Negotiating Autonomy: girls and parental authority in multi-ethnic Norway. GARP10

Gender, equality and autonomy are key concepts in the discourse on multi-ethnicity in Norway, highlighting intergenerational relationships and processes of cultural continuity and change. In policy documents and in the media, debate on the integration of the relationship between parents and children has become the focal point, particularly with regard to how they practice autonomy and authority. The practices of ethnic minorities are compared with those of the ethnic majority, which are used as the standards of normal freedom and independency. However, the actual practice of autonomy and authority is taken for granted and seldom made clear. This paper explores what is involved in the process of becoming independent in contemporary Norway. It examines the sources of autonomy and how these are linked with the practice of parental authority through studies of four 15 year old girls growing up in a multi-ethnic neighbourhood in Oslo