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.
2019.06.25 | Article, Helena Kaarina Blomberg, Pauli Kettunen, Public policy, Governance, Research
The Nordic welfare state: staying fit-for-purpose
There have been drastic changes to the political and economic climate since the inception of the Nordic welfare states in the twentieth century. Changes are required to meet the needs of today’s populations. People are less static than they once were; their roles both in and out of the job market change over time, and integration with the…
2019.05.28 | The Quick Read, Susanna Fellman, Economy, Public policy
The 'Nordic model' of capitalism
The five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) are often characterised as being welfare capitalist, featuring a combination of free market activity and government intervention. However, the institutional frameworks and economic policy models have changed over time, and the ‘model’ used has varied between countries and…
2019.05.21 | Article, Hannah Yoken, Gender, Reputation, Research
Transnational interaction among feminist activists in the Nordic Countries, 1970s-2000
The Nordic countries are globally renowned as states that embrace gender equality. However, the region also has a rich history of feminist activism at the grassroots level. This history includes activism undertaken during ‘second wave’ feminism, from the late 1960s to the 1990s. During this period of time the women’s movements benefitted from…
2019.03.26 | The Quick Read, Thomas Hylland Eriksen, Education
Peace studies in the Nordics
A number of peace research institutes emerged in the Nordics from around 1960. They were initially seen as politically radical and interdisciplinary with a focus on the applied rather than the academic side of peace studies. Since them, they have become more part of the establishment, advising governments and producing staff skilled in peace…
2019.03.20 | Biography, Thomas Hylland Eriksen, Education
Thor Heyerdahl (1916-2002)
The Norwegian scientist Thor Heyerdahl was internationally renowned for leading expeditions across vast oceans in rudimentary vessels.
2019.03.15 | The Quick Read, Marc Pierce, Education
Linguistics in the Nordics
The scientific study of language form and meaning, including the specialised branch of runology, has been a prominent academic pursuit in the Nordics since the Middle Ages.
2019.03.01 | The Quick Read, Kyle Frackman, Education, Democracy
Nordic folk high schools
Folk high schools are institutions which provide general and vocational education for young people and adults. Based on the philosophy of Danish educator, pastor, and religious revivalist N.F.S. Grundtvig (1783-1872), the first school was founded in Denmark in 1844, but the concept spread to other Nordic countries in the following decades. There…
2019.02.28 | Article, Saara Ratilainen, Gender, The Nordics in the World, 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, Kyle Frackman, Culture, Education
Swedish speakers in Finland
Finland has two official languages, Finnish and Swedish, as a result of its more than 600-years as part of the Kingdom of Sweden (until 1809). While the Swedish-speaking minority has remained relatively small, the Finnish Constitution and other relevant legislation guarantee them the same language rights as Finnish speakers. This has resulted in…
2019.02.25 | Article, Andrew G. Newby, Education, Nation building
Nordic museums and their history
National museums in the Nordics retain an important role in the creation and maintenance of a particular view of a country, its people and often its place within the Nordics. This view is presented to both outsiders and the people themselves. In 1800s, Nordic thinkers and museums influenced the inception of national museums elsewhere at a time…