Investigating everyday acts of contributing as ‘admission tickets’ to belong to the nation in Norway

The study examines the relationship between contributing and belonging in Norway, finding that the act of contributing functions as an 'admission ticket' for those experiencing ontological insecurity. Through interviews in a rural municipality, the author identifies that while non-migrants possess a taken-for-granted sense of belonging, internal and international migrants use public contributions—such as employment, language learning, and volunteering—to gain recognition. The paper argues that belonging is practiced across multiple geographical scales, with internal migrants focusing on local acceptance and international migrants seeking both local and national recognition.

• The act of contributing is conceptualised by research participants as an 'admission ticket' to belong, where the effort to contribute is more significant than the specific nature or quality of the contribution itself.
• There is a widespread background expectancy in Norwegian nationhood that all residents, regardless of their migration status, are expected to contribute to society to be respected and integrated.
• Individuals with no migration background experience 'ontological security,' meaning their belonging is taken-for-granted, and they often contribute without a conscious desire for external recognition.
• Internal migrants in Norway often experience an ambivalent state of ontological security: they feel secure in their national identity but feel insecure at the local scale, using contributions to gain acceptance within their specific municipality.
• International migrants experience ontological insecurity at both local and national levels, and they perceive their contributions as a way to achieve recognition across both scales simultaneously.
• The ability to use contributing as an 'admission ticket' is constrained by hegemonic structures and racialised imaginaries of 'sameness,' meaning non-white immigrants may face greater barriers to recognition despite their efforts.

APA

Peace Research Institute Oslo (n.d.). Investigating everyday acts of contributing as ‘admission tickets’ to belong to the nation in Norway. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c032614a-eda5-4c95-becb-3a78bdb9a5b8/Investigating everyday acts of contributing as admission tickets to belong to the nation in Norway.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Peace Research Institute Oslo. Investigating everyday acts of contributing as ‘admission tickets’ to belong to the nation in Norway. n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c032614a-eda5-4c95-becb-3a78bdb9a5b8/Investigating everyday acts of contributing as admission tickets to belong to the nation in Norway.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Peace Research Institute Oslo |title=Investigating everyday acts of contributing as ‘admission tickets’ to belong to the nation in Norway |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c032614a-eda5-4c95-becb-3a78bdb9a5b8/Investigating everyday acts of contributing as admission tickets to belong to the nation in Norway.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{peaceresearchinstituteoslondinvestigating, author = {{Peace Research Institute Oslo}}, title = {{Investigating everyday acts of contributing as ‘admission tickets’ to belong to the nation in Norway}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/c032614a-eda5-4c95-becb-3a78bdb9a5b8/Investigating everyday acts of contributing as admission tickets to belong to the nation in Norway.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }