The Worldview-Open Society, the Worldview-Controlling State and Non-Profit Welfare Actors: Norway as a case

Abstract

Diaconal actors, constituting the main share of health and caring institutions within the non-profit sector in Norway, face challenges as well as opportunities. The article analyzes the political framework that diaconal actors do operate under. Opportunities include strong political acknowledgements of the societal role of non-profit actors, decisions on increasing the overall share of their service provision, tender competitions reserved for non-profit actors, and the Norwegian emphasis on a worldview-open society. The authorities do also emphasize diversity as positive. The article demonstrates different understandings of requirements for being termed non-profit. Not only the actor itself must specify in its articles of association that profits must be reinvested to promote social purposes; recently the government has emphasized that also the owner(s) of actors must an establish such a non-profit social purpose in their articles of association. Specific examples are given of how Norwegian authorities act as promoters of a worldview-open society and a worldview-controlling state.