Eika Group alliance of independent banks, told the BBC.
Similarly, he argued that The country’s donations “are insignificant compared to the additional income from the war” in Ukraine.
However, contrary to what the academic from the University of Oslo proposes with the concept of “Scanning the guilt“, he said that does not observe a strong tendency towards feelings of guilt among the population .
Of course, Andreassen clarified that except in “certain circles such as the environmental movement” .
Source: Latercera
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
