One of the hallmarks of the Nordic countries is the combination of large area and small number of people living there. In Scandinavia are some of the larger European countries that are also among the countries with the lowest population density in the world. For these countries is relatively easy to satisfy their own needs and at the same time to export high quality goods and services.
Their neighbors are large and highly developed countries Germany for example. These waters are extremely rich in fish and in many places, especially along the coast of Norway, there are significant deposits of oil. The Scandinavian countries are specialized in the production of a given product or service, occupying a specific market niche in the world. Despite its small territory, Denmark is among the leading food producers in, as well as one of the world leaders in the production of renewable energy.
Because of this reason the lifestyle is absolutely different in comparison with the summer holiday atmosphere which prevails in South Europe. This causes people to find indoor activities, to indulge in work, learning and other forms of self-perfection in order to go faster through the freezing and depressing winter months.
In the Mediterranean countries, because of the hot and lazy weather during the summer season people spend a lot of time outdoors. Nobody can deny that it is important not only how exactly developed is the country, but also what kind of wealth distribution policy is being held. In the modern western societies and states, of course, the role of countries in the income redistribution is relatively small.
To a large extent the government intervention into the economy is limited to the imposition of taxes. That is the main lever, which has made countries like Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark and Iceland so successful. Most benefited of this social policy are poor, elderly, unemployed, young and still vulnerable people e.
The wealthy residents of the Nordic countries are not particularly happy with the fact that they have to be separated by significant part of their incomes. Besides the fact that Scandinavia assists people with lower incomes, it invests also large sums of money in science, health and development of high technology, which guarantees future success of the region. When the state on one hand takes care of people to be healthy, educated and confident in their future, they on the other hand make it up by developing the full potential of their capabilities, regardless of what they can do.
Thus, generally speaking, the Nordic countries form strong nations consisted of ambitious, confident and calm people and this is probably the biggest wealth of these countries.
The EU membership and partnership is a very solid foundation for economic development of the Nordic countries. It is encouraging for them to know that they can rely to the support of the biggest market in the world. It is also a guarantee that goods and services producing in these countries will have a much bigger market in comparison with their own.
It will not be an exaggeration to say that these are the countries with the lowest crime rate in the world. Scandinavia is a region where people have very high confidence in the judiciary and police, which is a very good basis for development of stable society. Perhaps this is the right place to mention that in the Nordic countries alcohol consumption is quite limited due to the highly inflated prices. And this is not only a question of ethnic and religious equality.
It comes also to gender equality. Iceland on the other hand is first in the world according to important state positions in the country, occupied by women.
Jantelagen — which translates to The Law of Jante in English — takes its name from a rule-abiding town called Jante which featured in a fictional book by Norwegian-Danish author Aksel Sandemose in But Dr Stephen Trotter, a Scottish-Norwegian academic who wrote about the concept while he was working at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, says its sentiment has existed in the Nordics — especially in rural areas — for centuries. As a shorthand for celebrating modesty and humbleness, Jantelagen is not dissimilar to tall poppy syndrome , a popular term in Australia and New Zealand that embraces putting down those who are showy about their wealth or status.
Yet he also points out that the way Jantelagen plays out in Sweden and other Nordic societies is linked to specific cultural norms in those nations. Embedded deeply in Nordic culture, Jantelagen is an unspoken rule that aims to keep everybody seemingly equal and reduce social tensions Credit: Benoit Derrier. This, she says, means that the rules of Jantelagen can therefore shift depending on the company; bragging is more acceptable among those with similar backgrounds.
They can talk about their summer homes or their cars with everybody on the same level. However, growing numbers of young, successful Swedes are starting to criticise Jantelagen, and calling for a more vocal conversation about wealth and success. These include Nicole Falciani, 22, who began earning money from blogging as a teenager and is now a major influencer, with , followers on Instagram.
Andreas Kensen says Jantelagen is contextual: you might show off a trip you've taken on social media, you just wouldn't brag to a stranger Credit: Benoit Derrier. But it doesn't work, because if you're working harder than anyone else, then you should be proud of it. Cornelius Cappelen, an associate professor in comparative politics at the University of Bergen in Norway, believes the rise of social media is behind the youth backlash against Jantelagen.
Young people like Nicole Falciani who turn to social media for success see Jantelagen as a barrier preventing the recognition of hard work Credit: Benoit Derrier. Since bragging has become commonplace on Facebook and Instagram, Swedes whose personal achievements stand out have started to feel more comfortable making their success public, she argues.
And social media also connects you to a wider audience that isn't familiar with Jantelagen. The author believes that Jantelagen is also becoming less popular due to a rise in immigration. She says that she sometimes found it tricky to work out which of the topics that she discussed at home or with relatives in Italy were socially acceptable to talk about in Swedish society.
With increased immigration and influx of foreign cultures, the Nordic concept of Jantelagen seems to be disappearing but to what extent remains to be seen Credit: Benoit Derrier. Well, my guess is as good as yours. Meanwhile some immigrants to Sweden say they have embraced Jantelagen , including year-old Natalia Irribara, who moved to Stockholm from Chile three years ago. Another neighbour is a photographer who accomplished great things, but never talks about it.
You shall not believe you are anything 2. You shall not believe you are as much as us 3. You shall not believe you are wiser than us 4. You shall not imagine you are better than us 5.
0コメント