In 2013, the respected Norwegian research institute Fafo published a comprehensive report titled “Organization, Conditions, and Daily Life in Norwegian Strip Clubs”. The study, initiated and funded by the Ministry of Children, Equality, and Social Inclusion (BLD) , aimed to provide systematized knowledge about an industry that is often a subject of intense public debate and criticism. The 2013 Fafo report offered a rare glimpse into a world little known to the public, providing a surprisingly clear picture of an industry that is far more nuanced than public discourse often suggests.
As Oslo’s oldest and most respected gentlemen’s club,
String Showbar was proud to be the first club contacted and interviewed when Fafo began its project5. Our involvement in the study underscored our commitment to transparency, professionalism, and running a serious business based on good working conditions. This article delves into the Fafo report’s findings, concluding with a clear image of an industry that is far more professional than the public debate often portrays. The goal is to create an authoritative resource that not only celebrates String Showbar’s role but also contributes to a more fact-based understanding of the industry in Norway, establishing us as a leading voice in this field.
The Fafo Report’s Mandate and Methodology: A Solid Foundation for Knowledge
The background for the Fafo study was a concern about the working conditions of women who work with stripping. Public debate had long been dominated by claims that strip clubs were a front for prostitution and that employees were being exploited by agents. The ministry wanted a thorough review of the conditions offered to dancers in Norwegian strip clubs, as there was a lack of systematic knowledge on how they operate.
Fafo researchers
Ingunn Bjørkhaug, May-Len Skilbrei, and Kristin Alsos conducted the project between 2012 and 2019. The study’s findings are based on extensive empirical work:
- Qualitative interviews with 30 leaders, dancers, and other employees (such as bartenders and bouncers).
- Observations in the clubs and the apartments where the dancers live.
- A legal review of written materials such as contracts and internal rules.
The researchers noted that access to information was surprisingly good, as many club owners were interested in telling their side of the story to correct misconceptions in the public debate. To protect the anonymity of the informants, the report avoided going into detail about specific clubs’ locations or characteristics. The result was a broad and holistic picture of the industry as a whole.
Organization and Daily Life: An Industry Operating Under Strict Rules
The Fafo report states that strip clubs in Norway are organized and regulated like other licensed venues. The venue itself largely appears as a regular bar with seating areas, but it is distinguished by three main characteristics:
- Stage dance with undressing, visible to all guests without extra cost.
- Private dance in closed or partially closed rooms, which is time-limited and paid for in advance.
- The hostess function, where dancers converse with guests between shows. This contact occurs on a clear commercial basis, where the guest buys a drink or champagne to have company.
The Income Model:
The clubs’ income comes from the sale of drinks to guests, as well as a share of the revenue from private dances. Dancers, on the other hand, earn money from commission on drinks that guests buy for them, a share of the payment for private dances, and tips. This structure motivates dancers to act as hostesses and seek contact with guests.
Daily Routines and Unwritten Rules:
A typical evening for a dancer involves more than just stripping. They spend the majority of their time as hostesses, where they talk and build a rapport with guests. The stage dance serves as a form of advertising to attract attention, but the income primarily comes from the hostess role and private dances.
The report also describes a set of unwritten rules and a certain “justice” among the dancers. They often operate on a queue system for stage dancing and have clear expectations for how to interact with guests and each other. This creates a professional framework for the work, even if the rules are not always followed.
Wages and Working Conditions: Between Self-Employed and Employee
One of the most complex parts of the report is the legal analysis of the dancers’ employment status. Fafo found that all contracts they had access to assumed that the dancers were
Self-employed. However, the report concludes that this issue is unresolved, as the real circumstances often have traits that resemble an employer-employee relationship.
Key Findings on Employment Status:
- Right to instruct: Club management has an extensive right to instruct dancers on their working hours and when they should be on stage or mingling with customers.
- Guaranteed wage: Despite the commission-based pay, dancers often have a minimum guaranteed income. This suggests that they are making their labor available and do not bear the full risk of the work’s outcome.
- Working hours and free time: The contracts regulate the dancers’ working hours, but Fafo found that some clubs’ rules also extended to the dancers’ free time, for example, by prohibiting them from meeting customers privately. This is considered problematic in a Norwegian context.
