The Quick Read
This is a list of all 'Quick Reads' in the order they were published. Quick Reads are intended to provide quick, evidence-based information on a particular topic. They are generally short, encyclopaedic entries of about 1000 words on, for example, specific, named companies, brands, organisations, themes within a subject area etc, or entries on particular terms used in Nordic languages which are not necessarily easily to translate without further discussion. To customise your search, use the 'category' buttons, or the search function.
2021.07.26 | The Quick Read, Jan Eivind Myhre, Democracy
The emergence of Norwegian civil society in the 19th century
Voluntary organisations were a new and important phenomenon in Norway in the nineteenth century and included many different types of associations, unions and clubs. Among other things, they functioned as places to learn about democracy for the wider population.
2021.07.20 | The Quick Read, Helena Forsås-Scott, Culture, Literature
Drama in Finland
Theatre is a dynamic medium in the Nordic countries, and the many plays written and produced, especially since the 1960s, have been characterised by innovation and experimentation. This is the first Quick Read on drama in the Nordics which focuses on Finland. Articles on the other Nordic countries are to follow.
![Front book cover of the book 'Det moderne gennembruds kvinder' (1983) [The Women of the Modern Breakthrough] written by Pil Dahlerup. Photo: Permission to use cover kindly granted by Gyldendal.](typo3temp/_processed_/csm_Det_Moderne_Gennembruds_Kvinder_a07de54c2d.jpg "Woman at a library looking down at a book that she is holding")
2021.07.13 | The Quick Read, Helena Forsås-Scott, Literature, Gender
Literary criticism in the Nordics, postwar to today
Literary work and issues pertaining to it were rooted in the historical-biographical tradition following the Second World War in the Nordics. Danish linguist Louis Hjelmslev's work helped paved the way for structuralism which came to prominence in the 1960s, when the wider debate on the role of literature in education and society also began to…
2021.06.09 | The Quick Read, Jan Eivind Myhre, Culture, The Borders of the Nordics, University of Oslo
Population movement to and within Norway, 1830-1914
From the 1830s to the 1920s about 800,000 Norwegians emigrated, mostly to America. There is less general awareness of the fact that between 100,000 and 200,000 people immigrated to Norway during the second half of the 19th century. The migrants came largely from Sweden, but also from other parts of Europe. Moreover, the population was on the move…
2021.04.23 | The Quick Read, Pirzada Junaid Ahmad, Culture
The Dannebrog in Danish culture
Denmark exhibits a unique culture where the national flag, known by its local name 'Dannebrog', has become an everyday symbol used by Danes. In addition to official functions and ceremonies, Danes use their national flag for birthday parties, graduation ceremonies, advertisements and decorations, among many other occasions. Although personal use…
2021.03.08 | The Quick Read, Helena Forsås-Scott, Gender
Feminism in the Nordics: An historical overview to 1990
Feminism in the Nordics began in the second half of the 19th century with the struggle for female suffrage. The development of the welfare state in the era following the Second World War provided the political stability to allow feminist ideas to grow, but equality was far from being reached. While many key pieces of literature and feminist…
2020.12.02 | The Quick Read, Michael Nobel Hviid, Nation building, Branding, Aarhus University
Christian IV and the use of history
Christian IV (1577-1648), who ruled Denmark and its possessions from 1588-1648, is probably the most famous - and infamous - king in the history of Denmark. On the one hand, he is known as the longest reigning monarch, as the patron and creator of some of the country's most significant and spectacular buildings. On the other hand, he is also known…
2020.11.03 | The Quick Read, Martin Alm, Nation building, Reputation, Aarhus University
Christian II's legacy in Sweden and Denmark
Christian II (1481-1559) ruled Denmark and Norway from 1513 to 1523 as well as Sweden for some of that time, from 1520 to 1521. In Sweden he has been remembered as the instigator of a bloody massacre, whereas in Denmark he has been lauded as a supporter of the poor against the aristocracy.
2020.09.14 | The Quick Read, Byron J. Nordstrom, Governance
Nordic monarchies
The political systems in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden have evolved over centuries of development as hereditary, ‘democratic,’ constitutional monarchies. (Finland and Iceland are presidential republics.) Today the powers of the crown in these countries are strictly circumscribed, and the duties of the Nordic monarchs largely involve public relations…
2020.08.17 | The Quick Read, Byron J. Nordstrom, Governance
Sweden’s Saltsjöbaden Agreement
The Saltsjöbaden Agreement was a very influential collective bargaining agreement between employers and employees that was reached in 1938, and a key building block to labor market relations under the long-standing social democrat rule throughout much of the 20th century. Perhaps surprisingly, it is largely based on the parties organizing…