| dc.description.abstract | The development among young people in multicultural Norway, as well as in other European countries, is characterized by increasing pluralism. In everyday life, both at school and in their leisure time, young people with different skin color, religious orientation and ethnic and cultural backgrounds, experience various forms of meetings and mutual exposure to each other. This report attempts to explore some aspects of these mutual influences and relationships among youth that grow up in multicultural environments in the city of Oslo. Almost all pupils in the two last years of secondary school, and the first year of their further education(corresponding to the sixth form of comprehensive school)in Oslo participated in a large study in 2006 that dealt with a wide variety of research themes. The main themes of this report are the patterns of subjective identification of the self and of others, cultural orientation, friendship and social relations – including racialized relationships – ,leisure activities, use of new technology, religious, «alternative» and political values, and attitudes and expectations towards the future. Results from the present survey and a similar survey from 1996 are compared. The response level was 94 percent in 1996 among 11425 respondents, and 93 percent among 11.500 respondents in 2006. A first and relatively striking finding in the survey is the increase in the percentage of youth with immigrant background who see themselves as «Norwegian» in 2006. Among youth with immigrant background who were born in Norway, the percentage has increased from 46,3 in 1996 to 70,5 in 2006, and from 31,0 percent to 56,2 percent among those born abroad. While it is always difficult to know more precisely what such expressions mean to the respondents, such an increase may not only reflect the increase in the number of persons of immigrant background living in Oslo over the recent years, but also the number of persons with such backgrounds that to an increasing degree seem to be exposed in the media as somehow successful in Norwegian society. In such a climate – which is constantly in danger of becoming challenged by the negative stereotypes and generalizations that are also heavily expressed in the media – it may be easier to develop a positive identification with the new country where your parents have settled. As such patterns of identification are also combined with identifying with being «an immigrant», with the identity of the parents, and also, to some degrees, categories such as «international», «foreigners» and «European», the findings exemplify an increase in the identificational patterns known in research as «hybridization».At the same time, the majority of the youngsters of immigrant background emphasize the importance of living in accordance with the culture and traditions of the parents’ country of origin. This is also emphasized by their parents, even if the percentage among the parents who emphasize these matters have decreased a little since 1996 according to the young people.It has also become slightly more common to use either Norwegian or Norwegian in a combination with the mother-tongue at home. In addition youth of solely Norwegian background in 2006 emphasized pride, attachment and the meaning of being Norwegian more strongly than their counterparts did in 1996. The results thus imply an overall increase in the phenomenon of ethnification, where youth in 2006, regardless of background, to a larger extent seem to become conscious about and reflect upon their own background. A large majority of the youth from a solely Norwegian background emphasized that «immigrants should adapt to Norwegian culture, but also take care of their own». Thusthe both-and attitudes of the youth of immigrant background seem to be supported by the majority of the youth ofnon-immigrant background. The attitudes of this latter group are rather composite. On the one hand they confirm that immigrants contribute important knowledge about other cultures to Norway, and that they are often clever and that they contribute to the strengthening of Norwegian working places. At the same time two out of three participants of Norwegian background in the 2006 study mean that crime and violence increase due to immigrants. Here negative focus in the media obviously must be taken into account.The number of youth with Norwegian-born parents who have «immigrant friends», has increased slightly from 79,4 per cent in 1996 to 82.8 percent in 2006. This implies that regardless of their general attitudes towards immigrants, most youth of Norwegian-born parents do have friends with immigrant background. Interestingly, youth with Norwegian-born parents who report that their parents use to shop in immigrant shops, reports considerably more positive attitudes towards immigrants, than youth with parents who do not shop in immigrant shops. This indicates the important role of parents’ attitudes in these matters.There are no changes in the amount of reported negative or racist experiences from youth of immigrant background from 1996 to 2006. Boys with immigrant background have such experiences much more often than girls do. From 1996 to 2006 there has been an increase in the number of friends of solely Norwegian background youth of immigrant background have. At the same time youth of immigrant background experience a larger increase in the reported number of friends with immigrant parents from other countries than their own. Thus, there seems to be no tendency among youth of immigrant background to isolate themselves and develop patterns where they only socialize with friends of the same background as themselves. The overall picture, on the contrary, points in the direction of an increasing multiculturality regarding friendship relations. This is valid for youth with immigrant background as well as for youth with Norwegian-born parents. The close relationship to parents and family has been strengthened. Regardless of background girls seem to be the most attached to home and family. The girls also do housework more often, all in accordance with more traditional gender related expectations.There is a tendency for leisure activities that are not organized to have decreased in importance in 2006. The number of visitors in youth clubs has admittedly decreased, but this may be due to the fact that several youth clubs have recently been closed down in Oslo. Among the users of youth clubs the percentage of males of immigrant background are the highest, and the lowest percentage are represented by girls of solely Norwegian background. More girls with immigrant background visit youth clubs than both girls and boys with solely Norwegian background.Several types of organizations have increased their number of members, such as sports clubs, supporter clubs, religious organizations (both Muslim and Christian),political organizations and teetotalist organizations. More boys than girls are members in organizations.The number of girls with solely Norwegian background who report to «have been together with friends» outside the home is considerably higher than among girls with immigrant background. Can these differences be understood as expressions of more conservative gender roles among some immigrant families?There has been an overall increase in the number of youth who have visited a library from 1996 to 2006, but here are also large differences. 