Career
Højrup is Professor of Ethnology at the University of Copenhagen. A persistent interest of his has been the development of new concepts of life-mode analysis (see 2003). Studies of conceptual history and politics (see 2002) has also figured centrally in his work.
He has directed a large scale research project on the formation of life modes and welfarestates (see 2000 and 2008).
Other research interests include epistemological questions in the social sciences (see 1998), and everyday life of distinct life-modes in modern Europe (1983) and in the fishing industry (see 2001). Life-mode 1 groups workers who are self-employed in small family-run businesses such as farming or fishing in rural areas, and corner shops or restaurants in urban environments.
Intent on maintaining a successful enterprise, they tend to make little distinction between work and leisure and have a strong solidarity ethic. Life-mode 2 comprises wage earners and employees.
There is no ideology of solidarity as in life-mode 1, but solidarity emerges in this group in the face of difficulties and lack of resources.
These conditions give rise to the traditional close-knit neighbourhoods of the working class. If a family’s income rises, the need for networks to provide support mechanisms is reduced. The family becomes materially better off and may move out of the neighbourhood to better accommodation.
The solidarity ethic apparently disappears, only to surface again in times of industrial strife.
Life-mode 3 members are also wage earners but they see their goal as rising up the hierarchy of the organisation for which they work. This group includes professional people such as doctors, lawyers, lecturers and managers.
Foreign them, work is meaningful in itself and the individual is prepared to work long hours and move long distances to fulfill ambitions. As a result, their networks are primarily loose-knit.
