social capital in a nordic context社会资本在北欧上下文.pdfVIP

Beijing Law Review, 2012, 3, 24-30 /10.4236/blr.2012.32004 Published Online June 2012 (http://www.SciRP.org/journal/blr) Social Capital in a Nordic Context Noralv Veggeland Lillehammer University College, Lillehammer, Norway. Email: noralv.veggeland@hil.no Received April 22nd, 2012; revised May 20th, 2012; accepted May 28th, 2012 ABSTRACT Europe and the European Union are today swept by an economic and social crisis. The EU is looking for a solution to the crisis, and intends to make worse thing better through state actions and renewed endogenous development, both in- side countries and across national borders. Nordic countries are only slightly touched by this crisis. How do Nordic states conduct policies of crisis prevention? How do the interventionist and expensive Nordic welfare states survive in the global age, with demanding and ever changing claims to international competitiveness? The answers seem to be found in their active welfare state and labor marked policy. Keywords: Social Capital; Flexicurity; Interventionism; Partnership; Administrative Traditions 1 1. Introduction the small Nordic state of Iceland [1] represents and ex- ception. Sustained both democratic and social stability This paper addresses the questions about what the Nordic characterizes the five countries. states, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland, are doing in a time of international crisis to endure sus- 2. Social Capital tainable economic growth, social stability and a high le- vel of welfare state offers. Social capital and partnership Since 2008 there is an ongoing crisis in Europe, charac- building are introduced as ter