When metaphors become cognitive locks: occupational pension reform in Norway
The reform of the Norwegian pension system in the early 2000s sparked off a need to reform occupational pensions. In the private sector, this was done in negotiations in 2008. In the public sector, a similar attempt in 2009 failed, and the process was only finalized in 2018. We aim to show how disco...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Policy & Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2019.1646070 |
| _version_ | 1818522617480478720 |
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| author | Anniken Hagelund Anne Skevik Grødem |
| author_facet | Anniken Hagelund Anne Skevik Grødem |
| author_sort | Anniken Hagelund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The reform of the Norwegian pension system in the early 2000s sparked off a need to reform occupational pensions. In the private sector, this was done in negotiations in 2008. In the public sector, a similar attempt in 2009 failed, and the process was only finalized in 2018. We aim to show how discourse, and the way the issues were framed through narratives and metaphors, affected the reform processes in 2008/2009. We outline the significance of different constellation of actors in the two sectors, and show how this affected the ability to achieve common understandings (coordinative discourse) and popular support (communicative discourse). We then focus in particular on one popular metaphor, namely the toiler, and show how toilers emerged in different guises in both the private and public sector negotiations. A clear notion of what the toiler needed was constructed during the private-sector negotiations. When negotiations moved to the public sector, and a different type of toiler entered the picture, key reform architects were unable to adjust. The metaphor of the toiler ended up as a ‘cognitive lock’ that hampered rather than promoted reform in the public sector. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:35:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c9e52b67bb6645b5b05b88bbd1298f45 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1449-4035 1839-3373 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:35:40Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Policy & Society |
| spelling | doaj.art-c9e52b67bb6645b5b05b88bbd1298f452022-12-22T01:19:18ZengOxford University PressPolicy & Society1449-40351839-33732019-07-0138337338810.1080/14494035.2019.16460701646070When metaphors become cognitive locks: occupational pension reform in NorwayAnniken Hagelund0Anne Skevik Grødem1University of OsloInstitute for Social ResearchThe reform of the Norwegian pension system in the early 2000s sparked off a need to reform occupational pensions. In the private sector, this was done in negotiations in 2008. In the public sector, a similar attempt in 2009 failed, and the process was only finalized in 2018. We aim to show how discourse, and the way the issues were framed through narratives and metaphors, affected the reform processes in 2008/2009. We outline the significance of different constellation of actors in the two sectors, and show how this affected the ability to achieve common understandings (coordinative discourse) and popular support (communicative discourse). We then focus in particular on one popular metaphor, namely the toiler, and show how toilers emerged in different guises in both the private and public sector negotiations. A clear notion of what the toiler needed was constructed during the private-sector negotiations. When negotiations moved to the public sector, and a different type of toiler entered the picture, key reform architects were unable to adjust. The metaphor of the toiler ended up as a ‘cognitive lock’ that hampered rather than promoted reform in the public sector.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2019.1646070Occupational pensionpolicynarrativediscourseNorway |
| spellingShingle | Anniken Hagelund Anne Skevik Grødem When metaphors become cognitive locks: occupational pension reform in Norway Policy & Society Occupational pension policy narrative discourse Norway |
| title | When metaphors become cognitive locks: occupational pension reform in Norway |
| title_full | When metaphors become cognitive locks: occupational pension reform in Norway |
| title_fullStr | When metaphors become cognitive locks: occupational pension reform in Norway |
| title_full_unstemmed | When metaphors become cognitive locks: occupational pension reform in Norway |
| title_short | When metaphors become cognitive locks: occupational pension reform in Norway |
| title_sort | when metaphors become cognitive locks occupational pension reform in norway |
| topic | Occupational pension policy narrative discourse Norway |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14494035.2019.1646070 |
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