Research
All the information on nordics.info is research-based, however, this page helps you to find content by ReNEW scholars and others which is more explicitly about up to date research.
2020.03.19 | Article, Young-Kyu Shin, Petri Böckerman, Research, Public policy, The Nordic Model
Trade union-administered unemployment benefit and precarious workers in Finland
The Nordic countries have some of the highest trade union rates of membership in the world. This has by some been attributed to unemployment insurance being largely administered by trade unions. Since around 1910, unemployment insurance in the Nordic countries Denmark, Finland and Sweden has been based on a voluntary system (‘Ghent’), rather than…
2020.03.17 | Video, Johan Strang, Research, The Nordic Model
Interview: The Nordics: developments in politics and society since 1990
In this short video, Johan Strang, Associate Professor at the Centre for Nordic Studies at the University of Helsinki compares the social democratic heyday of the mid-20th century in the Nordics with trends in politics and society since 1990. While some commentators apply the ‘socialist’ label to aspects of both these wide-ranging and complex time…
2020.03.02 | Article, Nikolas Glover, The Nordics in the World, Education, Research
Nordic adult educators encounter Tanzanian development in the 1960s and 1970s
In 1962 Sweden was said to be the country with the most extensive correspondence education enrolment per capita in the world. This was explained with reference to its sparse and widespread population with a high level of literacy, an efficient publishing industry and reliable postal services. None of these conditions existed in Tanganyika (renamed…
2020.01.23 | Article, Yamila Heram, Media, Research, Nordic Noír
Too good to be true: How Argentinian audiences read Danish drama series
In Argentina, Danish television drama series such as Borgen, The Killing and The Bridge attract a small and dedicated niche audience that is actively on the look out for new content. A 2017 study of 83 Argentinian viewers found that these “intelligent” series featured interesting characters who were well-acted and were about topics that they could…
2019.12.11 | The Quick Read, Kirstine Helboe Johansen, Elisabeth Tveito Johnsen, Belief systems, Research
Celebrating Christmas at the edge of religion in Scandinavia
Christmas is the most important celebration of the year in the Nordic countries, but it is celebrated in a way that goes beyond its original Christian origins. It develops in areas that are not religious per se, such as in shopping centres, schools and in public and private broadcasting. These non-religious spaces become bearers of cultural…
2019.12.10 | Outlook, Atle Midttun, Nina Witoszek, Nation building, Research
Is the Norwegian model in danger?
In the first decades of the 21st century, some Norwegian commentators have been calling for an increased emphasis on commercial competition in Norwegian business and education, and an increased focus on profits as a measure of relevance and utility. This trend poses a threat to the social welfare model in Norway as it is traditionally construed. …
2019.11.28 | Outlook, Byron Zachary Rom-Jensen, Reputation, Culture, Research
‘Socialist’ suicide in Scandinavia: a historical view of a common myth
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…
2019.10.31 | Article, Carolin Schütze, Labour markets, Research
It's relational: Racial attitudes in Swedish welfare institutions
Racial bias of staff at welfare institutions can result in negative outcomes for minority clients. Staff are not only professionals, but also individuals with personal beliefs and values. While the overriding organisational culture may be to give equal services to all clients, the attitude of staff and other work pressures might influence their…
2019.10.17 | Article, Sille Julie J. Abildgaard, Education, Business, Research
Studio-Based Learning in the Nordics
Studio-Based Learning (SBL) is an educational tradition with a student-centered approach. The practice originates in Northern Europe, where Nordic arts and design programs have a long tradition of using studio spaces for teaching. The physical space is considered a powerful factor in facilitating learning and accomplishing instructional goals, and…
2019.09.10 | Outlook, Thorsten Borring Olesen, Democracy, Nation building, Research
Buying Greenland? Trump, Truman and the 'Pearl of the Mediterranean'
In the summer of 2019, the Trump Administration voiced an interest in buying Greenland from Denmark. The historical background for this stretches at least as far back as a case brought by Norway at the International Court in 1933 when it was decided that Denmark had full sovereignty over Greenland. Since then, Danish governments have engaged in…