Rola obozów letnich w radykalizacji norweskiego Socjalistycznego Związku Młodzieży w latach 1967-1969
The role of summer camps in the radicalization of the Norwegian Socialist Youth League 1967-1969

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this article is to examine the influence of summer camps on the radicalization process of the Socialist Youth League, which resulted in the founding of the first Maoist organization in Norway in 1969. The three camps, held in August 1967-69, have so far been only marginally present in research on the Maoist movement and have never been the subject of specific analysis. Meanwhile, the camps, organized a month before the annual congresses, appear as a convenient tool to influence the organization and develop possible ways of radical agitation. The camp proceedings and the way they were utilized can provide important information on the backstory of the Maoist faction’s successes in the League, as they were organized on the initiative of Maoist radicals and their form and place in the life of the organization were an important component in the „Maoisation” of the entire organization. Moreover, they can be seen as a mirror reflecting the process of radicalization itself. My main sources were the programs, documents and newspapers distributed at the camps, as well as later reflections and evaluations published in internal journals. In order to analyze the place and role of the camps in the process of „radicalization”, I used a combination of different conceptualizations of radicalization, which allowed to frame the problem within the context of the political rebellion of the 1960s. The conclusions of the analysis will expand knowledge of this specific phenomenon in the political history of Norway and contribute to the debate on the processes of acquisition of radical views by youth organizations.

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