Wandering the World:

Starting with Norway A filipino-american exploring the world. This tumblr is dedicated to my travels and adventures

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Final Project Idea: Public Access and Disability

As I traverse Norway, I notice that there is a lack of people with disabilities that I can see, and the different areas, buildings, and museums while having ramps appear unacceptable, or at least overly difficult to navigate. The ramps seem overly steep, there are many doors that are not automatic...how do people with disabilities navigate Oslo?

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Norwegian Police Attorney

On Friday (6 Sept 2019) we got to meet with a police attorney, Henriette Taxt Rostadli, where we were given a presentation and a look into the police force of Norway. Although I appreciated Rostadli walking us through a criminal case and the overall system in Norway, the presentation left me with more questions than answers, some of which I was able to ask and others that were either given an unsatisfactory answer or we ran out of time. 

Answered Questions:

1. Privatization of the law/aspects of the legal system

According to Rostadli there is not a privatization of parts of the legal system unlike America. For example in the United States of america privatization can be seen in the lawyers, the collection agencies that collect LFOs, and in the prisons. This is a major problem in the united states that I could go on about for awhile... but when comparing the two the question comes up where is the line drawn between quality of life and profit?

2. Are court records and past criminal history available to the public?

In the United States of America, potential employers and landlords can ask if a person has criminal history and they can also request a background check. One’s criminal history can often be the basis for denial of either housing or employment. This discrimination is a factor that contributes to the United States of America’s high recidivism rate. However in Norway Rostadli mentioned that they value privacy and to get the past records of someone it is a lengthy process and there needs to be a good reason, otherwise they have a right to move on.

Unanswered Questions:

1. How does the police force and the investigators combat implicit biases?

2. What checks and balances are there to ensure that the police officers make correct judgments when using their discretion?

3. What type of rehabilitation do they offer for sex offenders?

4. Does Norway convict children? If so what does this process look like and what does the sentence look like?

5. How much do prisoners make when employed while incarcerated?

The first question relates to the type of policing that she mentioned, which follows broken window theory, can focus on and disproportionately impact minority and disadvantaged communities. She seemed confident that there is no racism within the police force but is there implicit biases? Some of these biases that exist in Oslo where showcased in the Interfolk Museum’s exhibit: The Anatomy of Prejudice. All the other questions were ones that we did not have time to answer but still popped up while she was answering other students’ questions.

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At Venabu the appreciation for tradition and culture were shown first hand. Although in Oslo you may see glimmers of appreciation for tradition when seeing someone wear traditional clothing or seeing it at the folk museum, at Venabu the people and place is steeped in tradition and culture actively showing the appreciation for tradition. At Venabu it was a treat to experience the hytte culture that was originally introduced to us at the folk museum. In the remoteness there was the opportunity to enjoy the natural landscape by walking and by horseback, while also having the opportunity to interact with others in the group. What was most memorable was the opportunity to try traditional foods the proper way, which was only possible after the speech given to us at dinner. This interlude from Oslo helped showcase the nationalism and pride that Norwegians have in the country and culture. 

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Victim Discourse and Sexual Politics

In Norway, a land heralded as being progressive especially regarding sexual politics, there are biases that heavily shape the sexual politics in Norway. In the essay Muslim Women and Foreign Prostitutes: Victim Discourse, Subjectivity, and Governance by Christine M. Jacobsen and Dag Stenvoll, there is a comparison done between the discourse surrounding Muslim women as well as foreign sex-workers. In this comparison Jacobsen and Stenvoll heavily emphasize that there is a victimization of these two groups of people which in turn creates two different groups, us and them. For example in the article Jacobsen and Stenvoll point out that in response to the victim discourse surrounding these two groups there is a “high production of policy measures, including governmental action plans against trafficking, a decision to criminalize the purchase of sexual services...” (Jacobsen and Stenvoll 281). These policies are a result of the separation of the two communities into “us” and “them” instead of looking at the full picture. This idea was also emphasized when talking with representatives from Pro Senteret and Pion. During the discussion there was clear distinction that at Pro Senteret there are those being treated and those who are employed by the organization. While there was mention that Pro Senteret did talk to the groups they helped in order to shape programs and policies there was still a distinction. Additionally the representative from Pro Senteret heavily emphasized that one of the problems in Norway with their policies regarding sexual policies was the criminalization of purchasing sex which has had negative affects on sex-workers and rather than discuss this problem the policy makers avoid the topic altogether. They probably avoid this topic because of the victim discourse creating a separation between us and them...what other groups are there that are suffering because of the victim discourse and what is the justification in separating those groups into a “them” group?

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Sex Work and Victimization

Today the readings did not illicit confusion, but rather my analytical side came out. The readings today about sex work in Norway and the different groups identified as most likely to be involved in sex work really reminded me of articles that I read in LSJ 375: Crime, Politics and Justice. In this class we discussed how groups will often go on a moral crusade  against prostitution. This relates to the victimization of sex work, the other-ing of sex workers by labeling them as victims, in addition to demonizing people which was pointed out in Jacobsen and Stenvoll’s Muslim Women and Foreign Prostitutes: Victim Discourse, Subjectivity, and Governance. The moral crusade can be seen by the groups who utilize victim and tolerance discourse, especially considering the politicization of victim discourse and the language used that places a negative connotation on sex-work  

Additionally I found today’s readings interesting because it was noted that there are government policies in place here in Norway that also cause indirect violence to sex-workers. In The Human Cost of ‘Crushing’ the Market by Amnesty International, the organization pointed out that “Amnesty International has found evidence that many sex workers remain subject to a high level of policing and are being targeted and penalized by police in multiple,intersecting waves...Oslo police have over the last decade adopted a ‘preventative policing’ approach to sex work” (Amnesty International 8). This relates to the broken windows model that is used in the United States of America where there is also preventative policing but in America this often leads to a strong, disproportionate, and biased focus on minority communities. While it is nice that there are government funded organizations that have the goal to help sex-workers, this is only a step in the right direction not the final solution. -- Questions for the organizations: 1. How much agency are sex-workers given in the organization? 2. How much discretion do police officers have when interacting with sex-workers?

