The macrovalues of the Nordic countries are generally seen as dominated by leftism (especially a strong egalitarianism), high level of life salisfactions, and weak religiosity. Using data from the EVSSG World Values Study we present some empirical evidence relating to these propositions. We find no support for the claim that leftism is dominant, while support for the other two theses is fairly strong We speculate that the failing support for leftism is partly caused by the achievements of egalitarian policies, which weaken demand for more of the same, and partly impeded by the problems that the implementation of the leftist agenda created in these societies.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Abizadeh, Sohrab & Basilevsky, Alexander1986. Socioeconomic Classification of Countries: A Maximum Likelihood Factor Analysis TechniqueSocial Science Research1597-112.
2.
Alestalo, Matti & Kuhnle, Stein1984The Scandinavian Route Research Group for Comparative Sociology , University of Helsinki, Research Reports, no 31.
3.
Allardt, Enk1975Att ha, att alska, att varaLund: Argos
4.
Almond, Gabriel1980The Intellectual History of the Civic Culture Concept In Gabriel Almond & Sidney Verba (eds.), The Civic Culture Revisited, pp 1-36BostonLittle, Brown & Company
5.
Blom, Svein1986Familieverdier i Norge ISS-rapport no 22. Department of Sociology, University ofTrondheim
6.
Castles, Francis1978The Social Democratic Image of Society. LondonRoutledge & Kegan Paul.
7.
Childs, Marquis1936Sweden The Middle WayNew Haven, CTYale University Press.
8.
Dalton, Russell, Flanagan, Scott & Beck, Paul1984Electoral Change in Advanced Industrial DemocraciesPrinceton, NJ. Princeton University Press.
9.
Eckstein, Harry1966Division and Cohesion in DemocracyPrinceton. NJ Princeton University Press
10.
Einhorn, Eric and Logue, John1986. The Scandinavian Democratic ModelScandinavian Political Studies9:193-208.
11.
Esping-Andersen, Gøsta1985. Politics against MarketsPrinceton, NJPrinceton University Press
12.
Estes. Richard1984. The Social Progress of Nations. New York. Praeger.
13.
Galtung. Johan1985. De nordiske land en historisk og global sammenheng. Nordrefo16:91-106
14.
Galtung, Johan & Gleditsch, Nils Petter1975Norge i verdenssamfunnet In Ramsøy. Natalie Rogoff & Vaa, Mariken (eds ), Det norske samfunnet , vol 2 Oslo. Norwegian University Press
15.
Graubard, Stephen (ed ) 1986Norden The Passion for EqualityOslo. Norwegian University Press.
16.
Heclo, Hugh & Madsen, Henrik Jess 1987Policy, and Politics in SwedenPhiladelphia: Temple University Press
17.
Inglehart, Ronald1987Value Change in Industrial DemocraciesAmerican Political Science Review811289-1303
18.
Inglehart, Ronald1990. Culture Shift. Princeton. NJ. Princeton University Press.
19.
Katzenstein, Peter J.1985Small States in World Markets. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press
20.
Kuhnle, Stein1983. Velferdsstatens utviklingBergen Norwegian University Press
21.
Kuhnle, Stein & Solheim, Liv 1985. Velferdsstaten-vekst og omsttillingOslo: Tano
22.
Listhaug, Ola1987Nordiske verdierPaper prepared for the Nordic Electoral Research Meeting, Goteborg University , 5-8 November.
23.
Listhaug, Ola1988. Leftism in Western Europe Paper prepared for the Meeting of the European Value Systems Study Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 6-8 April.
24.
Lotti. Leila1984The Finn His Work, Ethics and Friends Suomen Gallup Oy Report no 12.
25.
Lundberg, Erik1985. The Rise and Fall of the Swedish Model. Journal of Economic Literature231-36.
26.
Madsen, Henrik Jess1984. Social Democracy in Postwar Scandinavia. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Harvard University
27.
Martinussen, Willy1988. Solidaritetens grenserOslo: Norwegian University Press
28.
Mjøset. Lars1989Noway's Full Employment Oil Economy - Flexible Adjustment or Paralysing Rigidities ? Scandinavian Political Studies12:313-341
29.
Nielsen, Klaus1989Flexible Adjustment and Political Stability: The Terms of the Debate. Scandinavian Political Studies12.297-312
30.
Olson, Mancur1982The Rise and Decline of NationsNew Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
31.
Pettersen, Per Arnt1982. Linjer i norsk sosialpolilikk. Oslo: Norwegian University Press.
32.
Pettersen. Per Arnt 1987. Pensjoner, penger, politikk. Oslo. Norwegian University Press.
33.
Rokkan, Stem1987. Stat, nasjon, klasse. Oslo: Norwegian University Press
34.
Tomasson, Richard1970. Sweden. Prototype of Modern Society. New York: Random House.
35.
Torgersen, Ulf1967. Borgerkrigen som ble vekkTidsskrift for samfunnsforskning8:247-256.
36.
Valen, Henry1981Valg og politikk. Oslo: NKS-forlaget .
37.
Valen, Henry & Rokkan, Stem1974Norway: Conflict Structure and Mass Politics in a European Periphery. In Richard Rose: Comparative Electoral Behavior, pp. 315-370. New YorkFree Press
38.
Veenhoven, Ruut1984. Conditions of Happiness. Dordrecht. Reidel
