Social equality is a social of affairs in which certain different people have the same status in a certain respect, at the very least in voting rights, freedom of speech and assembly, the extent of property rights as well as the access to education, health care and other social securities.
There are different forms of equality, depending on the persons and social situations in question. For example, one may consider equality of the sexes opportunities for employment people in question are men and women (contrasted) and the social situation is the search for a job. As another example, equal opportunity refers to the idea that all people should start out in life from the same platform (i.e. all should have equal opportunities in life, regardless of where they were born or who their parents were) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_equality/ref>This concept is quite in general term for the state as a provider for equal rights and seen as a part of democracy process. I think this one can give an account of the concept “social equality” by the way.
In order to discuss different measures applied in Norwegian Welfare State, the concept of social equality has to focus to Norwegian society . The concept “social equality” in the Norwegian’s characteristic according to Gullestad (1992),“Norwegian notions of equality is a specific emphasis on defining equality as similarity or sameness in every concrete ways” (p100) The notion of equality as sameness is two different models of social relationships. One called an egalitarian conception the other is hierarchical models of society. (p106)
The mentioned concept above is confirmed that Norway culture is characterized by a commitment to social equality. This has reduced the relative gap between men and women in this country : As many women as men have higher education, as many women as men in paid work. Social equality is as value, in all aspect of life, for example egalitarian values and the individual. Norway is often presented as being one of the most homogeneous nation state in Europe. Norway has been had the least violence both individual and collective in the world. Norway has been researched by United Nations the best living land for woman in the world. Norwegian has the highest standard of living in the world. Why does Norway get credits like this?
The answer is Norway has high level of social equality and Norwegian Welfare State policy. Norway has long term state policy and encourage policy. If people get more economic support from the state, it points that crime will be less. If the position of women is in particular focus in society, it is of course that society will be the best place for women to live. If people have a good quality of life in every ways, it means the same as people have high standard of living.
According to nowadays of the Norwegian society basis on their statistics and analyses indicate how women and men live in Norway today.
Roughly as many women as men have higher education. But women and men's choice of studies follows traditional patterns. While women tend to choose teaching, health and care services, men tend to choose technical subjects and natural sciences.
From the mid-1970s, the employment level for women has increased dramatically. Today there are almost as many women as men in paid work. However, there are still clear distinctions between female and male occupations, and women are much more likely to work part-time than men.
Although more women are becoming managers, only 1 out of 10 executive managers are women. Women manifest themselves most frequently among the middle managers, particularly in teaching, health and social services.
Women's average monthly pay was 84, 5 per cent of men's in 2004. The differences in pay vary considerably according to industry, educational background and age.
In line with increasing education and employment levels from the mid-1960s, women are having children later in life. Since 1986 and until today the average age at first birth has increased from 25 to 28 years.
Women spend less time and men spend more time on domestic work today than at the beginning of the 1970s. But women still spend most time on domestic work. http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/02/10/likestilling_en/ref> This may be not yet reached to the ideal, but the significant level of social equality in gender aspect in Norwegian society has been developed more and more.
According to the history of Norway, I learn that Norwegian has had the idea of equality in their society for a long time.
As Norway was the poorest country in Europe and Norway was in a union with Denmark 1380-1814 (434 years) then with Sweden 1814-1905 (91 years). Moreover Norwegian’s noble families moved to live in Sweden or Denmark. In 14th and 15th centuries particularly, Norway was several times under disputes over throne and power, this causing sometimes high nobles of rival camp, especially of the losing camp to emigrate. For example, the neighboring Sweden received several heirs of Norway's highest nobility. Norwegian-rooted families settled in Copenhagen region, their ancestral possessions in Norway became unimportant. After independence the creation of new noble titles was forbidden in the Constitution of Norway of 1814, and the last legal privileges were dissolved by Act of Parliament in 1821. This is to say that people in Norway had been in the society which had not political independence and they had not good economy. They had equal social status as a background.
Norway had in 1814 gained a partial independence in a personal union with the dominant kingdom of Sweden. Norwegian romantic nationalism was a movement in Norway between 1840 and 1867 in art, literature, and popular culture that emphasized the aesthetics of Norwegian nature and the uniqueness of the Norwegian national identity. After Norway was independent from Sweden in 1905, the nationalization was an important policy of the country. The “nationalization” of welfare benefits meant that in many cases . From 1930, the tax equalization system had signalled and supported the principle of regional equality. This is to say that nationalization policy was on the equalization measures.
Norway was occupied by Germany from 1940 to 1945. Germany surrendered and Norway was once again a free country on 8th May 1945. After 1945, the reconstruction of the country began. Both production and exports increased, and the merchant fleet was built up again. Even though the wages were not high, many people found work. Most people were very optimistic and many were eager to play a part in Norway’s reconstruction. Norway’s economy gradually improved. In the decades after the war a number of reforms were introduced that would improve the lives of everybody. Working hours got shorter , and holidays longer. Terms such as equality and equal worth became important to the people. In 1967, the National Insurance Act was introduced. This act was intended to ensure financial security for all citizens, including the old and the sick. The country is recently industrialized and urbanized particularly after World War II. This is to say that reconstruction by improving for everybody was the idea of equality.
