The Law of Jante (, da, Janteloven )

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

nb, Janteloven , nn, Jantelova; is, Jantelögin; fo, Jantelógin; sv, Jantelagen ; fi, Janten laki . is a

code of conduct A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the norms, rules, and responsibilities or proper practices of an individual party or an organization. Companies' codes of conduct A company code of conduct is a set of rules which is commonly writt ...

created in fiction by the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

author

Aksel Sandemose Aksel Sandemose (né Axel Nielsen; 19 March 1899 – 6 August 1965) was a Danish-Norwegian writer whose works frequently elucidate the theme that the repressions of society lead to violence. Biography Axel Nielsen was born at Nykøbing Mors on t ...

and has been assumed by some to explain the

egalitarian Egalitarianism (), or equalitarianism, is a school of thought within political philosophy that builds from the concept of social equality, prioritizing it for all people. Egalitarian doctrines are generally characterized by the idea that all hu ...

nature of Nordic countries. The attitudes were first formulated in the form of the ten rules in Sandemose's satirical novel ''A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks'' (, 1933), but the attitudes themselves are older. Sandemose portrays the fictional small Danish town of Jante, which he modelled upon his native town

Nykøbing Mors Nykøbing Mors is the largest town on the island of Mors in the Limfjord in Denmark. The town received its charter in 1299 and has a population of 9,033 (1 January 2022).

in the 1930s, where nobody was anonymous, a feature of life typical of small towns. It is used generally in colloquial speech in the Nordic countries as a

sociological Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation and ...

term to denote a social attitude of disapproval towards expressions of individuality and personal success.

Definition

There are ten rules in the law as defined by Sandemose, all expressive of variations on a single theme and usually referred to as a homogeneous unit: ''You are not to think you're anyone special, or that you're better than us.'' The ten rules state: # You're not to think ''you'' are anything special. # You're not to think ''you'' are as good as ''we'' are. # You're not to think ''you'' are smarter than ''we'' are. # You're not to imagine yourself better than ''we'' are. # You're not to think ''you'' know more than ''we'' do. # You're not to think ''you'' are more important than ''we'' are. # You're not to think ''you'' are good at anything. # You're not to laugh at ''us''. # You're not to think anyone cares about ''you''. # You're not to think ''you'' can teach ''us'' anything. The Janters who transgress this unwritten "law" are regarded with suspicion and some hostility, as it goes against the town's communal desire to preserve harmony, social stability and uniformity. An eleventh rule recognized in the novel as "the penal code of Jante" is:

Perhaps you don't think ''we'' know a few things about ''you''?

From the chapter "Maybe you don't think I know something about you":

That one sentence (the eleventh rule), which acts as the penal code of Jante, as such was rich in content. It was a charge of all sorts of things, and that it also had to be, because absolutely nothing was allowed. It was also an elaborate indictment, with all kinds of unspecified penalties given to be expected. Furthermore it was useful, depending fully on tone of voice, in financial extortion and enticement into criminal acts, and it could also be the best means of defense.

Sandemose's novel described working-class life in the fictional town of Jante. He wrote in 1955, a bit mischievously, that "Many people have recognized n Jantetheir own hometown – this has happened regularly to people from Arendal orway

Tromsø Tromsø (, , ; se, Romsa ; fkv, Tromssa; sv, Tromsö) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø. Tromsø lies in Northern Norway. The municipality is the ...

orwayand Viborg enmark. Sandemose made no claim to having invented the rules; he simply sought to formulate social norms that had stamped the Danish and Norwegian psyches for centuries.

Sociological effects

Although intended as criticism of society in general, some critics in the 1990s argued that the Law of Jante had shifted to refer to personal criticism of people who want to break out of their social groups and reach a higher position. It is common in Scandinavia to claim the Law of Jante as something quintessentially Danish, Norwegian or Swedish. The rules are treated as a way of behaving in order to fit in and results in dressing similarly and the types of cars that people buy and buying similar products for their homes. It is commonly stated that Jante Law is for people in the provinces, but commentators have suggested that metropolitan areas are also affected. While the original intention was as satire, Kim Orlin Kantardjiev, a Norwegian politician and educational advisor, claims that the Law of Jante is taught in schools as more of a social code to encourage

group behavior Group dynamics is a system of behaviors and psychological processes occurring within a social group (''intra''group dynamics), or between social groups ( ''inter''group dynamics). The study of group dynamics can be useful in understanding decision- ...

, and wants to credit it with fueling Nordic countries' high happiness scores.BBC Ideas Forget hygge: The laws that really rule in Scandinavia
/ref> It has also been suggested that contentedness with a humdrum lifestyle is a part of happiness in the Scandinavian countries. However, in Scandinavia, there have also been journalistic articles which link the Law of Jante to high suicide rates.Klas Leffler
in '' MittMedia Allehanda Västernorrland'' 2016-07-16 Backlash has occurred against the rules, and in Norway someone even placed a grave for Jante Laws, declaring them dead in 2005. However, others have questioned whether they will ever go away, as they may be firmly entrenched in society.

Appearance in English-language sources

* When interviewed during episode 646 of ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Spartina Productions and CBS Studios, it is the second ...

'', broadcast November 9, 2018, Swedish actor

Alexander Skarsgård Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (; born August 25, 1976) is a Swedish actor. Born in Stockholm, he began acting at age seven but quit at 13. After serving in the Swedish military, Skarsgård returned to acting and gained his first role in th ...

explained that although he had recently received an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for a lauded performance, the inhibitions induced by the Law of Jante prevented him from boasting of the accolade. * In ''Wisting'', a 2019 Norwegian police procedural television series, partially in English, the character Line says (translated), "''The newspaper sales numbers and the Law of Jante are merging.''" *In '' Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown'', Bourdain and

René Redzepi René Redzepi (born 16 December 1977) is a Danish chef and co-owner of the three-Michelin star restaurant Noma in the Christianshavn neighborhood of Copenhagen, Denmark. His restaurant was voted the best restaurant in the world by '' Resta ...

discuss ''Janteloven''s effect on Danish culture. *In some interviews,

Greta Thunberg Greta Tintin Eleonora Ernman Thunberg (; born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish environmental activist who is known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation. Thunberg's activism began when she persuaded ...

credits and appreciates the ''law'' for her being ignored by Swedes that see her in public.

Definition

Sociological effects

Appearance in English-language sources

See also

References

Notes

Further reading