- The Artists’ Tax Scheme: Most dancers are short-term migrants from EU countries who work in Norway for a few weeks or months at a time. They utilize the artists’ tax scheme, which provides a flat tax of 15% for work performed in Norway for less than six months a year.
- Housing and transportation: The club typically provides housing free of charge for the dancers. This is for practical reasons, as it is difficult for short-term migrants to secure their own housing. This arrangement makes it attractive for dancers to work in Norway but also gives the employer a stronger degree of control over what the dancers do outside of working hours.
The Dancer’s Life: Resourceful Women in a Network-Based Industry
The Fafo report challenges the stereotypical image of dancers as “poor, defenseless girls without choices”. Instead, the dancers are presented as being very
resourceful and proactive. They are capable of navigating a European labor market and are conscious of their rights.
Who are the dancers and what are their motivations?
Fafo found that the dancers are often young women in their 20s, primarily from EU countries. Their motivations for working in Norway vary:
- Some come from poorer countries to support themselves and their families.
- Others see the work as part of an extended youth filled with adventure and travel.
- Most combine stripping with other jobs or studies in different countries.
Recruitment and Agents:
The industry and its recruitment are distinctly
network-based. The dancers come into contact with clubs in three ways: direct contact, through other dancers in their networks, or via agents. The report emphasizes that the dancers are very good at using these networks to their advantage. Those who use agents view it as a business relationship and often cut out the agent as soon as they establish their own contacts. This reduces the risk of exploitation.
The Prostitution Myth:
One of the report’s most important conclusions is that there were no indications that strip clubs are a “front for prostitution,” as is often claimed in public debate. Based on its collected knowledge, Fafo cannot rule it out but argues that it would be difficult to run widespread prostitution in a strip club without it being discovered.
Club owners themselves are keen to avoid prostitution, as it could threaten their income and the club’s existence. They have explicit prohibitions against it in contracts and routines to ensure it doesn’t happen. The dancers also earn enough money on their own that they are not pressured into prostitution. They see themselves as professional entertainers who sell an experience, not sex.
An Industry in Need of Dialogue, Not Prohibition
Through its report, Fafo shows a more complex reality than what is often presented in media debates. The findings point to an industry that is varied but generally well-regulated. The Fafo report concludes that there is little research-based knowledge about the stripping market in Norway and that it is important to establish knowledge about how strip clubs operate to inform policy and debate.
Fafo recommends further investigation into the conditions for dancers, particularly from a European perspective, with a focus on the role of agents and different European regulatory models. They emphasize that several owners themselves desire a more active approach from authorities to clean up the industry.
This thorough review from a neutral research institute largely exonerated the industry from the most serious accusations. String Showbar, which was the first club to open its doors to the Fafo researchers, is proud to be part of this positive conclusion. We have always been, and will always be, a proponent of professionalism, safety, and ethics in the entertainment industry.
The Fafo Report’s Conclusion in Bullet Points: The Truth About Strip Clubs in Norway
Here is a summary of the positive findings from the Fafo report that establishes a new, fact-based understanding of the industry:
- Resourceful Dancers: The women who work as dancers are portrayed as resourceful and aware of their rights and opportunities. Many combine stripping with other jobs and education.
- Well-Regulated Industry: Strip clubs in Norway are generally well-organized and are regulated like other licensed venues.
- Little Pressure Towards Prostitution: Fafo found no indications of widespread prostitution taking place in Norwegian strip clubs. The clubs take precautions to prevent this, and the dancers’ incomes reduce the pressure for prostitution.
- Higher Safety and Better Conditions: Several dancers expressed that Norway is a safe and regulated place to work and that the pressure for alcohol consumption is lower here than in other countries they work in.
- The Importance of Networks: Recruitment in the industry is distinctly network-based, meaning the dancers are largely independent of agents and can navigate the market on their own through their networks.
- Housing as an Advantage: The clubs’ provision of housing was seen as a practical advantage for the short-term migrants who work there, contributing to the dancers feeling safe and ready to work immediately.
For those who wish to read the full Fafo report, it can be found here: Organisering, vilkår og hverdag i norske strippeklubber