Articles on this page intend to address not only how researchers approach and understand issues such as multiculturalism, diversity, mobility, Europeanisation and globalisation, but also how Norden interacts and is seen by the wider world. This include the categories minorities, belief systems and the arts. Globalisation is interpreted widely. New articles are added regularly.
2019.10.01 | Article, Lill Tove Fredriksen, Literature, Minorities
Sámi literature's history can be traced from the 1600s and the course of this history can be interpreted in the context of important Sámi, national and international political movements. Sámi literature is literature written by authors who are Sámi, who are members of the Sámi people. In this short article, the Sámi socio-political development…
2019.06.12 | Film, Nation building, Minorities
Go to Flensborg, Germany, in 1920 and see firsthand what it was like during the plebiscite on 14th March. Would Flensborg and central Schleswig remain German or become a new part of Denmark? Klaus Tolstrup Petersen, historian and director of the Schleswig Collection (Danish Central Library for South Schleswig), explains in Danish with English…
2019.06.07 | Film, Nation building, Minorities
Go with Klaus Tolstrup Petersen, historian and director of the Schleswig Collection (Danish Central Library for South Schleswig), back to 1920 when a plebiscite was held on whether the area of northern and middle Schleswig would be Danish or German. Take a look at the many posters and propaganda that were used to try to sway voters in this film in…
2019.05.06 | Article, Peter Thaler, Minorities, Multiculturalism
The historical duchy of Schleswig was divided following two plebiscites in 1920. Ever since, South Schleswig has formed the northern section of the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, whereas North Schleswig forms the Danish border region of South Jutland. National minorities were left behind on both sides of the border. Thus, a minority…
2019.04.29 | Article, Jørgen Bæk Simonsen, Belief systems, Multiculturalism
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, Minorities
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…
2019.04.25 | The Quick Read, Jason Lavery, Minorities, Governance
The Åland Islands lie at the south-western tip of the Finnish peninsula between Finland and Sweden. This archipelago of 6,500 islands and skerries is demilitarised, an autonomous region and a Swedish-speaking part of Finland.
2019.04.04 | The Quick Read, Dorota Lubińska, Multiculturalism
Rinkebysvenska or Rinkeby Swedish is a contemporary urban vernacular (CUV) which has developed in multi-ethnic urban areas of Sweden including a suburb of Stockholm called Rinkeby. This speech variety is mainly used by young people in addition to other languages and language varieties depending on context, and its use is reflected in rap and…
2019.03.29 | Article, Laura Bjørg Serup Petersen, Belief systems, Multiculturalism, Research
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…
2019.03.01 | The Quick Read, John Weinstock, Culture, Minorities
Yoik is the native Sami musical expression which is reminiscent of singing. It has layers of meaning as it holds identity markers and was traditionally very significant in how social interaction took place within Sami communities (and still is to a certain extent). It also had more practical purposes, such as calming reindeer.