Norway developed in to a rich industrialized welfare state. In 1966 oil prospecting began in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea. In 1969 oil was found. In 1970s international economic problem of early 1970 not a period of significant welfare cuts in Norway. The Welfare State continued to expand under a relatively favourable state economy. The late 1970s were marked by the state taking the oil money in advance. According to Stenersen and Libræ (2003)“The value of crude oil and gas production increased rapidly. In 1990 Norway overtook Britain as Europe’s largest oil producer, and by the mid-1990s Norway had become the second largest oil exporter in the world after Saudi-Arabia” Norway now is an oil producer, or oil nation. This is to say that Norway has had money and has tried to share to everybody by welfare state system.
The Norwegian Welfare State
There are three main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state:
the provision of welfare services by the state.
an ideal model in which the state assumes primary responsibility for the welfare of its citizen. This responsibility is comprehensive, because all aspects of welfare are considered; a "safety net" is not enough, nor are minimum standards. It is universal, because it covers every person as a matter of right.
the provision of welfare in society. In many "welfare states", especially in continental Europe, welfare is not actually provided by the state, but by a combination of independent, voluntary, mutualist and government services. The functional provider of benefits and services may be a central or state government, a state-sponsored company or agency, a private corporation, a chairy or another form of non-profit organisation.
The main idea is as a model for general welfare state. I think this one can give a basic of welfare state explanation.
Norway is characterized by having a relatively large public sector. This is due to after World War II development of a welfare state, a policy put forward. As the functional scope of the welfare state has increased, the provision of welfare services have been connected to processes of decentralization from central to local levels of government. Decentralization is a method for a social equality and a fair distribution of costs and benefits. Norway is a large and sparsely populated country. Regional policy has therefore always been an important factor in Norwegian politics. To ensure between different parts of the country, development and settlement in rural areas, especially directed towards northern Norway. The far distances between the north and the south of the country constitute a special challenge for regional policy. Norwegian model of local government represents two equally important dimensions: Local Government being both a vital service provider and an important local democratic institution. This is to say that decentralization to local government and local democratic institution is one of the main measures of the Norwegian Welfare State.
According to the history of Norway, I learn that the development of welfare state in Norway lead to understand Norwegian society in the aspect of social equality. Norway became a welfare society in the 1950s and 1960s. The principle of the welfare benefit and security for all and even more for social equality in a whole country. But do not forget that there was a welfare authority before there is a welfare state. The basic ideas for this were already in place before the World War II. This is to say long term state policy in different measures for Norwegian Welfare State:
The equalization of the incomes
In 1935-1950 the gap was narrowed between the incomes of industrial workers and white-collar worker.
Housing
In 1940s-1950s Co-operative housing was given a high priority by the authorities. The National Housing Bank was set up in 1946. It was the most important instrument in the government’s policy of building new houses. The bank gave cheap loans with long repayment terms.
Education
In 1944-1948 the large number of children was born and need places in the primary schools in the 1950s and the university and colleges in 1960s. Urbanization increased the need for new school building. The society’s need for a well-education labour caused to the education explosion. Both of private and public need more specialist skills. In 1947 the state set up the department that provided cheap loans for pupils in compulsory school and for students in university or college. The state got three new university Bergen 1946, Trondheim and Tromsø in 1968. Kristiansand, Molde and Stavanger got regional colleges of higher education. Norway developed the decentralized higher education in the aspect of educational equality and also had a gender dimension.
Social benefits
and moved to institutionally provision of services. Universal benefits should be for all to get the certain standard conditions; in 1958 child allowance, in 1961 disability allowance and rehabilitation support, in1965 single mothers’ benefits. In 1957 the principle of universality was carried through when health insurance was made obligatory. In 1960 the work related benefits. In 1971 a new administrative system “Folketrygden” was set up. All above mentioned benefit were co-ordinated through this system. All these benefits led to a more egalitarian society. In 1960s was a number of hospital beds, the growth number of doctors per hospital, the high quality of medical services. Women in paid employment also stimulated the development of kindergartens.
Equality and the regions
In 1952 the first major initiative was the Northern Norway Plan. A development bank of north of Norway was created. A company’s own investments in the area were tax-deductible. There were some of improvement communications, expanding power supplies and development vocational training. The region’s share of the national product increased slightly. Many new jobs in both industry and services were created. The contemporary view that the Northern Norway Plan had been a success was important for the continuation of regional policy at the beginning for the 1960s. The equalization at the regional level was extended by using tax equalization system (Denters, Bas and Lawrence E. Rose : 1995)
In order to attain and maintain gender equality
Gender equality means men and women having the same rights and obligations, and everyone having the same opportunities in society. Gender equality is also about justice and about sharing responsibilities, both in the family and society.
