Course syllabus The Security Politics of the Nordic Countries

Swedish name: De nordiska ländernas säkerhetspolitik

Course code:
1SS082
Valid from semester:
Autumn Term 2022
Education cycle:
First cycle
Scope:
10.0 credits
Progression:
G1N
Grading scale:
Three-grade scale
Main field of study:
Political Science: Security Studies
Department:
Department of Political Science and Law
Subject:
Political Science
Language of instruction:
The teaching is conducted in English.
Decided by:
Forsknings- och utbildningsnämndens kursplaneutskott (KUS)
Decision date:
2021-11-23

Entry requirements

General entry requirements.

Samhällskunskap (Civics) A alternatively Samhällskunskap (Civics) 1b alternatively Samhällskunskap (Civics) 1a1 + 1a2 and English proficiency equivalent to English B or English 6 is also required.

Course content and structure

The course provides an introduction to the Nordic countries' security policy. The course is built around seven modules. In the first module, the Nordic region are introduced from a historical, geopolitical and strategic perspective.

In the following five modules, the Nordic countries are examined one by one. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden are studied from four perspectives: (i) the relationship with and relations to the great powers France, Russia, Great Britain, Germany and the United States, respectively; (ii) the relationship with and relations to the international organizations EU, UN and NATO; (iii) contributions to and participation in international Peace Support Operations (PSO); and (iv) national defense, including Nordic defense co-operation.

The seventh and final module of the course consists of examination. In this module, the focus of the course is on comparison between the Nordic countries, and on the ability of different theories to explain and/or understand the differences and similarities between the countries.

Type of Instruction
  • Seminars
  • Lectures

Objectives

After completed course the student should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding:
  • Describe the conditions for each of the Nordic countries' security policies.

Competence and skills:
  • Compare the design of the Nordic countries' security policies.

Judgement and approach:
  • Evaluate the explanatory power of different political science theories linked to differences and similarities regarding the security policies of the Nordic countries.

Examination formats

The course is examined by a written home exam and by active participation in obligatory seminars.

The examiner may decide to request supplementation in order to achieve a passing grade. Examination papers submitted after the closing date will not be graded unless special circumstances exist that are acceptable to the examiner. Supplementation shall be submitted no later than 3 working days after the result and supplemental task for the examination in question have been notified, unless special circumstances exist that are acceptable to the examiner.

Grading
Grading for the written home exam takes place through a three-grade grading scale: Fail (F), Pass (P) and Pass with Distinction (PwD). Grading for the seminars take place through a two-grade grading scale: Fail (F) and Pass (P). Grading criteria are reported at the latest at the start of the course.

For the grade P on the course, the student must obtain the grade P in the compulsory seminars and the grade P on the written home examination.

For the grade PwD on the course, the student must obtain the grade P in the compulsory seminars and the grade PwD on the written home exam.

There is no limit on the total number of examination opportunities.

Transitional provisions

When the course is no longer given or when the course content has changed substantially, the student has the right to be examined once per semester during a three-term period in accordance with this syllabus.

Other regulations

The course cannot be included in a degree with another course whose content fully or partially corresponds to the content of this course.

The course is given within the Swedish Defence University's Bachelor's Programme. The course may also be given as a single-subject course.

If a student has a decision from the Swedish Defense University on special educational support due to a disability, the examiner may decide on alternative forms of examination for the student.

On the completion of the course, an evaluation will be conducted under the auspices of the course director, which will form the basis for any changes to the course.

This is an edited version of the syllabus, created to transfer the original to the education database Ladok education planning. For originals, refer to the archive.
Reading list decided date: 2023-06-01
Books
Edström, Håkan & Dennis Gyllensporre (eds) (2014). Alike or Different? – Scandinavian Approached to Military Interventions. Stockholm: Santérus Academic Press [selected sections].

Edström, Håkan, Dennis Gyllensporre & Jacob Westberg (2019. Military Strategy of Small States – Responding to External Shocks in the 21st century. Abingdon: Routledge. [Sections 3.2-3.5, 4.2-4.5, 5.2-5.5, 6.2-65]

Chapters and articles
Aunesluoma, Juhana & Johanna Rainio-Niemi (2016). “Neutrality as Identity?” Journal of Cold War Studies Volume 18, Issue 4 [28 pages].

