RETHINKING SOLIDARITY THROUGH WELFARE TECHNOLOGY FOR OLDER ADULTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46991/BYSU.F/2025.16.1.041Keywords:
Autonomy, elderly care, solidarity, technology, volunteerism, welfare state , Autonomy, elderly care, solidarity, technology, volunteerism, welfare stateAbstract
The welfare state is under pressure. Demographic changes, high expectations for services, and limited resources demand new approaches to service provision. In Norway, national authorities advocate for the use of technology and the involvement of volunteers in health and care services. This paper explores the relationship between solidarity, technology and volunteerism by asking whether the use of technology in health service delivery aligns with the values of solidarity. The empirical basis of the paper is qualitative sub-studies from the research project Caring Futures, as presented in three articles. The sub-studies reveal that technologists strongly support increased use of technology. By framing technology as a means to promote autonomy, they implicitly downplay human dependency. As a result, technology appears to conflict with a concept of solidarity rooted in mutual interaction. In contrast, relatives of nursing home residents recognise and accept dependency. Rather than attempting to eliminate it, they embrace dependency as a foundation for social connection, mutual responsibility and solidarity.
References
Archer, M. (2013). Solidarity and governance. In Governance in a changing world: Meeting the challenges of liberty, legitimacy, solidarity, and subsidiarity (No. Vatican City, pp. 1-2). Vatican City: Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
Bay, A.-H., Hellevik, T. & Hellevik, O. (2007). Svekker innvandring oppslutningen om velferdsstaten? (Does immigration weaken support for the welfare state?) Tidsskrift for samfunnsforskning, Vol. 48, Iss. 3, p. 377-405 https://doi.org/10.18261/ISSN1504-291X-2007-03-03
Blix, B. H., Stalsberg, H. & Moholt, J.-M. 2021 Demografisk utvikling og potensialet for uformell omsorg i Norge (Demographic development and the potential for informal care in Norway). Tidsskrift for omsorgsforskning, Årgang 7, Nr. 1, p. 1-14, DOI: https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.2387-5984-2021-01-03
Cappelen, A. (2019. Frykten for gratispassasjerene (The fear of freeriders), NHH Bulletin, 22nd November https://www.nhh.no/nhh-bulletin/artikkelarkiv/2019/-november/¬frykten-for-gratispassasjerene/
Cronquist, A., Theorell, T., Burns, T. & Lützen, K. (2004). Caring About – Caring For: Moral Obligations and Work Responsibilities in Intensive Care Nursing, Nursing Ethics, 11(1). https://doi:10.1191/1969733004ne667oa
Dahl, H. M. (2022). The ‘care crisis’ and its scientific framing and silences, pp. 20-38 in A Care Crisis in the Nordic Welfare States? (eds. Dahl, H. M., Hansen, L. L. & Horn, L.),(1 ed.,). Bristol University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv23-21kf8.7
Daatland, S. O. & Veenstra, M. (2012). Generasjoner, hjelp og hjelpere (Generations, help and helpers), p. 137–145 in S. O. Daatland & M. Veenstra (Eds.), Bærekraftig omsorg? Familien, velferdsstaten og aldringen av befolkningen (Sustainable care? The family, the welfare state and the aging population) Oslo:NOVA
Ellul, J. (1964). The technological society. New York, Vintage books
Gjerstad, B., Gjerstad-Sørensen, R., Teig, I. L. (2025) “The impact of welfare technology on care ethics: a qualitative analysis of healthcare professionals and managers' experiences with welfare technologies”. BMC Health Services Research. Vol. 25, (1). Doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-12187-2
Goerres, A. & Tepe, M. (2010). Age-based self-interest, intergenerational solidarity and the welfare state: A comparative analysis of older people's attitudes towards public childcare in 12 OECD countries. European journal of Political Research. Vol. 49, Issue 6, p. 818-151, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6765.2010.01920.x
Hansen, T. & Slagsvold, B. (2020). Refleksiv frivillighet i en norsk kontekst – om eldres deltakelse, motivasjon og potensiale (Reflexive Volunteering in a Norwegian Context – Notes on Participation, Motivation and Potential among Older Adults). Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning, Årg. 23, nr. 1, p- 4-19, https://doi.org/10.18261/-issn.2¬¬464-3076-2020-01-01
Halvorsen, K., Stjernø, S. Øverbye, E. (2022). Innføring i helse- og sosialpolitikk. 8. utgave (Introduction to health and care policies, 8th edition), Universitetsforlaget
Hellstrand, I., Gjerstad, B., Jensen, I.B. Ramvi, E. (2024) “De pårørendes stemme: En intervjustudie om erfaringer og forventninger til velferdsteknologi” (The voice of the next of kins: An interview study about experiences and expectations to welfare technologies) Nordisk tidsskrift for helseforskning 20(2)
Hofmann, B. (2010). Etiske utfordringer med velferdsteknologi (Ethical challenges with welfare technology), Paper, Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter for helsetjenesten
Hustinx, L., & Lammertyn, F. (2003). Collective and reflexive styles of volunteering: A sociological modernization perspective. Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 14, 167-187.