70 percent of the girls with immigrant background had visited a library last month, while only 31 percent of boyswith Norwegian background had done the same.There has also been an overall increase in the number of youth who have «visited the centre of Oslo last week». But differences in family background are considerable, and is the largestat weekends during nighttime: 13,6 per cent of boys with immigrant background had visited the centre of Oslo last Saturday night, compared to 4.8 percent of the girls of immigrant background. The corresponding percentages were 6.6 percent for boys with Norwegian background, and 5.2 for girls. In so far as most violence, drug use and crime happen at such a time in the centre of Oslo, these figures give grounds for worry. Here one must, nevertheless, take into account the likelihood of large variations according to the different immigrant backgrounds represented.The majority of youth has become more physically active during the last ten years. Youth with immigrant background are the most active in dancing and various combat sports, while youth with Norwegian background are especially active in ordinary sports clubs. Girls with immigrant background are the least physically active in general, but have the largest number engaged in dancing. Football is the most popular sport, regardless of gender.Around 75 percent of all youth use a PC each week or more often at school. Youth with immigrant background are the most eager users in the school context. Girls chat and use e-mail more than boys. In all other matters, boys are more active. The gender differences are especially large when it comes to computer games: 50.2 percent of the boys play such games during a week, while the corresponding percentage for girls is 10.0. Based on the findings there is, however, no particular reason to fear that new technology creates differences along ethnic dimensions.There are only small differences among boys and girls regarding ownership of mobile phones, but a little fewer youth with immigrant background own one.The number of youth with Norwegian-born parents who report being Christian has decreased from 69.8 percent to 53.6 percent since 1996, at the same time as the percentage of those who report that they do not belong to any religion or faith has increased from 27.5 to 44.3 percent. Girls of Norwegian background are more religious than boys of Norwegian background. Among youth of immigrant background the percentage who «know there is a God» has increased from 66.6 in 1996 to 73.3 percent in 2006. Youth with immigrant background visit religious meetings considerably more often than youth of solely Norwegian background. Nevertheless, there has been an increase in the percentage of youth of Norwegian background who visit religious meetings since 1996.At the same time as fewer youth report that they “believe in God» in a traditional meaning, the number who associate themselves with “alternative» world views and beliefs like believing in ghosts, astrology, fortune telling, spirits, tarot cards, crystal bowls and so forth, is increasing. But there are large differences between girls and boys. There are only small differences between youth associated with Islam and those associated with Christianity. Associates with Hinduism and to some extent Buddhists seem to be most open for «alternative» phenomena. Also among youth associated with atheism (humane ethics), such beliefs are rather common.The four themes of more political nature that youth in Oslo prioritize regardless of ethnic background are: «to ensure that nobody is poor in Norway», «to protect the environment against pollution», “to maintain law and order» and «to secure work for everyone». Girls emphasize these values the most. The least support is given to «privatize public schools», «reduce the interference of the public in thelives of the inhabitants», «transfer more care for old people to children and other relatives» and «to protect Norwegian culture against English and American influence». Girls are less concerned with national values, and are more positive towards opening up the borders for immigrants. Youth with Norwegianbackground are more concerned that “Norway should work to succeed better in sports», various environmental issues and issues of law and order.Youth with immigrant background reflect a both-and attitude: they are more skeptical to the interference of the public in the lives of the inhabitants, but combine this with an emphasis on the necessity of combating poverty, emphasizing the «securing of better personal economy», and »giving more oil-money to poor countries». They are considerably less interested in environmental issues than youth with solely Norwegian background. Youth with immigrant background emphasize more the necessity of «protecting Norwegian culture and language against English and American influence»! This may probably be seen as expressions of a tendency to anti-American sentiments, stemming from the conflicts created by American involvement in several conflicts in the Muslim world.The percentage of youth who believe «there will be problems with getting jobs after finishing education» decreased from 27.0 percent in 1996 to 17.6 in 2006, which is probably well in line with the high activity of Norwegian economy in recent times. But the differences connected with background are considerable: 28.3 percent of youth with immigrant background believed in such problems, while the percentage was 13 among youth with solely Norwegian background. Among these youth, together with youth with one Norwegian-born and one foreign-born parent, we found the largest percentage believing that «it is likely that humans in my life time will encounter a global environmental catastrophe».As we have already seen, there are considerable differences between boys and girls. These differences confirm, in many ways, traditional expectation of gender based characteristics, and that they still are valid in several ways, regardless of family background. At last we must underline that many of the categories used in the report have been very coarse-grained and that it is highly likely that there will be large variations regarding several issues, and also regarding questions concerning gender. | en |
