Why Can’t We All Get Along? A Study of Hygge and Janteloven in a Danish Social-Casual Games Community

Abstract

This article examines social interactions in a Danish online social-casual games community using the Danish social constructs of Hygge and Janteloven. Hygge relates to notions of home, family, safety, and security in small, sheltered surroundings, while Janteloven is a subversive attempt to codify the unwritten rules that enforce equality (or mediocrity) in Scandinavian societies. Off-line, Hygge exists in physical environments where a safe, social atmosphere can be created, similar to sociability in physical third places. In the online setting, we identify the social construction of shared interpersonal spaces where Hygge is achieved and regulated through perceived fairness with respect to constitutive and regulative rules. A sense of belonging moderates players’ behaviors toward others and even their achievements in the game to maintain harmony. The article offers a unique examination of social constructs online, contributing to the knowledge of Danish culture and of how local cultures shape online behaviors.