Jarke, J. (2020). Ageing Societies and Technological Innovation, pp. 5-13 in Co-creating Digital Public Services for an Ageing Society. Evidence for User-centric Design (ed. Jarke, J.), Public Administration and Information Technology, Springer.
Jenhaug, L. M. (2018). Myndighetenes forventninger til pårørende som samprodusenter i omsorgstjenester. Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning, 21(1), 39–58 doi.org/10.18261/issn.2464-3076- 2018-01-03
Meld. St. 25 (2005-2006). Mestring, muligheter og mening (Mastery, possibilities and meaning). Ministry of Health and Care Services, https://www.regjeringen.no/no/-dokumenter/¬stmeld-nr-25-2005-2006-/id200879/
Kamali, M. & Jönsson, J. (2018). Neoliberalism, Nordic welfare states and social work. Current and Future Challenges, Oxon: Routledge.
Kildal, N. (2012). Fra arbeidsetos til insentiver og velferdskontrakter (From work ethic to incentives and welfare contracts), pp. 177–187 in Arbeidslinja: Arbeidsmotivasjon og velferdsstaten ("Work-first approach") (eds. Stjernø, S. & Øverbye, E.). Oslo: Universitetsforlaget.
Kjøllesdal, A. (2010). Er teknologisk kompetanse omsorg? [Is technological competence care?] Sykepleien [Profession journal for nurses], 98(8):75-77, doi 10.4220/sykepleiens.2010.0068
Kuhnle, S. & Kildal, N. (2019). Velferdsstatens idegrunnlag i perspektiv (The welfare state's ideological basis in perspective), p. 15-40 in Den norske velferdsstaten (The Norwegian welfare state), (ed. Romøren, T. I.) Gyldendal
Lorenz, W. (2016). Rediscovering the social question. European Journal of Social Work, 19(1), 4-17.
Lorentzen, H. & Tingvold, L. (2018). Frivillig innsats: Hindre i omsorgssektoren (Volunteer work: Obstacles within the care sector), Tidsskrift for omsorgsforskning, Vol. 4, Issue 2, p. 120-131 https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.2387-5984-2018-02-08
Marthinsen, E., Juberg, A., Skjefstad, N. S., & Garrett, P. M. (2019). Social work and neoliberalism: The Trondheim papers. European Journal of Social Work, 22(2), 183-187
Meld. St. 25 (2005-2006). Mestring, muligheter og mening (Mastery, possibilities and meaning). White Paper, Ministry of Health and Care Services, https://www.regjeringen.no/¬¬no/dokumenter/stmeld-nr-25-2005-2006-/id200879/
Meld. St. 29 (2012-2013). Future care. White Paper, Ministry of Health and Care Services https://www.regjeringen.no/en/dokumenter/meld.-st.-29-2012-2013/id7-23252/
Meld. St. 15 (2017-2018) Leve hele livet. En kvalitetsreform for eldre (A full life - all your life
A Quality Reform for Older Persons.) White paper, Ministry of Health and Care Services
NOU 2011: 17. (2011). Når sant skal sies om pårørendeomsorg. Fra usynlig til verdsatt og inkludert (When the truth must be told about care from relatives. From invisible to valued and included). Ministry of Health and Care Services, https://regjeringen.nop/no/dokumenter/nou/2011- 17/id660537/
NOU 2023: 4 (2023). Tid for handling — Personellet i en bærekraftig helse- og omsorgstjeneste (Time for action — Personnel in a sustainable health and care service). Ministry of Health and Care Services, https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/nou-2023-4/id2961552/
NyAnalyse. (2017). Verdien av aktive seniorer. (The value of active seniors), ttps://seniorporten.no/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Verdien-av-aktive-seniorer.pdf
Saunes, I. S., Karanikolos,. M. & Sagan, A. (2020). Health Systems in Transition. Norway. Health System Review 2020, Vol. 22, No. 1. Norwegian Institute of Public Health, European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies
Statistics Norway, https://www.ssb.no/arbeid-og-lonn/sysselsetting/artikler/¬arbeidsle-dighet-i-norge
Syeda, M. Z., Syeda, D., and Babbar, H. (2022). The Role of Emerging Technologies in Smart Healthcare, pp.1-17 in Rani, S., Rajagopal, M., Kumar, N., Shah, S.H.A. (eds). IoT-Enabled Smart Healthcare Systems, Services and Applications, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. DOI:10.1002/9781119816829
Teig, I. L, Gjerstad, B., Gjerstad-Sørensen, R.(forthcoming) Ethical Framing Among Technologists. How do They Justify Their Technological Optimism? In Caring Futures: Care Ethics for Technology-Mediated Care Practices, (eds. Ramvi, E. & Gjerstad, B.), Scandinavian University Press
Veiden, P. (2022) Emile Durkheim. Solidaritet og det moderne arbedsliv (Emile Durkheim. Solidarity and the modern worklife), Cappelen Damm.
Zander, B. Gustafsson, Stridsberg, S.L. & Borg, J. (2023). Implementation of welfare technology: a systematic revies of barriers and facilitators, Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 18:6, 913-928, https://: 10.1080/17483-107.2021.193¬8707
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Brita Gjerstad, Inger Lise Teig
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
