ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that Nordic equality has been based on sameness to such a degree that it leaves little room for politicians and lawyers to recognize and appreciate difference. It discusses the legal framework of financing home care in Norway. The book focuses on the relation of dependence and self-support in family, tax and social law. It shows that normative and structural patterns are shaped according to divergent models in different areas of law: the nuclear family model and the individual model. Taking a constructivist stand, the book suggests that law also plays a crucial role in the construction of sex and sexuality today. It describes the international discourse is primarily based on the civil and political rights of an individual as the norm for human rights.
