Back in 2023 when I was Norway, I got sick and had to skip the mandatory field class (whelp!) for the GEOG3525: Landscape and Planning. Fortunately, the lecturer was kind enough to let me do an essay assignment discussing moral landscape and friluftsliv. I got a pass in the assignment and thought it will be cool to share it with you all.
Enjoy!
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‘Friluftsliv’ is a fundamental part of Norwegian culture and identity. It can be translated as ‘fri’ for freedom, ‘luft’ for air, and ‘liv’ for life. In essence, it means outdoor recreation. Leisure in nature and outdoor physical activity are integral to Norwegian society and hold equal importance in childhood and adolescence. Dejardins (2018), in her TED Talk, explains this concept perfectly by illustrating how kindergarten children in Norway are encouraged to enjoy ‘bad weather in good clothing’ and how dating a local Norwegian often involves spending significant time in nature, including cabin trips in both good and bad weather.
An important aspect that allows Norwegian citizens to enjoy nature, or roam freely, is legally supported by the Allemannsretten, or the Public Right of Access, under the Friluftsloven, also known as the Act Relating to Outdoor Recreation, which was first passed in 1957 (Flemsæter, Setten & Brown, 2014, p. 1). However, since the implementation of the Act is heavily influenced by social context and cultural understanding within the community, the concept of roaming in nature can be interpreted differently by individuals. This leads to an understanding of the moral aspects of the landscape—or more precisely, the morals surrounding both the landscape and society.
According to Flemsæter, Setten & Brown (2014), the moral landscape in Norway is strongly tied to the ideas of citizenship, mobility, and physical, mental, and social health. One way to understand citizenship is by defining how much a nation or city grants its citizens the right to move (Creswell, 2010 in Flemsæter, et al., 2014). This mobility feature is directly linked to the physical aspect, as people either move on foot or use transportation. Social health, or tolerance within the community, reflects how much an individual is allowed to engage in activities without disturbing others.
In the case of friluftsliv, it is important to note that physical activity in nature is directly linked to mental and social health. This includes both intimate relationships in dating and professional settings in the workplace. In the latter case, as discussed by Dejardins in her TED Talk, she was gently reprimanded by her CEO for working overtime on a sunny day. In Norway, being cooped up in the office for extra work is not viewed positively because employers believe that a workforce with a fulfilling and active lifestyle is a more valuable asset than one that is constantly working.
For foreigners working in Norway, such as Dejardins, experiencing nature can be facilitated through company-organized skiing trips and similar activities. These experiences not only create lasting memories of gliding through Norway’s beautiful snowy landscapes but also foster team bonding. Thus, incorporating friluftsliv in the workplace may boost employee morale and help foreigners engage with nature in the same way locals do. This process of acculturation helps integrate foreigners or ‘outsiders’ into Norwegian society, as observed by Anderson & Setten (2023), who studied how migrants in Norway encounter and interact with friluftsliv within the host culture.
The Norwegian government places special emphasis on incorporating migrant acculturation through friluftsliv. Government-funded programs and nature-based integration activities are in place across Nordic countries to promote social inclusion, place attachment, and acculturation of migrants in Norway through practical outdoor experiences.
However, this strategy presents challenges. Not everyone is as physically fit as the average Norwegian. Migrants arriving in Norway come from diverse backgrounds with different lifestyles. As such, physical activity in nature may not appeal to everyone, especially those from cultures and geographies that contrast sharply with Norway’s rugged mountains and marshes. Consequently, friluftsliv can create uneven power hierarchies, reinforce a sense of difference, and lead to exclusion and feelings of being ‘out of place’ (Anderson & Setten, 2023, p. 2) among migrants who may not be accustomed to trekking rocky mountains or descending steep paths without stairs or handrails.
Examining friluftsliv from a foreigner’s perspective reveals its multiple benefits, including improved physical health, a deeper appreciation of nature, social bonding, and greater integration into Norwegian society. However, the country’s natural landscape may present difficulties for some individuals. To ensure social justice and inclusivity, Norwegian society must explore normative practices and socio-environmental aspects (Setten, 2020) that facilitate access for all.
In conclusion, foreigners like Dejardins may successfully integrate into Norwegian society through friluftsliv. However, physical fitness and the ability to adapt to all weather conditions seem to be prerequisites for full acceptance. This acculturation process requires time and effort from multiple stakeholders—the individual, the community, and the government. To ensure that all members of Norwegian society, including foreigners and migrants, can enjoy outdoor recreation, accessibility measures such as stairs, handrails, camping areas, and beginner-friendly hiking trails should be implemented. This way, everyone can comfortably enjoy nature while appreciating the systems, structures, and moral values that define the Norwegian landscape.
References
Anderson, S. & Setten, G. (2023). ‘It Was Only When I Came Here that I Learned about Walking’: Creating Meaningful Contact in the Norwegian Outdoors? Nordic Journal of Migration Research, 13(3), 5, pp. 1–16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33134/njmr.552
Dejardins, L. (2018, November). How Norwegian friluftsliv brings out the best in people [Video]. TEDxTrondheim. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E02N3A68IF8
Flemsæter, F., Setten, G., & Brown, K. M. (2015). Morality, mobility, and citizenship: Legitimizing mobile subjectivities in a contested outdoors. Geoforum, 64, 342–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2014.06.017
Setten, G. (2020). Moral Landscapes. In: Kobayashi, A. (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, 2nd edition. Vol. 9, Elsevier, pp. 193–198. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-102295-5.10843-1
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