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Folk Museum: The first three photos are form the folk museum in Oslo. They show carving as well as painting and knitted objects. On one hand it is interesting how over time the art itself has evolved as the environment that the people evolved, for example when there was the removal of soot from the homes (due to the creation and normalization of the fireplace) painting became popular. On the other hand it was stressed that the folk art has played a larger role than just decorations and telling a story. 

This is what got to me, that although the folk art would have trademarks form the town it was from and there were practical uses to objects, like the knitted sweaters, there was an emphasis that these goods helped bring an additional income to families. This threw me off because while there are poeple who make folk art for purely economical reasons, I have often thought that folk art helps tell the story of the folk, preserving the culture and traditions, while also being sacred to an extent. So I am curious if there was something specific that pushed this economic perspective.

Nude Sculpture Park:

At the sculpture park the nudity was not that off putting, rather other tourist who focused more on the display of nudity rather than the story that the artist was trying to tell was off putting. I was curious what story exactly the artist was trying to tell and how much of it was personal interpretation. Whether the males were intended to seem aggressive, cold, and uncomfortable naked while female figures told the story of comfortable while also being controlled, whether by other females, males, or children.  In the first picture these statues together may tell the story of a male controlling the relationship, initially through aggression, and the female ultimately submitting. While the second photo these two statues next to each other show two females facing each other and staring at the male figures who are posed back to back. This may show that females are comfortable with each others nudity while the males are not. But I am not sure if this is what the artist intended, and if these statues were put near each other to tell this story or if it is a coincidence.

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Insurance

In The Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen, Partanen discusses how the insurance system in the United States of America is not one singular system and instead can fit three different systems depending on ones social class and the overall circumstances in life. In contrast the insurance in Finland is much more straight forward and in contrast to the United States, the government negotiates with hospitals while also regulating prices of drugs and treatments. This lack of structure in American systems and the privatization of healthcare in the America induces stress, debt, and relationships of dependency.

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I have dealt with the lack of insurance and also having to try and find my own insurance plans. When I was younger I did not have insurance and I remember being told try not to get hurt since it was expensive to go to the doctors. I remember self diagnosing with the help on the internet and trying to find remedies that did not require seeing the doctor. One could argue that homeopathic remedies are better but sometimes you should really go to the doctor. And there were a few times where I went to the free health clinic in town. Going to the health clinic is embarrassing on one hand but also disheartening. To ensure that you will be seen by a volunteer you often have to go early and stand in line for several hours, only to wait several hours in the waiting room for the volunteers to not have the ability to help. Additionally there is a feeling of guilt because you are taking the spot of someone who may need it more, a homeless person, an undocumented immigrant, or even just a person with a worse problem. 

Within the last few years I have had the ability to sign myself up for insurance through the state. At first, disregarding the technical issues with the website and making sure that I was enrolled before the deadline, it was easy since the state would provide me a plan and it was free. There was some of the stress gone. But this last year since I have been working, I now had to choose insurance from several plans that were given and pay for it myself. Keep in mind: I am still a full-time student. I rely on my Paycheck to pay rent, food, and books. Trying to figure out the difference in the health plans, what all the terms mean, and trying to figure out how much I can afford while also trying to anticipate my future health problems based on the past few years. 

I made my decision based on googling and talking to some family members. Hopefully everything works out. That being said I agree that the Untied States of America should make it a goal to make a goal to have public healthcare like Partanen describes. But also I strongly agree that things need to be regulated in the healthcare. Like the cost of medications and treatment. Recently on social media there is conversation about the crazy cost of medication in the United States of America, especially compared to Canada. But right now it feels like our country is at odds both socially and politically, so who knows what will happen...

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Skam

After at the first meeting for my study abroad there was the mention of Skam (means shame in Norwegian) , a Norwegian television show that focuses on a group of high school students in Oslo. This show is really good in all aspects, I mean in the 2 weeks between finding out about Skam and now I have finished 2 out of the 4 seasons. In addition to great writing is that in this show there are many topics that are addressed. What is surprising is that the show was produced by the Norwegian government, so think of it like the public broadcasting system (PBS) in the United States.  Anyway the topics that Skam includes:

alcohol

sex

pregnancy

immigration

sexuality

Even though this show was produced by the government, they do not shy away from these topics as much as a tv show in the United States, including the shows that are not publicly funded. Does this show go into the nitty gritty and have full in-depth discussions? No. However it is enough to start and lead a discussion a certain way. Anyway Skam shows and implies more than what would be considered acceptable. I heard that Skam was very popular in Norway but what exactly does this show reflect about the culture of Norway? 

Maybe this is a question I can answer at a later time

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Purpose

Ok so whyyyyy am I doing a travel tumblr? 

The short answer: I will have assignments for a class and tumblr is the platform we will be using 

The long answer: Within the next few months I will be going to Oslo for my study abroad to study Sexual Politics, Culture & Justice , and this is the platform we will use in order to create a layered account and reflection. Although yes this is for a class, I hope to eventually travel more and document my future adventures here starting with Norway 😊

Come join me on my adventures, thoughts, and reflections. I’m excited, are you?