Articles
This is a list of all the 'Articles' in the order they were published. Articles present the main facts on a topic clearly and accurately in around 2000 words. They may include discussion of different research trends or major points of difference within current research or opinion. Articles include a summary of the most important points contained in the article. To customise your search, use the 'category' buttons, or the search function.
2019.04.29 | Article, Jørgen Bæk Simonsen, Belief systems, Multiculturalism, Culture
Islam in Denmark – an historical overview
Despite the public debate since 1980s presenting Islam in Denmark as a new phenomenon, it has for centuries played a central role as ‘the other’ when Danes have sought to explain their collective identity. It is true that many Danish Muslims arrived as a ‘guest workers’ in the boom years of the 1960s and stayed on. They were followed by their…
2019.04.26 | Article, Nicola Witcombe, Law, Governance, Minorities
The European Convention on Human Rights: Copenhagen Declaration 2018
The Copenhagen Declaration 2018 is a non-binding road map for the Council of Europe with respect to the European Convention on Human Rights. It was agreed by the 47 members of the Council of Europe during Denmark’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers from November 2017 to May 2018. The Danish government’s position was to push for greater…
2019.04.11 | Article, Frog, Culture
Folklore in the Nordic countries
Folklore is a phenomenon found in all cultures. Falling under the umbrella of what is now called ‘intangible cultural heritage’ by UNESCO, it encompasses everything from Finnish improvisational rap and medieval eddic poetry to internet memes or wearing a crown of candles on St Lucia’s day. Nordic folklore research has played a significant role in…
2019.04.10 | Article, William C Miller, Architecture & design
Nordic architecture: a continuing modernism, post-war to 2000
Since the Second World War, Nordic architecture has been informed by a dialogue between modernity and tradition and a sustained respect for local environmental and social conditions. This has provided a creative and expressive foundation for architecture throughout the second half of the twentieth century which has proven to be contextually…
2019.03.29 | Article, Laura Bjørg Serup Petersen, Belief systems, Multiculturalism, Research
Intercultural encounters in the Danish church in 2010s
The church as a social caretaker became less common throughout the 20th century as the Nordic welfare state increasingly took over this task. Churches which engage in social activities are arguably reclaiming this role, such as the increasing number of churches in the Danish People’s Church engaging in intercultural activities. These local…
2019.03.05 | Article, Jakob Stougaard-Nielsen, Literature, Media, Nordic Noír
Nordic crime fiction
Since 1990s, Nordic crime fiction has been a significant sub-genre within the global genre of crime fiction. Usually characterised by social realism, gloomy locations and morose detectives, crime novels and TV series from across the Nordic region provide puzzling mysteries and thrilling stories that use the crime plot to investigate the state of…
2019.03.01 | Article, John Weinstock, Culture, Minorities
Sami handicrafts
Duodji, the Sami word for handicrafts/applied art, has a long and illustrious history. Handicraft has been influenced by the need to survive in a harsh arctic environment (production of clothes to keep warm and weapons to hunt with) and the nomadic nature of the Sami (leading to rounded shapes so as not to hurt reindeer), but have also been…
2019.03.01 | Article, Unni Langås, Literature, The arts
Modernism in the Nordic countries
As elsewhere, modernism was a movement concerning the profound questioning of traditional values, modes of speaking and interpretations of subjectivity. A mass of Nordic literature was produced that could be said to be modernist, from Norwegian Knut Hamsun’s innovative novels in the 1890s, to the influential high Swedish modernism in poetry led by…
2019.02.28 | Article, Saara Ratilainen, Media, Culture, Gender, Nordic Noír, Research
Russian fans of Norwegian TV series Shame
Fans redefine geopolitical and gender-based boundaries: Shame [Skam], is a hit teen drama series produced by the Public Broadcasting Service in Norway. It ran for four seasons from 2015 to 2017 and became a global phenomenon through an active online fan culture. Remakes abound elsewhere, but Russian teens access Skam largely through social media…
2019.02.27 | Article, Ainur Elmgren, Governance, Nation building, Democracy
Open government in the Nordics
Open government is intended to ensure transparency, accountability and openness and involves fundamental issues such as press freedom, public disclosure and freedom of information legislation, all key aspects of the administration of Nordic states. These states were amongst the earliest to introduce lauded measures of open government, such as the…