Danish Solidarity in Global Digital Consumerism
Author
Jessen, Malene Hofman
Term
4. term
Publication year
2016
Submitted on
2016-05-31
Pages
114
Abstract
This thesis examines how data-driven consumer surveillance and “pay as you behave” pricing—particularly in the insurance sector—challenge and reshape Danish notions of solidarity within a global, digital consumer culture. Grounded in social constructivism and hermeneutics, it integrates a theoretical arc—from disciplinary to consumer surveillance (including the Panopticon) and solidarity theory—with a mixed-methods design. The study combines pre-exploratory work, expert interviews, secondary data, and a self-completion questionnaire with qualitative and quantitative components. Analysis is organized around two cases (car insurance and health/life insurance) and explores tensions between safety and privacy, institutional and individual moral obligations, equality and customer differentiation, and potential generational differences in willingness to share data. Topics include compliance with traffic law, transparency when laws are violated, gender equality, lifestyle-based differentiation, trust in data practices, and interest in behavior-based products. While this excerpt does not present detailed results, the thesis aims to specify when and how solidarity is maintained or strained at the intersection of Danish welfare ideals and digital market logics, and to identify emerging cultural strategies of self-expression and choice.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan datafunderet forbrugerovervågning og “pay as you behave”-modeller i særligt forsikringssektoren udfordrer og omformer danske solidaritetsforståelser i en global, digital forbrugerkultur. Med udgangspunkt i socialkonstruktivisme og hermeneutik kombinerer den et teoretisk spor – fra disciplinær til forbrugerrettet overvågning (bl.a. Panoptikon-begrebet) og solidaritetsteori – med en mixed-methods tilgang. Metoderne omfatter præ-eksplorative studier, ekspertinterviews, sekundære data samt et selvadministreret spørgeskema med både kvalitative og kvantitative elementer. Analysen struktureres omkring to cases (bilforsikring og sundheds-/livsforsikring) og belyser spændinger mellem sikkerhed og privatliv, institutionel og individuel moral, lighed og kundedifferentiering samt mulige generationsforskelle i villigheden til at dele data. Temaer som overholdelse af færdselslov, transparens ved lovovertrædelser, kønsligestilling, livsstilsdifferentiering, tillid til datahåndtering og interessen for adfærdsbaserede produkter indgår. Uddraget rummer ikke detaljerede resultater, men afhandlingen sigter mod at klarlægge, hvornår og hvordan solidaritet opretholdes eller udfordres i mødet mellem danske velfærdsidealer og digitale markedslogikker, og hvilke kulturelle strategier for selvudtryk og valgfrihed der opstår heraf.
[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]