Bailes, Alyson & Örvar Þ. Rafnsson (2012). “Iceland and the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy: Challenge or Opportunity?” Icelandic Review of Politics & Administration Volume 8, Issue 1 [23 pages]

Bailes, Alyson & Kristmundur Þór Ólafsson (2014). “Developments in Icelandic Security Policy” Icelandic Review of Politics & Administration, Volume 10, Issue 2 [15 pages]

Bengtsson, Rikard (2020). ”Nordic Security and Defence Cooperation: Differentiated Integration in Uncertain Times” Politics and Governance, Volume 8, Issue 4 [10 pages]

Bredesen, Maren Garberg & Karsten Friis (2019). “Governance Entrepreneurs as Spoilers in Nordic Defence Cooperation” Journal of Regional Security, Volume 14, Issue 1 [23 pages]

Dahl, Ann-Sofie (2021). “Back to the Future: Nordefco’s First Decade and Prospects for the Next” Scandinavian Journal of Military Studies, Volume 4, Issue 1 [11 pages]

Edström, Håkan & Dennis Gyllensporre (2014). “Minority Cabinets and Military Interventions: The Case of Sweden” in Håkan Edström & Dennis Gyllensporre (eds). Alike or Different? – Scandinavian Approached to Military Interventions. Stockholm: Santérus Academic Press [39 pages]

Friis, Karsten (2021). “Analyzing Security Subregions: Forces of Push, Pull, and Resistance in Nordic Defense Cooperation” Journal of Global Security Studies [18 pages]

Græger, Nina (2018). “Need to Have or Nice to Have? Nordic Cooperation, NATO and the EU in Norwegian Foreign, Security and Defence Policy” Global Affairs, Volume 4, Issue 4-5 [14 pages]

Heier, Tormod & Harald Høiback (2014). ”Strategy and Domestic Friction: The Case of Norway” in Håkan Edström & Dennis Gyllensporre (eds). Alike or Different? – Scandinavian Approached to Military Interventions. Stockholm: Santérus Academic Press [31 pages]

Heier, Tormod (2018). “Avoiding War: How Should Northern Europe Respond to the US-Russian Rivalry?” Arctic Review on Law and Politics, Volume 9 [20 pages]

Kerttunen, Mika (2014). “Strategic Decision Making and Culture: The Case of Finland” in Håkan Edström & Dennis Gyllensporre (eds). Alike or Different? – Scandinavian Approached to Military Interventions. Stockholm: Santérus Academic Press [23 pages]

Olesen, Mikkel Runge & Johannes Riber Nordby (2014). ”The Middle Eastern Decade; Denmark and Military Interventions” in Håkan Edström & Dennis Gyllensporre (eds). Alike or Different? – Scandinavian Approached to Military Interventions. Stockholm: Santérus Academic Press [41 pages]

Palosaari, Teemu (2016). “From ‘Thin’ to ‘Thick’ Foreign Policy Europeanization: Common Foreign and Security Policy and Finland” European Foreign Affairs Review, Volume 21, Issue 4 [21 pages]

Pedersen, Rasmus Brun (2018). “Was something rotten in the state of Denmark? Three narratives of the active internationalism in Danish foreign policy” Cooperation and Conflict Volume 53, Issue 4 [18 pages]

Rosén Sundström, Malena & Ole Elgström (2020). ”Praise or critique? Sweden’s feminist foreign policy in the eyes of its fellow EU members” European Politics & Society, Volume 21, Issue 4 [17 pages]

Thorhallsson, Baldur & Pétur Gunnarsson (2017). “Iceland’s Alignment with the EU– US Sanctions on Russia: Autonomy versus Dependence,” Global Affairs Volume 3, Issue 3 [18 pages]

Wieslander, Anna (2021): “’The Hultqvist doctrine’ – Swedish security and defence policy after the Russian annexation of Crimea” Defence Studies [26 pages]

Wilhelmsen, Julie (2021). “Spiraling toward a New Cold War in the North? The Effect of Mutual and Multifaceted Securitization” Journal of Global Security Studies, Volume 6, Issue 3 [19 pages]

Wilhelmsen, Julie & Kristian Lundby Gjerde (2018). “Norway and Russia in the Arctic: New Cold War Contamination?” Arctic Review on Law and Politics Volume 9 [26 pages]

Wilson, Page & Ísak Kári Kárason (2020): “Vision accomplished? A decade of NORDEFCO Global Affairs [22 pages]

Wither, James Kenneth (2020). “Back to the future? Nordic total defence concepts” Defence Studies, Volume 20, Issue 1 [21 pages]

Wivel, Anders (2018). “Forerunner, Follower, Exceptionalist or Bridge Builder? Mapping Nordicness in Danish Foreign Policy” Global Affairs, Volume 4, Issue 4-5 [16 pages]