Information & critical analysis on the Nordic countries
- produced by researchers
2019.12.04 | Biography, Anna Derksen, Governance, Minorities
Bengt Lindqvist was a Swedish politician and an active member of Swedish and international disability organizations. He became deputy minister for social security in 1985, the first Swedish minister with a visual impairment, and served as the first United Nations Special Rapporteur on Disability from 1994 to 2002. In both the national and the…
2019.11.28 | Outlook, Byron Zachary Rom-Jensen, Reputation, Culture, Research
High rates of suicide are often connected with the Nordic countries and their apparently ‘socialist’ policies. Highlighting high suicide rates in Scandinavia can be traced back to at least the 1960s when foreign observers attempted to either undermine or legitimize the welfare states in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. These characterizations forced…
2019.11.27 | Article, Petra Broomans, The arts
Classical ballet in the Nordic countries has its roots in Nordic folk dance and has been influenced by the Italian, French and Russian traditions, the latter assisted by Finland’s and Sweden’s proximity to the cultural hub of St Petersburg. Nordic ballet has conversely inspired ballet in Europe and America. As elsewhere, classical ballet and…
2019.11.27 | Biography, Anne Heith, Literature
The work of the Swedish poet and novelist Rut Hillarp is best known for its honest portrayal of female sexuality and desire.
2019.11.22 | Article, Helge Ø. Pharo, Cooperation, Region-building
Immediately before and after the Nordic Council was founded in 1952, there was much debate over what form cooperation should take amongst the Scandinavian/Nordic countries, primarily with respect to the economy and defence. Norway’s attempts to support a customs union/common market in 1947, 1950 and 1954 belied its repeated blocking of initiatives…