Melissa Gjellstad

Playwrights Kent Andersson and Bengt Bratt were instrumental in developing group theatre, an anti-establishment genre promoting radical social criticism.

Immigration has been described as one of the policy areas where Denmark, Norway and Sweden have differed most since 1995. In 2018, Denmark was amongst the most restrictive countries in Western Europe, Sweden the most liberal and Norway somewhere in-between. These differences can be explained, at least to some extent, by divergent approaches to national identity and party political dynamics in each country. Increasing politisation of immigration and integration has occurred in all three countries, but has been more marked in Denmark.

Trade unions play a more important role in Nordic politics and economics than they do in most other countries. This is largely a result of their organisational success, which has made them key actors in policymaking as well as in collective bargaining.

The feminist movement that flourished in the Nordic countries during the 1970s had strong roots in anti-capitalist, socialist ideology. It was powered by a host of social events, community building, artistic creation and political activism.

Courses ranging from evening classes and short, focussed courses to full-time university programmes reflect a broad interest in studying creative writing in the Nordic countries.

A descendant of Old Norse, Faroese has had to contend with Danish but remains the principal language spoken and written in the Faroe Islands.

Solidaristic wage policy refers to the practice, noticeably carried out in Sweden during the 1950s, of limiting wages in the most profitable sectors and increasing wages in less profitable sectors. It was carried out in order to achieve more equal wages on a national basis. It also had the consequence of heightening economic competitiveness through transferring capital from lower value-added companies and sectors to higher ones.

Harpshund democracy is the Swedish practice of regular tripartite consultation between government, trade unions and businesses on major policy decisions. The consultation reflects the importance of the major interest organisations in shaping and implementing policy in the Swedish political model. The assumption is that strong policy can be built on consensus between parties that may traditionally be deemed to have opposing interests.

Nordic TV drama series remain an audience success in Germany and are highly regarded by critics. The reasons for this ongoing popularity can be found in the general accessibility of Nordic television in Germany, the existing success of the Nordic noir genre in crime literature, and in the specific form of narration and aesthetics of the series. In a 2016 audience study on Danish TV series, viewers from Germany highlight the importance of authenticity, female lead characters and a narration that gives characters time and space to develop against the backdrop of the depiction of real topics and concerns.