The Hate Crime Concept in Norwegian Political Debates

The concept of hate crime has gained much international recognition for seeking to challenge hierarchies of difference and improve the marginal status of selected groups. In practice, however, as the specific parameters of hate crime categories across the globe have been developed in many divergent directions, they are likely to generate diverse outcomes. Exploring the central international debates and disagreements within hate crime policy and discourse, the current paper conceptualizes hate crime as a particularly fluid and workable category which can be constructed and implemented in a variety of ways that either promote or thwart the impetus of social security and justice. At a time when hate crime appears to be a significant issue across Europe, there is an urgent need to grasp the complexities of this phenomenon and develop effective policies to address it. Contributing towards this end, our paper explores how Norwegian politicians understand and impliment the hate crime concept – questioning whether the specific Norwegian configuration such policy and discourse is likely to challenge or foster structural inequalities