According to nowadays of the Norwegian society basis on their statistics and analyses indicate how to depict gender equality in Norway today.
In the gender equality index we try to combine various direct and indirect measurements of gender equality that show the extent to which women and men participate in politics, education and working life.
The indicators are:
Kindergarten coverage for children aged 1-5 (2004)
Number of women per 100 men aged 20-39 (2004)
Education levels for women and men (2004)
Labour force participation for women and men (2004)
Income for women and men (2003)
Percentage of female municipal council members (2003) http://www.ssb.no/english/subjects/00/02/10/likekom_enref>/ This is to continue to carry out all above indicators to meet gender equality by securing equal opportunity and equal treatment in employment, supporting men and women in harmonizing their working lives with home and community lives, eliminating all forms of violence against women, respecting the human rights of women, supporting life-long health for women, promoting gender equality and making possible a diversity of choices through improved education and learning
Norway has special institutional and cultural characteristics that may account for this gender equality. In the Norwegian Welfare State can provide a strong institution. I can present an example institution named “The Centre for Gender Equality” This institution has been established in Norway for a number of years. As hereunder information can present how Norway attain and maintain gender equality.
“In 1972 The Equal Status Council replaced the Equal Pay Council, and it was given a broad mandate. In August 1997 the Equal Status Council was reorganised again to the Centre for Gender Equality.
Centre for Gender Equality shall work for real equality between women and men in all areas of society. The Centre for Gender Equality is a government office that functions as an independent body.
Working platform for the Centre for Gender Equality
Women and men shall have equal rights, duties and opportunities in all areas of society. Gender equality is about justice. Gender equality is about, among other things, the equal distribution of power and the right to influence, the equal sharing of responsibilities and burdens, the equal rewarding of effort and work, and the right to a life free from assault and violence. Gender equality has to do with respect for the human dignity of both women and men.
The Centre for Gender Equality shall:
Follow-up on developments in society and identify and reveal those conditions in society that work against achieving gender equality
Function as the driving force in gender equality related issues
Participate actively in the general public debate
Function as a focal point for co-operation between organisations and services that work with promoting gender equality
Carry out development work and produce reports in the area of gender equality Function as a meeting place and an information centre for the public at large”
According to the history of Norway, in 1970s much more active public policy in support of improved gender equality. The Norwegian Gender Equality Act was passed in 1978. It is intended to ensure that men and women are treated equally. The act is important for both sexes, though it is the position of women that is in particular focus. Women fought for equality for many years before the Norwegian Gender Equality Act was passed. Women won inheritance rights equal to men’s in 1854, and unmarried women won the right to be considered independent adults in 1864. Married women did not win this right until 1888. This meant they now had control over what was done with their own assets. The Norwegian Association for Women's Rights was founded in 1884. Its members were both women and men. Towards the end of the 1800s, women won new opportunities in education and their choice of professions. Women won the right to work as teachers in 1870. Society was changing quickly at this time and there was a big demand for new labour. Many women started to work in telegraph services or telephone switchboards. Both of these were workplaces based on new technology. Many of the new women’s professions required training. The new opportunities were primarily of importance to middle class women. Working class women had long worked in factories. Around 1/3 of all women of working age were in paid work by the end of the 1800s. Most of them were young and unmarried.
Gender equality in Norway present by the year:
1854 Women won inheritance rights equal to men’s.
1864 Unmarried women won the right to be considered independent adults.
1870 Women won the right to work as teachers.
1888 Married women won the right to be considered independent adults.
1978 The Norwegian Gender Equality Act was passed.
1910 Women won the right to vote in local authority elections.
1911 First female deputy member in the Storting (Anna Rogstad)
1913 Women won the universal right to vote on the same terms as men.
1922 First female member of the Storting (Karen Platou)
1945 First female cabinet minister (Kirsten Hansteen)
1961 First female vicar (Ingrid Bjerkås)
1968 First female Supreme Court judge (Lilly Bølviken)
1974 First female chief administrative officer of a county (Ebba Lodden)
1978 First female gender equality ombud (Eva Kolstad)
1981 First female Prime Minister (Gro Harlem Brundtland)
1993 First female parliamentary president - the speaker
In the term of social equality is an egalitarian conception, one of the main measures by decentralization to local government and local democratic institution, strong rich welfare state, and carry out equalization of the incomes, education, social benefits and regions which can maintain gender equality in the totally Norwegian Society. The successfully result is in the early twentieth century women activists emphasized control over reproduction as the main policy to achieve social equality for women. In 1994 women in Norway are the strongest supporters of the welfare state. Women are also more likely than men to find employment within the welfare sector. This may be the second female Prime Minister in Norway is coming soon.
