ABSTRACT
Local voluntary organizations are relatively easy to start up in Norway and often do not last long. A good number of people, at any given time, both join and leave such organizations, as either new organizations crop up, others become defunct, or people leave or join existing organizations. In this respect, the society of local voluntary organizations is an extremely open and dynamic sector in continual change (Brandal and Selle 1983; Selle and 0ymyr 1992). These changes always reflect (and influence) more widespread and general social change. For that reason, changes in the society of organizations are one of the best indicators of more general social change in such densely organized societies as the Norwegian. The position of women in voluntary organizations at different points in time is an important expression of both women's social role and of "society's" view of this role. I
Ever since the early days of the growth of voluntary organizations in the latter half of the nineteenth century, women have played an important role in the voluntary sector of Norwegian society. In certain kinds of organizations, such as the laymen's movement (missionary societies), the teetotal movement, and social and humanitarian organizations, women have dominated, though more so at the grassroots level than at higher levels. In other words, women have played a decisive role in some of the, historically speaking, largest and, politically speaking, most influential organizations, that is, those linked to great mass movements. In organizing activities for children and young people, women have also been more involved than men. Men
have by no means been absent where women have been most visible, however, and men were dominant in the labor movement and in more production-related organizational activity in general, as well as in political parties. Men have also dominated in the organized areas of culture and leisure activities, particularly in what was to become the largest mass movement in the country, organized sports.
