The start of a new decade always brings with it both an analysis of the previous decade and more or less successful predictions about what will happen in the coming years. Society undoubtedly changes dramatically over the course of a decade, especially in an environment characterized by rapid technological development.
Changes both in the outside world and in Norway also affect what we define as Norwegian culture. Describing what Norwegian culture is can evoke strong emotions, but people usually think of culture as a shared set of beliefs, values, and rituals. Of course, these change over time, and culture is therefore by definition constantly changing. It is also important to remember that culture is not just about opera and theater. Shared culture is everything that is shared, and by this definition, Norwegian bloggers or Norwegians who gamble in a casino are as much a part of Norwegian culture as those who go to the opera.
Trends and traditions in food as examples of change
A prerequisite for being able to say something about the future is that one learns from what has happened in the past. There are many interesting areas where one can analyze how influences from the outside world have affected Norwegian culture and preferences. Food is one such fascinating area.
If you are trying to say something about what has happened to Norwegian food preferences, it is important to look at statistics and sales figures. It is possible to imagine that Norwegians only eat tacos and ready-made pizza, or that everyone cooks sushi or Asian rice dishes every day. However, there are many statistics that show that this is not the case. For example, sales of traditional Norwegian food have not decreased in any way. An example of this is the increase in sales of traditional porridge in various forms. This applies not only to porridge, but also to other ready-made dishes, with Norwegian classics such as meatballs in brown sauce holding strong. Of course, one can imagine that this is a sign of both nostalgia and, perhaps, a lack of faith in one’s own culinary abilities. You can find out what gives Christians higher self-confidence and self-esteem by visiting this resource.
In the 2020s, a number of different factors will influence Norwegian food culture:
- International influences will continue to influence Norwegian food culture. It is difficult to predict what will be the next big trend after dishes like ceviche, but Norwegians continue to travel and bring new flavors home.
- At the same time, some parts of traditional Norwegian food culture will remain intact, and this includes everything from traditional Christmas dishes to meatballs in brown sauce. Of course, there are impulses, such as increased attention to meatless alternatives, but here we are talking about dishes that are truly part of Norwegian culture.
What will happen to the Norwegian language?
There are many languages in the world that are under serious pressure due to the dominance of English on the Internet and other media. In some countries, the authorities are fighting this development quite hard, for example, France is imposing requirements on French content on streaming services, etc. At the same time, it is difficult to fight the dominance of social networks such as Facebook or Snapchat.
Language is extremely important for maintaining a shared culture, and what happens to the Norwegian language is of course also important in the 2020s.
The Norwegian language will continue to be under pressure from the increased use of English in the workplace, at school and on the internet. Compared to many other countries, Norway is in the middle of the pack in terms of the number of English words that have a direct place and which of them have a clear Norwegian translation.
The use of abbreviations and other factors that affect messaging and text communication will continue to affect other parts of the language.
At the same time, the Norwegian authorities will likely try to preserve the identity of the Norwegian language. An example of this conflict is the so-called Oslo Metropolitan University, which has been criticized for its name.
Will climate change and global warming affect Norwegian culture?
A lot has happened in terms of climate awareness between 2010 and 2019. What will happen in the next decade is hard to say, except that developments will likely accelerate even more.
The Norwegian oil and gas adventure has certainly had a huge impact on Norwegian society. There will likely be a lot of discussion throughout the 2020s about what comes next. At the same time, oil and gas revenues will undoubtedly start to decline over time, and this will also affect Norwegian culture.
Norwegians love to travel a lot, and this is unlikely to change. At the same time, it is difficult to imagine that flying will be replaced by any other mode of transport. A decade is simply too short a time to create, for example, high-speed trains as an alternative.
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