Vilhelm Aubert
Encyclopedia
Johan Vilhelm Aubert was an influential Norwegian
sociologist. He was a professor at the University of Oslo
from 1963 to his death, first at the Department of the Sociology of Law (1963–1971) and then at the Department of the Sociology of Law (1971–1988). He co-founded the Norwegian Institute for Social Research
already in 1950, and has been labelled the "father of Norwegian sociology". In his early life he was a member of the anti-Nazi resistance
group XU
, and while later involved on the radical wing of the Labour Party
, he edited the newspaper Orientering
.
in 1922. He was the older brother of mathematician Karl Egil Aubert
, born 1924. Vilhelm Aubert enrolled at the University of Oslo
in 1940, the same year as Norway was invaded by Germany
as a part of the Second World War. Aubert became a member of the illegal
intelligence organization XU
.
Aubert finally graduated with the cand.jur. degree in 1946. He then lived in the United States for two years, studying sociology
and psychology
at Columbia
and Berkeley. After returning to Norway, he was instrumental in the foundation and consolidation of social science research in Norway, a still fledgling field. He was a joint founder of the Norwegian Institute for Social Research
(ISF, or Institutt for samfunnsforsking), an independent research institute
in Oslo
, along with Arne Næss
, Eirik Rinde, and Stein Rokkan
in 1950.
Aubert was a member of the Labour Party
in his younger days. Situated on its left wing, he co-published the pamphlet Tenk en gang til. Tanker om fred og nedrustning in 1952, and was among the founders of the newspaper Orientering
. He was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper for some time. The persons in and around this newspaper were excluded from the Labour Party in 1960, following a turbulent existence as an internal party opposition, especially in foreign policy issues. Some of the excluded members went on to found the Socialist People's Party
, whereas Aubert left partisan politics to concentrate on an academic career. However, he continued his opposition towards nuclear arms.
. He was promoted to professor of the sociology of law
in 1963. This institution was, and still is, a part of the Faculty of Law. Books in the field of sociology of law include Likhet og rett (1963), Rettssosiologi (1968) and Rettens sosiale funksjon (1976). Continuity and Development in Law and Society was published posthumously in 1989.
He later moved to the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Blindern
, as a professorship in general sociology was established in 1971. His textbook Sosiologi, published in 1964, was the authoritative introduction to sociology in Norway for many years. His book The Hidden Society from 1965 was inspired by symbolic interactionism
and the Chicago school
.
He held a honorary degree
at the Faculty of Law of the University of Edinburgh
, issued in 1971. He has been credited for his contributions to the sociology of law, and some have labelled him the "father of Norwegian sociology" in general.
Later researchers have noted his tendency to stress the importance of norms
. He has been criticized for maintaining a thin line between research and activism in some of his works. Aubert's employment of action research
has been attributed to his left-wing political stance.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
sociologist. He was a professor 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...
from 1963 to his death, first at the Department of the Sociology of Law (1963–1971) and then at the Department of the Sociology of Law (1971–1988). He co-founded the Norwegian Institute for Social Research
Norwegian Institute for Social Research
The Norwegian Institute for Social Research is a social science research institute based in Oslo, Norway.It was founded in 1950 by Vilhelm Aubert, Arne Næss, Eirik Rinde, and Stein Rokkan. It cooperates closely with the University of Oslo and the Research Council of Norway, but is a contract-based...
already in 1950, and has been labelled the "father of Norwegian sociology". In his early life he was a member of the anti-Nazi resistance
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
group XU
XU
XU was a clandestine intelligence organisation working on behalf of Allied powers in occupied Norway during World War II...
, and while later involved on the radical wing of the Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
, he edited the newspaper Orientering
Orientering
Orientering was a Norwegian newspaper which was initially published in December 1952 as an alternative voice. It was absorbed into Ny Tid in 1975....
.
Early career
Vilhelm Aubert was born in KristianiaOslo
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...
in 1922. He was the older brother of mathematician Karl Egil Aubert
Karl Egil Aubert
Karl Egil Aubert was a Norwegian mathematician.He took his doctor's degree in Paris in 1957, and stayed at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton from 1958 to 1960. From 1962 to 1990 he was a professor at the University of Oslo. He chaired the Norwegian Mathematics Society from 1960 to...
