Utenforskap, stigmatisering og fremmedfrykt på Agder: 1860 til i dag

Abstract

The title of this anthology – Outsiders, Stimatization and Xenophobia in Agder: From 1860 to the Present – conveys a critical perspective on society’s treatment of those who deviate from accepted norms and expectations in Agder. It also takes a historical perspective on the search for solutions that balance consideration for individual autonomy and dignity with the need to maintain order, conformity and norms for participation in society.

In the introduction, Kjetil Homane Grødum puts the book’s subject matter into a larger context. Anne Mette Seines provides insight into the early period of care and treatment of psychological disorders in Agder. Thomas Olsen analyzes the debate concerning institutionalization of caring for the needy in Halse and Mandal around the turn of the last century. Thomas V.H. Hagen describes the historical context for establishment of a southern chapter of Norway’s Association for the Disabled, while Dag Hundstad’s contribution brings queer voices into regional history. Kristoffer Vadum examines the local media coverage of the popular movement against immigration in the Arendal area between 1987 and 1991. Monika K. Håland investigates how opposition to this same movement led to establishment of the country’s first anti-racist zone in Arendal in 1988. To conclude, Solveig Hessaa-Szwinto examines racism against people of East Asian origin in light of intersectionality, while May-Linda Magnussen, Mona Alasow, Hanne Haaland and Hege Wallevik explore the categorization of women with refugee backgrounds in Agder.

This anthology will be of interest to researchers and students in various fields, and all those seeking to understand how alienation, stigmatization and xenophobia have shaped and continue to influence our society.