What is this description of a pattern of group behaviour towards individuals within Nordic countries that Sharmi Albrechtsen explored in her book A Piece of Danish Happiness?
Law of Jante The Law of Jante (Danish: "Janteloven" , ] ; Norwegian Bokmål: "Janteloven" , ] , Nynorsk: "Jantelova" ; Icelandic: "Jantelögin" ;,Faroese: "Jantelógin" Swedish: "Jantelagen" , ] ) is the description of a pattern of group behaviour towards individuals within Nordic countries that negatively portrays and criticises individual success and achievement as unworthy and inappropriate. The Jante Law as a concept was created by the Dano-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose, who, in his novel "A Fugitive Crosses His Tracks" ("En flyktning krysser sitt spor", 1933, English translation published in the USA in 1936), identified the Law of Jante as ten rules. Sandemose's novel portrays the small Danish town Jante (modelled upon his native town Nykøbing Mors as it was at the beginning of the 20th century, but typical of all small towns and communities), where nobody is anonymous.
Self-categorization theory Self-categorization theory is a social psychological theory that describes the circumstances under which a person will perceive collections of people (including themselves) as a group, as well as the consequences of perceiving people in group terms. Although the theory is often introduced as an explanation of psychological group formation (which was one of its early goals), it is more accurately thought of as general analysis of the functioning of categorization processes in social perception and interaction that speaks to issues of individual identity as much as group phenomena.