Sex education in multicultural Norway

Abstract

Scandinavia has long been admired by American liberals and sex education advocates who cite comparable rates of adolescent sexuality, yet lower rates of teenage pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and abortion in Scandinavia. The United States has, however, two variables with which Scandinavia in general, and Norway in particular, has not historically had to contend (i.e. socioeconomic disadvantage and a multicultural society). In part due to these financially stable, homogeneous societies, the Scandinavian countries have established national sex education curricula with relatively little controversy. Recent immigrants to Scandinavia, however, particularly sexually conservative Muslims, throw new challenges into Scandinavia's health and sex education system. For this paper, I will focus on Norway, specifically Sogn Videregående, the country's largest high school, and use participant observation and interview research conducted there during the summer of 2003 to discuss the multiculturalization of Norway and how this has changed, or left unchanged, the sex education system.

Notes

1. All texts and interviews in Norwegian translated by Tiffany Bartz.

2. I have changed the names of the people interviewed, except for the health workers at Sogn Videregående.