Comments on: The Day of the Dugnad

By: Ariel

Ariel — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 20:24:26 +0000

In reply to ��ø��. Get a kid. You will find dugnad in kindergarten and school. ✌🏻

By: B

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 08:57:43 +0000

In reply to Robert. I just moved to Norway in July, and I have already been to over 4 dugnads.

By: Alton C. Thompson

Alton C. Thompson — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 13:45:16 +0000

I’ve been told that my great-great-grandfather, Torje Tjøstolvsen Songe-Solberg, in coming over, from the Tvedestrand area, to Mt. Morris, Wisconsin around 1850, paid for the passage of about 30 people in addition to the members of his family. Would this represent an example of “dugnad,” Eleni?

By: Alton C. Thompson

Alton C. Thompson — Sat, 08 Aug 2020 12:59:20 +0000

My reading in Anthropology leads me to believe that during the long period prior to the Neolithic
Revolution a concordance developed between human biology and their hunter-gatherer way of life. In fact, anthropologist Alan Barnard recently wrote that humans became “designed” for a hunter-gatherer way of life. That means that life has become increasingly unnatural for those of us who are inmates of “civilized” societies; it’s understandable, then, why so many problems have been associated with “civilized” existence! What dugnad seems to represent is human nature coming to the fore for a time, at least. In a sense, then, the practice of dugnad can be thought of as as a partial “return” to the way of life for which we had become “designed”! What’s unfortunate is that that practice is not widespread enough to prevent our species to join the 1,000,000 other species likely to go extinct soon!

By: Belky

Belky — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 17:26:05 +0000

In the US it is known as a type of volunteer community service. Many Christian churches inculcate the idea of giving a specific amount of time or money. In the secural arena there is the idea of giving Five– and that could mean five hours per whatever or money.

The difference is here some people volunteer all the time and do more than their share and most don’t do any volunteering at all. But because it’s not limited to a geographic area, we don’t know who is active and who isn’t.

By: Olav østvold

Olav østvold — Tue, 07 Apr 2020 19:05:25 +0000

In reply to Eleni. If you have lived in Norway and NEVER have been to a dugnad- you are either lying or very unpopular. Almost all volunteer work is done in a dugnad!

By: Helen B White

Helen B White — Tue, 08 May 2018 13:07:18 +0000

In reply to ��ø��. My mother’s apartment flats in Oslo, Norway seasonally arranged dugnad to do exactly what the article indicates, clean and maintain communal area in their apartment complex. This happened for as many years that she lived there, which was around 40 years, until she passed. I was born and raised in Norway, now living in overseas.

By: Eleni

Eleni — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 17:18:18 +0000

In reply to Robert. thanks for your comment. I totally see your point.

By: Eleni

Eleni — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 17:16:53 +0000

In reply to Martina. Great explanation! I think I will use that next time.

By: Martina

Martina — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 02:02:27 +0000

In reply to Robert. I agree with you, every culture need a different explanation, but dugnad is a milestone in my knowledge of norwegian people and culture. I'm italian, so I explain dugnad as friends and family gathering together for help, because in our culture those are stronger bonds than local community and you don't expect that someone come and help without being your friend.