Book Reviews : Bengt Sundelius (ed.): Foreign Policies of Northern Europe. Westview Press, Boulder 1982, 239 pp
| Author | Raimo Väyrynen,Raimo Lintonen |
| Published date | 01 June 1984 |
| Date | 01 June 1984 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/001083678401900205 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Book Reviews
RAIMO LINTONEN & RAIMO VÄYRYNEN
University of Helsinki, Department of Political Science
Bengt Sundelius (ed.): Foreign Policies of Northern Europe. Westview Press, Boulder 1982,
239 pp.
This book on the foreign policies of the
-
the style and arguments of some con-
Nordic countries, edited by Bengt Sun-
tributions are so thoroughly American
delius, not only surveys their factual
that they tend to alienate readers
development, but also harbours scientific
equipped with a Nordic or at any rate
ambitions on the explanation and com-
Finnish mentality. A correlate of this
parison of Nordic foreign policies. Such
tendency is the defensive tone of the
an effort is most
welcome. There has been
articles. Authors are hard pressed to
a shortage of up-to-date textbooks with
’understand’ the policies of the different
broad coverage of the role of the Nordic
Nordic countries and their mutual coop-
countries
eration which
-
individually, comparatively,
are defended throughout
and as a subsystem
the book. This is
-
in international
a legitimate effort in
affairs. This is the case not just as regards
political analysis, but is somewhat incon-
literature in English, but concerns texts
sistent with the analytical ambitions of the
available in Scandinavian languages and
book.
Finnish as well. That is why Foreign
Krister Wahlbdck provides an historical
Policies of Northern Europe is obliga-
overview of the development of the
tory reading for all students studying
Nordic system and its member states in
international relations at the University
the twentieth century. He offers a number
of Helsinki. But there are two more gen-
of generalizations, though he also notes
eral objectives in addition to the peda-
a number of deviating tendencies, and
gogical one mentioned by Sundelius: the
finds some rather consistent Nordic pat-
authors hope to improve our substantive
terns. Ib Faurby writes a comparative sur-
understanding of foreign policy behaviour
vey of the decision structures and various
and to make it theoretically relevant domestic sources of foreign policies in the
to the broader field of foreign policy Nordic countries, while Nils Andren
studies.
analyses the strategic position of Northern
The book has proved useful as a text-
Europe in the postwar period. Carl-Einar
book though students occasionally com-
StAlvant shoulders responsibility for
plain that some of the descriptive parts
exploring Nordic participation in inter-
are too simplistic, while the essence of the
national economic cooperation and Lars
comparative efforts is sometimes difficult
Rudebeck has the task of investigating aid
to grasp because of unnecessary jargon.
and trade relationships with the Third
The former complaint may be due to the
World. In
addition to introductory
fact that the articles have been written
remarks, Bengt Sundelius writes about
primarily for American students and other
the present and historical contexts of
audiences, so necessitating the presenta-
Nordic cooperation and makes a com-
tion of rather simple facts as well. More
manding effort to compare the foreign
serious is perhaps a consequence of this policies of the Nordic countries.
158
Authors are all well known from their
also a more demanding approach, as every
previous achievements in the field and
author has to command a knowledge of
display considerable familiarity with the
all five Nordic countries, and the time
substance of Nordic foreign policies.
dimension has to be taken into account.
Articles are also systematically and well
To some extent this leads to unevenness
written, though the arguments, for the
in the treatment of different countries and
reasons mentioned above, sometimes
time periods, and also occasionally to a
tend to be rather elusive. The Swedish
certain superficiality. The most difficult
scholarly community is well represented
task has obviously been faced by Ib
among the authors; they in fact dominate
Faurby, who has had to cover all the
the entire book. This ensures, in a way,
domestic sources of foreign policies in
uniformity in the Weltanschauung and
four Nordic countries; ranging from heads
argumentation, but tends to be an
of state to press, public opinion and social
obstacle towards a truly comparative
cleavages. This, together with the geo-
study of Nordic foreign policies. The lack
graphical distance between Denmark and
of Norwegian and in particular Finnish
Finland, explains why he had particular
authors means that some interpretations
difficulties in analysing the Finnish case.
sound odd to scholars coming from those
...
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