“Whiteness Isn’t about Skin Color.” Challenges to Analyzing Racial Practices in a Norwegian Context

Astri Dankertsen and Tone Gunn Stene Kristiansen
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Astri Dankertsen: Faculty of Social Sciences, Nord University, 8026 Bodø, Norway
Tone Gunn Stene Kristiansen: Faculty of Social Sciences, Nord University, 8026 Bodø, Norway

Societies, 2021, vol. 11, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: While being Norwegian is often associated with being white, the absence of a discourse on race makes it difficult to analyze racialization scientifically. It is sometimes argued that critical race theory is developed within an American context and that it is not culturally relevant in a Norwegian context. We argue that while this might be true in some cases, critical race theory might nevertheless give new insights into how racial practices and colonial structures continue to be important parts of the power relations in Norway. We base our article on two empirical materials from a Norwegian-Sámi context and from professionals in Norwegian child protective services in order to illuminate how racialization is expressed. In our comparative perspective and collaborative and self-reflexive writing process, we use the concept of interpretive repertoire to explore how postcolonial and critical race theory is a challenging, but nevertheless useful approach to analyze racialization and discrimination in Norway.

Keywords: critical race theory; racialization; Norway; Sámi; childcare services; colonial structures; interpretive repertoire; whiteness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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