, born 1924. Vilhelm Aubert enrolled 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 1940, the same year as Norway was invaded by Germany
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
as a part of the Second World War. Aubert became a member of the illegal
Norwegian resistance movement
The Norwegian resistance to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms:...
intelligence organization XU
XU
XU was a clandestine intelligence organisation working on behalf of Allied powers in occupied Norway during World War II...
.
Aubert finally graduated with the cand.jur. degree in 1946. He then lived in the United States for two years, studying sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
at Columbia
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and Berkeley. After returning to Norway, he was instrumental in the foundation and consolidation of social science research in Norway, a still fledgling field. He was a joint founder of the Norwegian Institute for Social Research
Norwegian Institute for Social Research
The Norwegian Institute for Social Research is a social science research institute based in Oslo, Norway.It was founded in 1950 by Vilhelm Aubert, Arne Næss, Eirik Rinde, and Stein Rokkan. It cooperates closely with the University of Oslo and the Research Council of Norway, but is a contract-based...
(ISF, or Institutt for samfunnsforsking), an independent research institute
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
in 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...
, along with Arne Næss
Arne Næss
Arne Dekke Eide Næss was a Norwegian philosopher, the founder of deep ecology. He was the youngest person to be appointed full professor at the University of Oslo....
, Eirik Rinde, 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:...
in 1950.
Aubert was a member of the Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
in his younger days. Situated on its left wing, he co-published the pamphlet Tenk en gang til. Tanker om fred og nedrustning in 1952, and was among the founders of the newspaper Orientering
Orientering
Orientering was a Norwegian newspaper which was initially published in December 1952 as an alternative voice. It was absorbed into Ny Tid in 1975....
. He was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper for some time. The persons in and around this newspaper were excluded from the Labour Party in 1960, following a turbulent existence as an internal party opposition, especially in foreign policy issues. Some of the excluded members went on to found the Socialist People's Party
Socialist People's Party (Norway)
Socialist People's Party was a splinter group of the Norwegian Labour Party . SF was principally dissatisfied with the pro-NATO/European Economic Community external policies of DNA. A group centered around the magazine Orientering had been expelled from DNA...
, whereas Aubert left partisan politics to concentrate on an academic career. However, he continued his opposition towards nuclear arms.
Later career
He took the doctor's degree in 1954, with the thesis Straffens sosiale funksjon. In it, he discussed the preventive nature of laws and punishment. In the same year he was hired as a lecturer at the University of OsloUniversity 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...
. He was promoted to professor of the sociology of law
Sociology of law
The sociology of law is often described as a sub-discipline of sociology or an interdisciplinary approach within legal studies...
in 1963. This institution was, and still is, a part of the Faculty of Law. Books in the field of sociology of law include Likhet og rett (1963), Rettssosiologi (1968) and Rettens sosiale funksjon (1976). Continuity and Development in Law and Society was published posthumously in 1989.
He later moved to the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences at Blindern
Blindern
Blindern is the main campus of the University of Oslo, located in Nordre Aker in Oslo, Norway.-The campus:Most of the departments of the University of Oslo are located at Blindern; other, smaller campuses include Sentrum , Gaustad , St...
, as a professorship in general sociology was established in 1971. His textbook Sosiologi, published in 1964, was the authoritative introduction to sociology in Norway for many years. His book The Hidden Society from 1965 was inspired by symbolic interactionism
Symbolic interactionism
Symbolic Interaction, also known as interactionism, is a sociological theory that places emphasis on micro-scale social interaction to provide subjective meaning in human behavior, the social process and pragmatism.-History:...
and the Chicago school
Chicago school (sociology)
In sociology and later criminology, the Chicago School was the first major body of works emerging during the 1920s and 1930s specialising in urban sociology, and the research into the urban environment by combining theory and ethnographic fieldwork in Chicago, now applied elsewhere...
.
Death and legacy
Aubert died in July 1988 during a hiking trip.He held a honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
at the Faculty of Law of the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, issued in 1971. He has been credited for his contributions to the sociology of law, and some have labelled him the "father of Norwegian sociology" in general.
Later researchers have noted his tendency to stress the importance of norms
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
. He has been criticized for maintaining a thin line between research and activism in some of his works. Aubert's employment of action research
Action research
Action research or participatory action research – is a reflective process of progressive problem solving led by individuals working with others in teams or as part of a "community of practice" to improve the way they address issues and solve problems. Action research is done simply by action,...
has been attributed to his left-wing political stance.