Taking part in society the way I am

The research explores the concept of 'active citizenship' as a differentiating norm in Denmark and Norway, rather than just a descriptive term for civic engagement. Through ethnographic fieldwork in Oslo and Copenhagen, the author finds that while many people align with official policy goals—such as volunteering in local, child-centred, and secular arenas—marginalized individuals often resist these narrow definitions. The study argues that active citizenship is frequently used to create boundaries between 'good citizens' (who are typically imagined as middle-class, able-bodied, and culturally similar) and 'failed' or 'tolerated' citizens. The author advocates for a 'differentiated universalism' that recognizes informal care, faith-based engagement, and transnational activities as valid forms of societal contribution, moving beyond the binary of active versus passive citizenship.

• Active citizenship functions as a differentiating norm that creates moral boundaries between 'good citizens' and those deemed 'not-good-enough', often based on gendered, classed, racialized, and ableist characteristics.
• The 'idealized good citizen' is conceptualized through specific emic terms such as 'overskud' (surplus) in Danish and 'det lille ekstra' (something extra) in Norwegian, referring to the accumulation of tangible and intangible resources like time, health, and money.
• In Norway, the concept of 'trygghet' (security) and 'ballast' (fundament) are viewed as essential childhood attributes that enable an individual to become a responsible and active citizen.
• Danish participants emphasize 'ordentlighed' (respectability or decency) as a fundamental characteristic of a good citizen, which is often taught through behavioral pedagogies in the home and leisure associations.
• Parental engagement in local, child-centred leisure associations is viewed as a primary 'admission ticket' to the community of value, particularly for minoritized mothers who feel the need to prove their contribution to society.
• The Norwegian practice of 'dugnad' (unpaid community work) is perceived as a mandatory moral obligation, and failure to participate can lead to being viewed as not 'properly' Norwegian.
• There is a perceived hierarchy of participation spaces, where 'majority arenas' (secular, local associations) are valued over 'immigrant associations' or faith-based arenas, which are sometimes viewed as promoting self-segregation.
• Marginalized individuals, such as the elderly or chronically ill, contest the active/passive dichotomy by framing informal care and interpersonal support as valuable societal contributions.
• Individuals with refugee backgrounds often view their civic responsibility through a transnational lens, where engagement in their country of origin or in ethnic associations is a way of preserving democracy and helping others.
• In disadvantaged neighbourhoods like Sydhavn and Tøyen, active citizenship is often expressed as a 'fight' or resistance against gentrification and top-down municipality-led regeneration processes.
• The 'SydhavnsCompagniet' (SC) in Copenhagen implements a 'horizontal volunteerism' model that allows vulnerable citizens to contribute according to their daily capacity, challenging the structured requirements of traditional volunteering.
• Racialized minorities often experience 'conditional belonging', where they must 'walk the extra mile' or perform 'extra work' in the public sphere to be recognized as good citizens.

APA

Jdid, N. (2021). Taking part in society the way I am. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/0860edcb-92b7-4283-9d43-54be2a3c655c/Jdid 2021 Taking part in society the way I am PhD diss.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Jdid, Noor. Taking part in society the way I am. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2021. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/0860edcb-92b7-4283-9d43-54be2a3c655c/Jdid 2021 Taking part in society the way I am PhD diss.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jdid |first1=Noor |title=Taking part in society the way I am |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2021 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/0860edcb-92b7-4283-9d43-54be2a3c655c/Jdid 2021 Taking part in society the way I am PhD diss.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jdid2021taking, author = {Jdid, Noor}, title = {{Taking part in society the way I am}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2021}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/0860edcb-92b7-4283-9d43-54be2a3c655c/Jdid 2021 Taking part in society the way I am PhD diss.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }