Photo: Bowl of Delicious.
According to the Christian Science Monitor, participating in a “dugnad” is just part of being Norwegian. A kind of community volunteering there, it usually involves an element of fun, such as waffles for mud-spattered workers or a cookout for kids.
Most Norwegian children are raised knowing that service for the good of the community is an essential part of life. It’s not presented as an unpleasant chore, according to the Christian Science Monitor, but work that you do with others and always combine with some fun.
Mark Sappenfield writes, “There is no precise word in English for what Ann Helen Myrvold is doing. ‘Volunteering’ perhaps comes closest. But it’s more than that.
“She has not come to this part of suburban Oslo just to beautify the stream Gjersrudbekken on its forested tumble toward the fjord. She has come from some deeply ingrained Norwegian sense of obligation, of community, of responsibility – and, of course, for the waffles.
“True, what she is doing looks remarkably like a run-of-the-mill cleanup, removing everything from car tires to motorized scooters from the stream’s path with a sweet treat for everyone afterward. But she and her friends from a nearby university have been doing things like this since kindergarten, cleaning neighborhoods and holding bake sales to fund sports teams.
“Dugnad is not just the activity, but the mindset behind it. And at a time when social scientists see the fabric of societies fraying – churches and community organizations declining, connections across demographic lines dwindling – dugnads are something of an antidote.
“No one here would argue that dugnads are the reason why Norway consistently ranks as one of the highest-trust countries in the world. But no one would argue that they don’t play a role, either. They are a binding force, both simple and sweeping, that give Norwegians not only a sense of doing good, but of doing it together. …
“Says Ms. Myrvold, ‘You start at a young age, and you just learn to do it and love it. You see it as teambuilding.’
“The tradition has its roots in Norway’s history as a poor nation of small farmers and fishermen. When a church or bridge needed to be built, or a neighbor was building a barn, everyone came together to help.
“ ‘It was a kind of social insurance or a mobilizing of resources, and it was steeped in a sense of justice,’ says Karl Henrik Sivesind, a professor at the Institute for Social Research in Oslo who has studied the tradition. ‘It’s not for your own advantage. You chip in, and everyone chips in.’
“Today, social scientists lament the loss of ‘social capital’ – the connections in a community that drive trust and bring broader benefits for all. The dugnad is an incubator of social capital, Dr. Sivesind says.
“ ‘If you look at the word itself, it has a social element,’ he says, noting that its verbal roots reference the concept of virtue. ‘You contribute to necessities of organization, and you meet people, build networks, and get to know people in your neighborhood.’
“The Gjersrudbekken cleanup is organized by Rusken, a three-person bureau in the Oslo city government that organizes volunteer cleanups and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Ms. Myrvold signed up with several friends who attend the nearby Norwegian University of Life Sciences. …
“To all the young women clad in bright orange vests and industrial work gloves, participating in a dugnad is just part of being Norwegian. And it usually involves an element of fun, whether that’s waffles for mud-spattered workers or a cookout for kids.
“Across town, Norway’s biggest hiking and outdoor activities organization is holding a dugnad of its own, skewers for sausages included.
“The Norwegian Trekking Association is among the most beloved groups in the country, maintaining trails and cabins for a nation of nature lovers. Today, in a playground of the residential neighborhood of Bærum, they’ve built a bonfire.
“The plan is to teach local children wilderness skills such as first aid. Many kids have brought stuffed animals to practice on. But it’s also a chance for neighbors to meet and talk….
“Maria Ruud has brought her 7-year-old daughter. She says she’s been doing these sorts of things ‘forever.’ Local carnivals for kids, neighborhood cleanups where ‘you find a task the kids can do,’ and Norway’s famous May 17 Independence Day celebrations – all made possible by dugnads.
“She acknowledges that she sometimes doesn’t look forward to the work, whether that’s planning games and food or raking leaves. But there’s a bigger benefit.
“ ‘The good part is the social side,’ Ms. Ruud says. ‘You come together and share the work. As humans, you feel like you’re a part of something bigger. We need that to make our life meaningful.’ …
“Kristin Sandaker ticks off the dugnads she has done over the years. At one flea market to support a local youth orchestra, she recalls getting in 24,000 steps simply lugging items around. …
“But she worries that the forces that would divide Norway are growing. The political polarization that shapes much of European politics has a foothold in Norway, too. And immigration can inadvertently raise the risks of different communities becoming detached and distant from one another.
“Dugnads are a counterbalance. There’s a fellowship that comes from taking 24,000 steps or being ankle-deep in mud with someone.
“ ‘It is the most obvious proof that we can do things together,’ Ms. Sandaker says. With the current state of things, ‘this gets even more important – that people get together in this way.’ ”
More at the Monitor, here. Do you see anything like a dugnad in your community?
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