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Summary

The idea of the Nordic countries as benevolent international actors is well entrenched, exerts affective hold, and has recently been incorporated into official regional branding practices. This chapter considers how and why this “peace brand” and conception of the Nordics as quintessential “good states” appears to stick, both domestically and internationally, even though claims about such Nordic exceptionalism are increasingly contested. It argues that for insiders the idea of the Nordic “good state” has become part of a fantasized ideal that appeals to desires for self-esteem and status while bolstering feelings of ontological security and international agency. In contrast, it is argued that, for outsiders, the Nordic “good state” often appears as a useful and instrumentalized ideal to be utilized domestically as part of the politics of (de)legitimation, in ways often only tangentially connected to the Nordics themselves.

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1 - Fantasy, Distinction, Shame

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1 - Fantasy, Distinction, Shame

Summary