State feminism revisited as knowledge history

Larsen, Eirinn

doi:10.4324/9781003019275-11

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“…Thus, the first lesson to be drawn from this chapter is that historical imaginings of the Nordic gender nation are a result of external images created and reframed over a longer period of time, which lately have been appropriated and used to the advantage of individual Nordic nation-states. Of course, authorities within the Nordic countries, including the Nordic Council of Ministers, have done their bit to put gender issues on the political agenda since the late 1960s (Larsen, 2020). However, the concern for gender equality as a Nordic image -or a Swedish, Norwegian, Icelandic, Danish or Finnish image -has increased tremendously over the last two decades.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Equality and Nation Branding in the Nordic Region

Larsen¹,

Moss²,

Skjelsbæk³

2021

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This book explores how gender equality, a central part of the Nordic imaginary, is used in the political communication of Nordic states. The analyses presented move beyond conventional images and discourses of Nordic gender-and women-friendliness by critically investigating how and to what extent gender equality serves nation-branding in the Nordic region.Nation-branding is an unescapable part of globalisation, which is a market-oriented process dominated by the West and predicated on the creation of winners and losers. Hence, efforts to strengthen the national brand or reputation of specific Nordic countries with the aid of gender equality as a political and symbolic value inevitably help to reinforce already established global hierarchies where the Nordics play the role of moral superpower. This book comprises scholars from various fields of specialisation, and provides evidence and understanding for the growing interaction between gender-equality policies and nation-branding in all five Nordic countries. It does so by exploring a variety of policy fields and issues including women's rights, foreign policy, rape and legislation, female quotas and business policies, in addition to the index industry. The rise of the global indexes has reproduced forceful images of the Nordic countries as frontrunners of gender equality, which indeed help the Nordic countries to further position themselves as 'best at being good'. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of Nordic gender equality in political science, sociology, law, criminology, political psychology and history, as well as those interested in nation-branding, Nordic studies and exceptionalism.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%