Complying With Colonialism: Gender, Race and Ethnicity in the Nordic Region

Complying with Colonialism presents a complex analysis of the habitual weak regard attributed to the colonial ties of Nordic Countries. It introduces the concept of `colonial complicity’ to explain the diversity through which northern European countries continue to take part in (post)colonial processes. The volume combines a new perspective on the analysis of Europe and colonialism, whilst offering new insights for feminist and postcolonial studies by examining how gender equality is linked to `European values’, thus often European superiority. With an international team of experts ranging from various disciplinary backgrounds, this volume will appeal not only to academics and scholars within postcolonial sociology, social theory, cultural studies, ethnicity, gender and feminist thought, but also cultural geographers, and those working in the fields of welfare, politics and International Relations. Policy makers and governmental researchers will also find this to be an invaluable source.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Introduction: postcolonialism and the Nordic models of welfare and gender, Diana Mulinari, Suvi Keskinen, Sari Irni and Salla Tuori; Part I Postcolonial Histories/Postcolonial Presents: Colonial complicity: the 'postcolonial' in a Nordic context, Ulla Vuorela; The Nordic colonial mind, Mai Palmberg; The flipside of my passport: myths of origin and genealogy of white supremacy in the mediated social genetic imaginary, Bolette B. Blaagaard; The promise of the 'Nordic' and its reality in the South: the experiences of Mexican workers as members of the 'Volvo family', Diana Mulinari and Nora Räthzel; Stranger or family member? Reproducing postcolonial power relations, Johanna Latvala; Historical legacies and neo-colonial forms of power? A postcolonial reading of the Bosnian diaspora, Laura Huttunen. Part II Welfare State and Its 'Others': When racism becomes individualised: experiences of racialisation among adult adoptees and adoptive parents of Sweden, Tobias Hübinette and Carina Tigervall; Contradicting the 'prostitution stigma': narratives of Russian migrant women living in Norway, Jana Sverdljuk; Postcolonial and queer readings of 'migrant families' in the context of multicultural work, Salla Tuori; 'Experience is a national asset'; a postcolonial reading of ageing in the labour market, Sari Irni; Licorice boys and female coffee beans: representations of colonial complicity in Finnish visual culture, Leena-Maija Rossi. Part III Doing Nation and Gender: the Civilising Mission 'At Home': Guiding migrants to the realm of gender equality, Jaana Vuori; Institutional nationalism and orientalized others in parental education, Nanna Brink Larsen; Whose feminism? Whose emancipation?, Chia-Ling Yang; 'Honour'-related violence and Nordic nation-building, Suvi Keskinen; Index.

About the Author :
Suvi Keskinen is Associate Professor in the Department of Women's Studies at the University of Tampere, Finland. Salla Tuori is a researcher at the Institute for Women's Studies at the Abo Akademi University, Finland. Sari Irni is a researcher in the Department of Women's Studies at Abo Akademi University, Finland. Diana Mulinari is Associate Professor of Sociology at the Centre for Gender Studies at the University of Lund, Sweden. Diana Mulinari, Suvi Keskinen, Sari Irni and Salla Tuori, Ulla Vuorela, Mai Palmberg, Bolette B. Blaagaard, Nora Rathzel, Johanna Latvala, Laura Huttunen, Tobias Hubinette, Carina Tigervall, Jana Sverdljuk, Leena-Maija Rossi, Jaana Vuori, Nanna Brink Larsen, Chia-Ling Yang.

Review :
'A brilliant exploration of the Nordic states' major inadequacies in facing social divisions, not least their serious limitations in challenging racism and ethnic discrimination. Using diverse and impressive tools, its contributors not only lay bare these often hidden flaws but also explore the heterogeneity of the Nordic countries in a global context and their often problematic responses to social change.' Keith Pringle, Uppsala University, Sweden and London Metropolitan University, UK 'This collection represents an important contribution to feminist postcolonial studies. In exploring the links between colonial imaginaries and current ethnic exclusion, the authors challenge the notion of Nordic exceptionalism and provide a key to understanding intersecting patterns of oppression in a globalised world. Its publication is most welcome.' Paulina de los Reyes, Uppsala University, Sweden '... the anthology covers a wide range of themes from the different countries, and poses a number of important questions that are seldom raised... It is undoubtedly a daunting task to examine histories of colonialism and how they are played out in present contexts, but the anthology manages to cover a broad spectrum of topics... the anthology convincingly argues not only for the importance of exploring the impact of colonial histories, but also for the need to adapt concepts to specific contexts in which axes of power intersect.' Journal of Ethic and Migration Studies