Gender Equality and Nation Branding in the Nordic Region

This book examines how Nordic states use gender equality as a political communication tool to promote their nation-branding in the global marketplace. It explores how gender equality serves as a valuable asset in reinforcing established global hierarchies, where the Nordic countries are positioned as moral superpowers. The book brings together scholars from various fields to provide evidence and understanding of the growing interaction between gender-equality policies and nation-branding in the Nordic region.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 26 May 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Gender equality, a fundamental aspect of the Nordic imaginary, plays a significant role in the political communication of Nordic states. The analyses presented in this book go beyond conventional notions of Nordic gender- and women-friendliness by critically examining how and to what extent gender equality serves as a tool for nation-branding in the Nordic region.

Nation-branding is an inevitable consequence of globalization, a market-oriented process dominated by the West and driven by the creation of winners and losers. Consequently, efforts to enhance the national brand or reputation of specific Nordic countries through the promotion of gender equality as a political and symbolic value inevitably contribute to reinforcing existing global hierarchies where the Nordics are positioned as the moral superpower. This book brings together scholars from diverse fields of expertise, offering evidence and insights into the growing interplay between gender-equality policies and nation-branding across all five Nordic countries.

By exploring a range of policy domains, including women's rights, foreign policy, rape and legislation, female quotas, and business policies, in addition to the index industry, the book provides a comprehensive examination of the evolving relationship between gender-equality policies and nation-branding in the Nordic region. The rise of global indexes has reproduced powerful images of the Nordic countries as pioneers in gender equality, which indeed serve to further position the Nordic countries as "best at being good."

This book holds immense interest for students and scholars engaged in the study of Nordic gender equality in political science, sociology, law, criminology, political psychology, and history. It is also relevant to those interested in nation branding, Nordic studies, and exceptionalism.

The Open Access version of this book, accessible at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781003017134, offers valuable insights into the dynamics of gender equality and nation-branding in the Nordic region.

Weight: 530g
Dimension: 160 x 242 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367861353