The Jante Law

When I found out I was going to be hosting a Danish student, I wanted to do some research on Denmark to get a glimpse of what life was like in Denmark and common social practices. I was worried about not being able to relate to the student I was hosting and I wanted to get more of an understanding of her culture. While doing this research, I found that most of the information on Denmark referred to the Danes as generally reserved, modest people. It came across as confusing to me that there was a societal norm towards being modest and having an egalitarian ideology. After further research, I came across something that could be described as a social code of conduct. The Jante Law, a concept created by Danish author Askel Sandemose in the 1930’s gives a message that no one should believe they are superior to anyone else. According to the Jante Law, everyone is equal and neither intelligence nor wealth will make you a better person. Equality in Danish culture is of such importance that personal success can be seen as an attempt to distinguish oneself from the rest of society and should be frowned upon. Although this moral code was derived from a book about a fictional village, most Danes prescribe to the behavior and social conduct that the Jante Law calls for. Why does Danish society generally follow this model of correct behavior in society? How did the Jante Law become embedded in Danish culture? I knew that only upon experiencing Danish culture and talking to Danish people would I be able to begin to understand this phenomenon.


Ladies International Network Kobenhavn
2007 Jante Law. Electronic document,
http://www.linkdenmark.com/info/jante_law.htm, accessed October 20, 2007.