In Norwegian textbooks, Europeans are systematically portrayed as abusers, imperialists, and exploiters. By contrast, non-whites are ascribed the role of victims, signalling an anti-Western bias, a new study has claimed.
“Something to do with European supremacy”, a new study by Bergen University student Kristoffer Tyssøy Høisæther, has uncovered double standards in the way history is being presented in Norwegian textbooks used today in elementary and high schools.
Another such instance is the role of women in European versus Muslim communities. The Bible is presented as a tool for women’s oppression, resulting in women becoming subjugated and viewed as obedient marriage material. The Quran, by contrast, is claimed to have had a liberating effect on women, serving for their stronger position in the Muslim world.
According to Høisæther, the textbooks are often students’ portal to topics where prior knowledge is little or non-existent and are therefore very important in forming a person’s worldview. By his own admission, he hopes to instigate a discussion and critical analysis of Norwegian teaching materials. Nevertheless, he admitted that has little confidence in this happening.