Klievingsdelingen

Klievingsdelingen is a term used in political sociology to describe the long-term segmentation of a society into relatively stable subgroups whose differences influence political behavior and party competition. The word, appearing in some Norwegian-language scholarly writings, roughly translates as “the cleavage division,” aligning with the broader idea of social cleavages that shape political clearest alignments over time.

Origins and usage

The concept draws on the classic cleavage theory developed by Lipset and Rokkan, which explains how enduring divisions—such as class, religion, language, or region—become embedded in voting patterns and party structures. In Nordic and Scandinavian scholarship, klievingsdelingen is often invoked to discuss how religious, linguistic, urban-rural, and regional identities interact with modernization, state-building, and immigration to produce persistent political fault lines. The term is most commonly used in qualitative and comparative analyses rather than in general population surveys.

Dynamics and implications

According to the idea, cleavages influence party platforms, alliance formation, and policy salience. Strong, indivisible cleavages tend to yield stable party systems, while overlapping or cross-cutting identities can mitigate polarization. Cleavages may evolve as economic structures change, institutions reform, or new social groups gain political voice, potentially reshaping electoral coalitions and public policy priorities.

Limitations and critique

Some scholars argue that the emphasis on fixed, long-term divisions can oversimplify modern politics, where issue-based coalitions and transnational concerns blur traditional fault lines. Critics also note that cleavages’ salience varies across contexts and time, making universal generalizations problematic.

See also: cleavage theory, Lipset and Rokkan, party systems, political sociology.