PLURIACTIVITY AS A STRATEGY FOR EMPLOYMENT IN RURAL NORWAY b PER HETLAND Rogaland Research Institate, Centre for Social Sciences, Stavanger, Norway DEFINITION A N D PROBLEMS Pluriactivity, the traditional employment adaptation in rural Norway, has kept its foothold in rural areas. The types of job combinations have however changed radically, from ‘fishermen farmers’ and similar kinds of adaptation, to a majority of ‘white collar farmers’. This change has been accelerated by new forms of work sharing in the household between men and women. From a political point of view the dominant tendency for a long time was to look upon pluriactivity as a traditional adaptation which would vanish as modernization progressed. Over recent years this point of view has changed. Contrary to former policies, projects and policies are now trying to discover how to stimulate pluriactivity. In this paper the following definition of pluriactivity in rural areas is used: the diversification of activities carried out by one household on and off the holding in order to secure the household’s economy and welfare. By using the notion pluriactivity instead of part time farming, attention is drawn to the total activity of the household. This household view is necessary to capture important changes that are taking place in rural Norway today. Emphasis is also placed on how households are adapting to policies and projects which try to stimulate pluriactivity. What is the origin of these projects, and is it possible to stimulate pluriactivity by these means? PLURIACTIVITY: THE MAIN AGRICULTURAL ADAPTATION IN NORWAY In large parts of Norway where fishing and forestry had a central role, nearly all farmers were pluriactive. After the Second World War there was a move towards so calledfamifyfamzs, that is to say farms with no activity off the farm. This development was stimulated by agricultural policies, yet in spite of these policies two out of every three farms are still pluriactive. Sociologia Ruralis 1986. Vol. XXVI-3/4