Knowledge Regimes of the Nordic Countries

Cathrine Holst and Åse Gornitzka have contributed with a book chapter on the knowledge regimes of the Nordic countries in The Nordic Models in Political Science. Challenged, but still Viable?

About the book

The Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are frequently considered a distinct group of countries in political science studies. The term Nordic model(s) is sometimes used to describe the policies pursued by these countries.

The aim of the book is to examine whether there is one or several Nordic model(s), whether there have been any changes over time in the distinctiveness of the Nordic countries, and when and why the Nordic model(s) emerged. Moreover, in light of recent global economic, legislative and political integration, will the Nordic distinctiveness last?

This book examines Nordic models in several key areas of political science, such as state- and nation-building, political parties and party systems, determinants of party choice, representation and parliamentarism, gender and politics, central governmental institutions, regional and local governments, interest intermediation and interest group representation, and welfare state and knowledge regimes. 

How has the Nordic knowledge landscape contributed to the Nordic political model?

In Chapter 10, Johan Cristensen, Åse Gornitzka and Cathrine Holst argue that the knowledge regimes in the Nordic countries can be seen as the backbone of the post-war Nordic economic, political and social models. They define a knowledge regime as the range of organisations and institutions that produce and disseminate policy-relevant knowledge and how these organisations and institutions are governed. A knowledge regime encompasses such elements as how universities operate and are governed, what kind of expertise government bureaucracies possess, and what channels exist for disseminating research to policy-makers. The authors outline some key dimensions along which knowledge regimes can be categorized and how they have changed over time. They discuss the Nordic countries as knowledge economies and knowledge societies by looking at the funding of schools and universities, access to higher education and the level of education in the population.

Full info

Knowledge Regimes in the Nordic Countries
Åse Gornitzka, Cathrine Holst and Johan Christensen

The Nordic Models in Political Science. Challenged, but still Viable?
Oddbjørn Knutsen (ed.)

Published Jan. 30, 2017 10:44 AM - Last modified Mar. 5, 2024 12:31 AM