Abstract
The recent decades have seen an increased focus on the Nordic region in Scottish political discourse. Pro-independence political actors have been eager to assert similarities to the Nordic countries, often presenting the Nordic region as an ideal and an example for Scotland’s development. But how does the Scottish public respond to the idealisation of the Nordic region in Scottish political discourse?
In her thesis, Laila Berg explores what perceptions and associations a small section of the Scottish public has of the Nordic region, in an attempt to nuance the elite-dominated study of the role of the Nordic region in contemporary Scotland. The central finding observes that awareness of the Nordic countries seems to have increased for ordinary Scots and that there is a congruence between the informal and more official perceptions of the Nordic countries.
The Nordic region seems to have become a staple within Scottish nationalist and political discourse as expressing and exemplifying an alternative, and for some, more desired, vision for Scotland. Particularly stressed are the egalitarian ethos, social democratic welfare states and progressive and inclusive policies that are seen to characterise the Nordic countries. These are also tied to dominant self-images of Scottishness. The Nordic region is made both familiar and aspirational. This dual quality is what makes the Nordic region and the Nordic argument so persuasive in Scotland.