Changing Contexts

Abstract

This chapter gives a sketch of the historical, cultural and political conditions for the changing feelings of gender. The emphasis is on the Norwegian/Scandinavian context in the twentieth century, but with an eye on similar conditions in other Western countries. The pre-industrial north-western European family structure is seen as an important precondition for later gender equality developments, in combination with the specific social and political culture of the Nordic countries linking equality norms and individual rights. The chapter offers an overview of the development of the Nordic welfare state in the twentieth century, with a special emphasis on social security, education and gender equality policies and practices. Finally, the chapter looks into the issue of youth, gender and modernity over three generations and especially how young women have contributed to the change of sexual norms and of the cultural meanings surrounding the young female body.