Public policy, gender equality and labour markets:
Public policy, gender equality and labour markets
Policy making in the Nordics is characterised by the welfare state and a culture of working together, from the cross-party parliamentary culture, to tripartite negotiations between the government, employers and employees, to gender inclusiveness in the workplace. Many of these aspects are seen as making up what is often referred to as the Nordic model. However, gender segregation within the workforce remains high and other complex paradoxes exist that must not be overlooked. This page seeks to provide articles on both the traditional view of the Nordics as well as research that deconstructs that view. New articles are added on a regular basis.
2021.04.15 | Podcast, Cathie Jo Martin, Education, Labour markets
Denmark: Uncovering Nordic Collectivism with Cathie Jo Martin
Examples of a collective mindset include: Denmark’s introduction of the earliest mass education system in the world in 1814. Nordic social democracy in the 20th century had full employment as a key aim. Different national organisations which represent employers on the one side and workers on the other (the social partners) have managed…
2021.03.24 | Outlook, Barbora Žiačková, Saga Rosenström, Gender
Pop culture, Vikings and historic Nordic gender equality?
Gender equality is a fundamental part of the Nordic brand, and right-wing political actors as well as extremists use ideas of gender equality in support of anti-immigrant and racist agendas. The pop culture image of Viking women as ‘independent’ and ‘equal to men’ provides one way in which gender equality as an aspect of Nordicness has gained…
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…
2021.03.04 | Podcast, Elisabeth Staksrud, Media, Education
Norway: Uncovering Nordic Childhood in an Online World with Elisabeth Staksrud
Children being exposed to a certain level of risk is not always seen as a bad thing in the Nordics; exposure can give children the tools to deal with risk and help them to become resilient and independent. The attitude of caregivers, teachers and children in the Nordics to online risk also reflects this approach - while elsewhere in the world a…
2021.02.15 | Podcast, Janne Holmén, Education, Public policy
Sweden: Uncovering Nordic Education and Society with Janne Holmén
This podcast tackles a wide-range of factors about the educational systems of the Nordic countries, focusing primarily on Sweden and comparisons with Finland. On the way, it answers the following questions: Why does the Finnish education system have such a good reputation around the world? After decades of reform, is the Swedish education…
2021.02.03 | Podcast, Stefán Ólafsson, Public policy, Economy
Iceland: Uncovering the Nordic Welfare State with Stefán Ólafsson
Interested in the Nordic universal welfare systems and how effective welfare can be in times of crisis? How has Iceland fared compared to the other Nordic countries, before and after the Great Recession of 2008? Can this teach us anything about how to tackle Covid? Join the editor of nordics.info, Nicola Witcombe, on her virtual visit around the…
2021.01.28 | Podcast, Mette Buchardt, Education, Multiculturalism
Podcast: Migrant Children in the Nordics: A Conversation on Schooling
In current times, schools are often hot spots for education policy initiatives driven by party politics. Encounters between the majority ethnic group and newcomer children can be exaggerated or underplayed depending on the political context, and it can be a highly contested area. In this podcast, the head of Aalborg University’s Centre for…
2021.01.22 | Article, Anna Derksen, Public policy
Disability policies and movements in the Nordic countries since 1945
During the last century, the situation of people with disabilities in the Nordic welfare states has changed dramatically. For a long time disability was regarded as an issue for the national welfare services, which had a marginalizing effect from a legal point of view, characterized by medical diagnostics, accommodation in mass institutions and…
2020.12.11 | Podcast, Caroline de la Porte, Jonas Felbo-Kolding, Nicola Witcombe, Governance, Globalisation, Public policy
The Nordic Model at Risk?: Conversations on Regulation
An ageing population, immigration, tax evasion and incoming foreign workers are frequently cited as threats to the Nordic Model. The universal welfare state is built upon citizens and the state fulfilling their particular roles: the state providing childcare, healthcare and benefits in return for people working and paying their taxes (’the social…
2020.09.01 | Article, Beate Sløk Andersen, Gender, Culture, Education
Humor in the military professions: a case study on exclusion in the Nordics
In principle, all levels of the male-dominated professions in the Nordic countries are accessible to men and women alike. But, informal processes of exclusion may interfere with gender integration; an extensive use of humor can, for example, interfere with women’s attempts to become part of the military profession. While military organizations are…