Gabriel Øidne
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Øidne was a Norwegian geographer and historian. Analyzing regional differences in party choice in Norway, he was the first to pinpoint factors relating to relations of production
as well as counter-cultural cleavages
when describing distinctions between Eastern and Western Norway. He also wrote several works on his native region, Agder
, among others on the so-called child migration in older times.
. He took the cand.philol. degree at the University of Oslo
in 1950, with the paper Audnedalen—a work on his native valley.
in 1957. In it, he began by discrediting popular theories of the impact of topography
on people, as well as Andreas Hansen's race theories. Instead, he cited differences in relations of production
; Western Norway was more egalitarian than Eastern Norway. Also, he noted that three counter-cultures were rooted Western Norway, creating cleavages
towards the rest of Norway: Landsmål
, temperance
and laity
. Politically, Øidne tied these counter-cultures to the Liberal and Christian Democratic parties. He also noted the similarity in support of the Christian Democratic Party and the short-lived Moderate Liberal Party
. Thus the article laid the grounds for voter sociology, a subset of political sociology
which explores the ties between political party choices and the sociological characteristics of the electorate.
In the same year that Øidne published the article, the first election survey in Norway was held, administered by the Norwegian Institute of Social Research in conjunction with the Norwegian parliamentary election of 1957
. Inspirations in addition to Øidne include Paul Lazarsfeld
et al.'s book The People's Choice.
Øidne never developed his own theories, limiting himself to only one article, but in later research his theories were developed scientifically by internationally renowned political scientists Henry Valen and Stein Rokkan
. Pioneer works were Regional Contrasts in Norwegian Politics, published in 1964 by Rokkan and Valen, and Party Systems and Voter Alignments, published in 1967 by Rokkan and Seymour Martin Lipset
.
In 1973 Øidne issued the book Østkant og vestkant i Oslos politiske historie: sosial og politisk struktur i Oslo 1906–69, about the distinctions between eastern and western Oslo
.
region, among others in the 1955 work Vest-Agder heimkunnskap. The study of this field has traditionally been severely underdeveloped in Norway, but Øidne grew up in this region and was aware of the practice, which took place between c.1750 and c.1910. Because of poverty, children in Southern Norway were sent to work during the summer. The migration typically took place from valleys in Vest-Agder
—Kvinesdal
, Lyngdalen
, Audnedalen
, Mandalen
, Marnardal
, Åseral
and Sirdal
as well as Lindesnes
—to more affluent areas in Aust-Agder
, often near the coast—Høvåg
, Landvik
, Arendal
and Grimstad
as well as Birkenes
and Iveland
. Many emigrated to the United States when they reached adolescence. In the late phase of his life Øidne assisted the screenwriter
and film director
Grete Salomonsen Hynnekleiv, who spent many years working on a screenplay.
Relations of production
Relations of production is a concept frequently used by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in their theory of historical materialism, and in Das Kapital...
as well as counter-cultural cleavages
Cleavage (politics)
Cleavage in political science is a concept used in voting analysis and is the division of voters into voting blocs.The preliminary assumption is that voters don’t come in predefined groups of pros and cons for or against a certain subject. Ballot analysis assumes that voters opt for a certain...
when describing distinctions between Eastern and Western Norway. He also wrote several works on his native region, Agder
Agder
Agder is a historical district of Norway in the southernmost region of Norway, corresponding to the two counties Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder. Today, the term Sørlandet is more commonly used.-Name:...
, among others on the so-called child migration in older times.
Early life and education
Øidne was born in 1918 in KonsmoKonsmo
Konsmo is a village and a former municipality in Vest-Agder county in Norway. It is located south of Ytre Øydnavatnet in the southern half of the present-day municipality of Audnedal along the Audna river in the Audnedalen valley.-Name:...
. He took the cand.philol. degree at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
in 1950, with the paper Audnedalen—a work on his native valley.
East–West distinctions in Norway
Øidne is first and foremost known for the article Litt om motsetninga mellom Austlandet og Vestlandet ('On the Distinction Between Eastern and Western Norway'), published in the periodical Syn og SegnSyn og Segn
Syn og Segn is a Norwegian cultural and political magazine. It was founded in 1894, and Rasmus Flo and Arne Garborg were the magazine's first editors....
in 1957. In it, he began by discrediting popular theories of the impact of topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
on people, as well as Andreas Hansen's race theories. Instead, he cited differences in relations of production
Relations of production
Relations of production is a concept frequently used by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in their theory of historical materialism, and in Das Kapital...
; Western Norway was more egalitarian than Eastern Norway. Also, he noted that three counter-cultures were rooted Western Norway, creating cleavages
Cleavage (politics)
Cleavage in political science is a concept used in voting analysis and is the division of voters into voting blocs.The preliminary assumption is that voters don’t come in predefined groups of pros and cons for or against a certain subject. Ballot analysis assumes that voters opt for a certain...
towards the rest of Norway: Landsmål
Landsmål
Landsmål, meaning "language of the land/country", was the name Ivar Aasen gave the Norwegian orthography he created in the 19th century. In 1885 it was adopted as an official language in Norway alongside Danish. In 1929, Landsmål was renamed Nynorsk...
, temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
and laity
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
. Politically, Øidne tied these counter-cultures to the Liberal and Christian Democratic parties. He also noted the similarity in support of the Christian Democratic Party and the short-lived Moderate Liberal Party
Moderate Liberal Party
Moderate Liberal Party was a Norwegian political party that emerged from the conservative branch of the Liberal Party in 1888, consisting mainly of the Low Church...
. Thus the article laid the grounds for voter sociology, a subset of political sociology
Political sociology
Contemporary political sociology involves much more than the study of the relations between state and society . Where a typical research question in political sociology might have been: "Why do so few American citizens choose to vote?" or even, "What difference does it make if women get elected?" ...
which explores the ties between political party choices and the sociological characteristics of the electorate.
