Welfare stigma in a social democratic welfare regime during a decade of national public debate: production, contestation and continuities

Figures & data

Table 1. The media debate cases – summary of content and some general traits.

Media case	Date of publication and number of newspaper articles	Groups concerned	Initiator of the debate	Actors involved	Consequences/outcomes
The ‘welfare trap’	December 2010–January 2011; 35 Downloaded; 15.09.2020	All – the welfare system as a whole	The National Trade Organization (NHO)	NHO, The government, politicians in the opposition, Largest Labour Union (LO) and commentators	High profile debate. Succeeded in setting the public agenda
Somali ‘false’ single mothers	August 2010–March 2017. 24 Downloaded. 14.09.2020; 15.09.2020	Somali single mothers	Kadra Yusuf (Journalist/columnist)	Somali community, NAV officials, politicians, researchers, commentators and individuals	Polarization of standpoints. Somali mothers framed as a problematic immigrant group – followed by actions by state authorities
A ‘welfare scrounger’s’ confession	March 2012–September 2013; 38 Downloaded 1.11.2018 13.12.2019	Welfare benefits recipients	Vegard Skjervheim (welfare recipient)	Policy makers, columnists, commentators, researchers, employees in NAV	General disapproval
Refugees and the ‘gold chair’ to the welfare state	December 2015; 12 articles. Downloaded 1.11.2018	Refugees	Sylvi Listhaug (State Secretary for the Progress Party)	Politicians, commentators (editorials), experts on law and rhetoric politicians	General disapproval of the rhetoric; political agreement for stricter immigration policies
Young people on benefits	January 2017; 7 articles. Downloaded 1.11.2018	Young people – social assistance	The Progress Party’s youth organization	Individuals with benefits, politicians	General disapproval of rhetoric
Work clearance allowance cuts	Autumn 2019; 28 articles. Downloaded 14.11.2019	Young people with AAP	Heidi Nordby Lunde, Member of Parliament, Conservative Party	Politicians, organization for AAP recipients, Young disabled people’s organization, labour union representatives, people with AAP, researchers, and experts	High profile opposition/confrontation. General disapproval in media; led to modification of proposed welfare cuts