This is a lecture diary on a course taken at Helsinki University in 2010. Contentwise it discusses lectures attended on nordic co-operation and identity, the nordic welfare state model, nordic cultural identity, nordic housing, alcohol in nordic societies, democracy, sin and immigration.
Contents
I – 14.9.2010: Nordic co-operation and Nordic identity
II – 16.9.2010: The Nordic Welfare State model
III – 21.9.2010: Nordic cultural identity
IV – 23.9.2010: Nordic housing - building modernity
V – 28.9.2010: Alcohol in Nordic societies
VI – 7.10.2010: Nordic democracy
VII – 12.10.2010: Scandinavian sin
VIII – 14.10.2010: Voices of immigration
I – 14.9.2010: Nordic co-operation and Nordic identity
The idea of creating a Scandinavian nation occurred in the nineteenth century and had been a pan-national movement during the European building process. Sweden, Norway and Denmark wanted to incorporate to strengthen their power because they were small states with little military power and still weakened by lossy wars. Their union should be strong enough to be capable of challenging Russia or Prussia and Germany. Another aim was to create a common cultural heritage. Furthermore, the relationship between the former enemies Sweden and Denmark should grow up to a peaceful one. A starting point for such a positive relation and also for the Scandinavianism had been the crowning of a Danish writer by the Swedish. Sweden-Norway had already been in a common union, both were governed by the same Swedish king. In the beginnings, Finland had not been included in these plans for a Scandinavian nation.
Scandinavianism had mainly been Swedish and Danish. The political idea was to found a united kingdom under Swedish rule but there were also cultural plans. Besides a common cultural identity, liberal political values should be included.
The idea of Scandinavianism had never been realized. When in 1853 it became clear that war breaks out between Russia and Western countries, Sweden became pro-Western whereas Denmark got pro-Russian. Moreover, there were growing tensions between the union Sweden-Norway. These are two examples for too many and not only political disagreements between the three nations so that the plan of a union finally failed.
Nevertheless, nothing had been in vain. Due to the activeness of the Nordic countries to realize the Scandinavianism, a basic for other Nordic co-operations had been built up. Since 1945, after World War II, the need to strengthen the Nordic block had become primary. Meanwhile Finland had also been included in plans concerning Scandinavia. After its independence from Russia in 1917/18, it orientated itself towards the other Nordic countries. Therefore, the Nordic Council had been established which brought along a Nordic passport union, a common labour market and the Nordic social insurance convention.
The Nordic Council is a discussion forum meeting once a year whereas the venue and the presidency change regularly. Its aim is to run several projects for example in the fields of culture, economy, environment or education. This institution is financed by the Nordic countries.
At the end of the lesson we discussed following question: What if the idea about Scandinavianism had been realized?
I assume that such a union would not have lasted for a long time. The Nordic Council is indeed a corporation between the Scandinavian countries yet I understand the Scandinavianism as a union that should have been much stronger and engaging than this council. The aims and visions of three nations had probably not been compatible for a long time.
However, if this idea really had been worked out, I guess Finland, Sweden and Denmark would not have joined the European Union. Their own common union would be enough. In addition, I suppose that the Finnish language would have changed so that it would be more related to the Swedish or Danish language.
II – 16.9.2010: The Nordic Welfare State model
The welfare systems in the Scandinavian countries are the most extensive ones in the world. They head regularly the surveys and comparisons based on topics such as health, life expectation or social equality. After Gɵsta Esping-Andersen there are three classifications of welfare regimes, the so called Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism.
1. The liberal model (e.g. USA): It is a means-tested welfare system that should be seen as a basic safety net. Small benefits are only provided for the poorest people.
2. The continental (conservative) model (e.g. Germany): It is also a means-tested system, though the benefits are more generous. The benefits depend on the social status of a citizen.
3. The social democratic model (e.g. Finland): There are universal benefits for everyone whereas these ones are not just hard cash but also services.
Because of the widespread services the Nordic countries offer their inhabitants they belong to the third category. This model of a welfare state has become a part of the national identity of the Scandinavians. People believe in the image of The Good State which means that they consider the state as a positive institution and as reliable. Moreover, the state is supposed to guarantee the freedom and liberty of every individual. This trust is a requirement for such a model to run.
Yet what is the idea behind universal benefit? The answer is simple: If everyone receives money from the state, nobody complains about high taxes. And these are another trait of the social democratic system.
In the Nordic Welfare State model the focus of the benefit is on the individual and on the state. The family does not play such a big role like in Germany or in the USA.
Another main feature is the topic gender equality. Nordic countries have one of the highest female labour force rates due to the fact that the family and children policy had been improved. Nevertheless, the labour market is still gender divided and there are also inequalities in the salaries between men and women.
The name of the third category already leads to the assumption that the Social Democrats had created this kind of a model. Indeed this party had an important influence on the Nordic states and their history. Anyway, it is not correct to maintain that the Nordic welfare state was its creation. Lots of features already existed before the Social Democrats were established.
At the moment, this until now well working welfare system is faced with some problems. There are ideological crises and also economical-structural ones. Some say that in consequence of the globalization and the mass immigration the system gets to stumble. Others presume that the Nordic State Welfare model had just been a project with a beginning and also an end.
This topic was interesting for me because in the last semester at my home university I visited a course titled comparative cultural studies: USA in which I learned a lot about the American mentality and also about their welfare system.
Among the basic traditional values of American people there are for example individual freedom, equality of opportunity and self-reliance. After Mary Hilson, the Nordic attitudes are quite similar, Scandinavians also appreciate such values. The huge difference between these nations is that, in contrary to Scandinavian people, Americans consider the state as evil. It is often seen as a natural enemy and the less the government knows about you, so much the better. Americans are nearly scared of the thought lying too heavily on support. For this reason, the USA are located in the lowest category of the Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism instead, like the Nordic countries, in the highest one.
For me it is remarkable that the citizens of two nations have nearly the same strong basic values yet the relationship between the state and its inhibits is such a pivotal factor that it decides which system rules the country.
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- Hanna Wilkes (Autor), 2010, Nordic Societies and Cultures. A Lecture Diary, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/316590
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