Norwegian Army introduces unisex dorms

[Syt]

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/03/25/norway-army-unisex_n_5025835.html

Men And Women Shared Rooms In This Norwegian Army Base - And Sexual Harassment Dropped
The Huffington Post UK  |  By Jessica Elgot   Posted: 25/03/2014 09:54 GMT  |  Updated: 25/03/2014 09:59 GMT

The Norwegian army has created unisex dorms for soldiers, with female soldiers reporting they experienced a drop in sexual harassment as a result.

Trialled at a military base in the north of the country, the Local reported that each room had two women sharing with four men.

Ulla-Britt Lilleaas, professor of Sociology at the University of Agder, researched the reactions of women to the unorthodox arrangement.

One female soldier had purchased especially large underwear when she was told she would be sharing with male colleagues, but then reported that she had felt the gender differences less acutely than she had thought.

"To them there was nothing strange about the unisex rooms. They had entered a common mode where gender stereotypes had disappeared, or at least they were less obvious," the sociologist reported.

Another woman called the mixed rooms a "damn good idea".

"You have to be a team here, and then you have to live together in order to be able to trust in one another", she said.

"There is no gender in the army, there is only green", said another one of the interviewees.

Male soldiers who were interviewed said they found it easier to talk about more important things, rather than just banter or dirty talk, when there were girls in the rooms.

"They are much better at taking showers and cleaning, which is being emphasised as a positive thing by the management," the research said, according to Science Nordic.

In the research, Lilleaas and co-author Dag Ellingsen compared unisex dorms with another training centre for the Royal Norwegian Navy, where women and men have separate rooms.

They reported: "It becomes us and them, boys against the girls. Another problem with girls' rooms is that they in some cases fall outside the information flow. And they are often characterised by conflicts and cliques."

It is not the first time Norway's army has adopted radical ethical measures. It announced in November plans to introduce 'meatless Mondays' into army diets, to tackle climate change.

[Tamas]

It is not the first time Norway's army has adopted radical ethical measures. It announced in November plans to introduce 'meatless Mondays' into army diets, to tackle climate change.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

if the norwegian army wants to tackle climate change their navy should use viking ships.

No burning coastal settlements though as the smog is a climate-change no-no

[Neil]

If Norway wants to tackle climate change they should stop all gas production.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

If Norway wants to tackle climate change they should stop all gas production.

don't think that's healthy

[DGuller]

What about cases of sexual intercourse?

[grumbler]

What about cases of sexual intercourse?

They should stop those, as well.

[Valmy]

The Norwegian army has created unisex dorms for soldiers, with female soldiers reporting they experienced a drop in sexual harassment as a result.

I guess it makes it harder to rape people if you they know where you live.  But this is a weird sounding sentence, like there is a standard level of sexual harassment Norwegian soldiers experience that has now been lessened.

[Monoriu]

What about cases of sexual intercourse?

That happens even if there are separate rooms for males and females.

[The Brain]

I can't remember Sweden having had separate dorms.

[Valmy]

I can't remember Sweden having had separate dorms.

So that is what kept morale so high during the Narva campaign. 

[Malthus]

I can't remember Sweden having had separate dorms.

Because you slept in the barn? 

[Viking]

What about cases of sexual intercourse?

I suspect having mix dorms reduces incidents of sodomy in the norwegian navy.

[derspiess]

Sounds like a pretty decent idea, actually.  Someone's got to do the cleaning & laundry.

[Neil]

What about cases of sexual intercourse?

I suspect having mix dorms reduces incidents of sodomy in the norwegian navy.

Doubtful.