In the same year that Øidne published the article, the first election survey in Norway was held, administered by the Norwegian Institute of Social Research in conjunction with the Norwegian parliamentary election of 1957
Norwegian parliamentary election, 1957
A general election to the Storting, the parliament of Norway, was held on 7 October 1957. The election was a victory for the Labour Party, and Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet could continue. The Labour party again achieved an absolute majority in parliament, together with the highest popular vote in the...
. Inspirations in addition to Øidne include Paul Lazarsfeld
Paul Lazarsfeld
Paul Felix Lazarsfeld was one of the major figures in 20th-century American sociology. The founder of Columbia University's Bureau of Applied Social Research, he exerted a tremendous influence over the techniques and the organization of social research...
et al.'s book The People's Choice.
Øidne never developed his own theories, limiting himself to only one article, but in later research his theories were developed scientifically by internationally renowned political scientists Henry Valen and Stein Rokkan
Stein Rokkan
Stein Rokkan was a Norwegian political scientist and sociologist. He was a professor in comparative politics at the University of Bergen.-Career and influence:...
. Pioneer works were Regional Contrasts in Norwegian Politics, published in 1964 by Rokkan and Valen, and Party Systems and Voter Alignments, published in 1967 by Rokkan and Seymour Martin Lipset
Seymour Martin Lipset
Seymour Martin Lipset was an American political sociologist, senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, and the Hazel Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University. His major work was in the fields of political sociology, trade union organization, social stratification, public opinion, and...
.
In 1973 Øidne issued the book Østkant og vestkant i Oslos politiske historie: sosial og politisk struktur i Oslo 1906–69, about the distinctions between eastern and western Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
.
Child migration
Øidne also wrote on child migration in the AgderAgder
Agder is a historical district of Norway in the southernmost region of Norway, corresponding to the two counties Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder. Today, the term Sørlandet is more commonly used.-Name:...
region, among others in the 1955 work Vest-Agder heimkunnskap. The study of this field has traditionally been severely underdeveloped in Norway, but Øidne grew up in this region and was aware of the practice, which took place between c.1750 and c.1910. Because of poverty, children in Southern Norway were sent to work during the summer. The migration typically took place from valleys in Vest-Agder
Vest-Agder
In the 16th century, Dutch merchant vessels began to visit ports in southern Norway to purchase salmon and other goods. Soon thereafter the export of timber began, as oak from southern Norway was exceptionally well suited for shipbuilding...
—Kvinesdal
Kvinesdal
Kvinesdal is a municipality in the county of Vest-Agder, Norway.Kvinesdal was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 . Feda was separated from Kvinesdal on 1 January 1900 but again merged with Kvinesdal on 1 January 1963. Fjotland was also merged with Kvinesdal on that date...
, Lyngdalen
Lyngdalen
Lyngdalen is a valley in Vest-Agder, Norway.The river Lygna runs through the valley, ending in Lyngdalsfjorden. Politically it is divided into the municipalities Lyngdal in the south and Hægebostad in the north....
, Audnedalen
Audnedalen
Audnedalen is a valley in Vest-Agder, Norway.The river Audna runs through the valley, ending in Snigsfjorden. Politically it is divided into the municipalities Lindesnes in the south and Audnedal in the north—formerly Nord-Audnedal and Sør-Audnedal, with slightly different borders....
, Mandalen
Mandalen
Mandalen is a valley in Vest-Agder, Norway.It runs from Åseral in the north, through Marnardal and ends at Mandal in the south. The river Mandalselva runs through the valley. Side valleys are Ljoslandsdalen and Lognadalen....
, Marnardal
Marnardal
Marnardal is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Marnardal was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1964 through the merger of the former municipalities of Bjelland, Laudal, and Øyslebø....
, Åseral
Åseral
Åseral is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. The administrative center is the village of Kyrkjebygda.The parish of Bjelland had to be divided into two formannskapsdistrikts on 1 January 1838. This is because the main part of Bjelland belonged to the county of Vest-Agder, while the annex...
and Sirdal
Sirdal
Sirdal is a municipality in Vest-Agder county, Norway. Sirdal was separated from Bakke in 1849. Sirdal was divided into Tonstad and Øvre Sirdal on 1 January 1905, but these were again merged to recreate Sirdal on 1 January 1960....
as well as Lindesnes
Lindesnes
Lindesnes is a municipality in the county of Vest-Agder, Norway. Lindesnes was created as a new municipality on 1 January 1964 after the merger of the older municipalities of Spangereid, Sør-Audnedal, and Vigmostad....
—to more affluent areas in Aust-Agder
Aust-Agder
is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal....
, often near the coast—Høvåg
Høvåg
Høvåg is a village and former municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Lillesand in the Sørlandet region....
, Landvik
Landvik
Landvik is a former municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It was located to the west of the town of Grimstad in southern Norway. Today, the name Landvik is still used to designate the westernmost part of the town of Grimstad, near the Prestegårdskogen housing development.-Name:The...
, Arendal
Arendal
is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county...
and Grimstad
Grimstad
is a town and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It belongs to the geographical region of Sørlandet. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Grimstad. Other notable places in Grimstad include Eide, Fevik, Fjære, Landvik, Prestegårdskogen, Reddal, and Roresanden.It is...
as well as Birkenes
Birkenes
Birkenes is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The village of Birkeland is the administrative center and about half of the municipality's residents live there...
and Iveland
Iveland
Iveland is a village and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Birketveit.-General information:...
. Many emigrated to the United States when they reached adolescence. In the late phase of his life Øidne assisted the screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Grete Salomonsen Hynnekleiv, who spent many years working on a screenplay.