What makes the Nordic countries Nordic? The terms ‘Nordic’ and ‘Scandinavian’ are increasingly used in wide range of political and cultural contexts. Historically they have been associated with political projects and institutions, while also functioning as categories of analysis in academic research. Often associated with positive meanings, the term ‘Nordic’ has also become a resour…
Democracy is today a concept that is overwhelmingly positively evaluated almost everywhere. A lot has been written about socio-economic and cultural backgrounds of democratic regimes as well as their institutional settings. By contrast, not much is known about the political manoeuvres and speech acts by which 'democracy' has been tied to particular regions and cultures in concrete historical si…