Danish Policy Research Articles

Coherence and Contradictions in Danish Migration-Development Policy and Practice

Since the early 2000s, increasing attention has been given to the migration–development nexus. Numerous studies, policy analyses and recommendations on how to make migration work for development in practical ways have been produced, resulting in (among other initiatives) attempts to include migration concerns in the post-2015 development agenda and efforts to promote policy coherence for development. After an initial ‘euphoria’, most involved parties today agree that there is no simple one-way relationship between migration and development. Development is unlikely to decrease migration in the short run, and migration in itself cannot be the main recipe for development. Critical voices, moreover, argue that much migration-development policy in reality has served migration management functions rather than development goals. This article reflects on these contradictions in the light of Danish policy debate and practice. It brings considerations on the migration–development nexus in dialogue with reflections on policy coherence and forwards the following two arguments: First, that although policy coherence in the migration-development field perhaps always was unrealistic, a certain degree of policy incoherence might – at least for a while – have safeguarded development budgets from being used for migration-management purposes. Second, that reluctance to incorporate migration concerns in ‘classic’ development activities represents a missed opportunity. This calls for a critical analysis of Danish and European pledges to adopt a comprehensive and coherent approach to the field of development and migration policies.

Prioritering, profilering og politisk orientering. Engagement og aktivisme i dansk udviklings- og bistandspolitik 1962-2015

Since the late 1970s Denmark has persistently belonged to the small group of states honouring the UN goal for rich countries to donate at least 0,7 per cent of GNP yearly in o cial development aid. is approach has allowed Denmark to pursue an activist policy both multilaterally within international development institutions such as the World Bank, DAC, UNDP, etc. and bilaterally in relation to development countries where Danida, the central Danish aid organization, has been active. Development aid activism and inter- nationalism reached a zenith in the decade after the fall of the Berlin wall when Danish ODA passed the 1 per cent threshold and when the aid component under the heading of „active multilateralism“ was sought integrated into all dimensions of Danish foreign policy. is trend was reversed in the period after 2001 when the Liberal Fogh Rasmussen government took o ce backed by the development aid sceptics in the Danish People’s Party. Critics even maintain that Danish development has seen change resembling a paradigm shift in the post-2001 period. e problem, however, is complex and therefore, on the basis of an analysis of the prioritizing, the orientation and the international pro ling of Danish development aid, this article seeks to disentangle and discuss continuities and break in the role of development aid in Danish foreign policy since the adoption of the rst Danish development aid law in 1962.

Tilkoblings- og afkoblingsstrategier i dansk udenrigspolitik: Udvikling og tendenser i de danske udenrigspolitiske doktriner

This paper investigates the developments and changes in the Danish foreign policy doctrines from 1914-2014 in order to study the relative importance of two underlying ideologies that have guided the Danish strategic culture. It is argued that determinism and internationalism has traditionally constituted the Danish small state identity, which have led to an understanding of a dualistic strategic culture. e argument is that this dualism after the end of the Cold War has been replaced with a one stringed internationalism after the end of the cold war where the introduction of international activism and active internationalism can be seen as a broad ‘opting in’ strategy to the international system.

From policy to platform: the digitization of Danish Cultural Heritage

This article scrutinizes the dominant discursive formations within digitization of cultural heritage in Danish cultural policy, with the ‘Danish Cultural Heritage’ portal serving as a case. The paper analyzes how the portal frames users’ participation potentials and how this relates to the objectives of the portal and official Danish digitization strategies issued in the period of 2007–2015. Furthermore, the article incorporates interviews with experts working with the portal and the digitization strategies in order to gain a closer understanding of the transformation from policy to reality. Even though discourses on participation and user engagement are detected within official cultural policy documents, the dominant discourses are those of administrative and managerial effectiveness and cooperation as well as increased production, innovation, and competition. A similar pattern emerges on the portal, where focus is on digitization and preservation rather than access and use. The interactions between technology, user/usage, and content are thus tailored on premises of ‘read only’ and ‘sit back and be told’ cultures rather than on the user-engaging ‘read write’ and ‘making and doing’ cultures.

The Modernization of the Energy Sector in Denmark / Modernizacja Sektora Energii W Danii

Abstract Denmark is among the leaders who change their energy policy to guarantee its stable and sustainable character. The consistent pursuit of an energy policy enabled the country to lower both the level of its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, while providing grounds for economic development. The study demonstrates that the main factors which led to the transition of Danish energy policy were the oil crisis of the 1970s as well as public expectations regarding their energy policy which was to be based on the concept of stability and sustainability.

DANISH SUPPORT FOR THE BALTIC STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE 1988-1991: A HAWK-DOVE DOMESTIC CONFRONTATION

When the Baltic States regained their independence in 1991, Denmark had been one of their very strongest supporters, at a time when many European countries looked at the Baltic aspirations with caution. It was one of the first examples of the new post-Cold War “activist” Danish foreign policy strategy. It was not, however, without difficulties. Thus, the article argues that the Danish Social Democratic centre-left and Conservative-Liberal centre-right disagreed on how to support the Balts in practice and at what price. The difference was rooted in a hawk-dove disagreement over detente and the Soviet Union. Government party colour, the article argues, is therefore likely to have been crucial for the Danish policy. Had the relatively hawkish centre-right government not been in po­wer, it is very doubtful that we would have seen the kind of aggressive diplomatic support for Baltic independence as we saw from Denmark leading up to 1991.

Women's Agency and the Agenda-Setting of Danish Family Policy in the 1950s and 1960s

In the decades after 1945, Danish governments approved a series of family policy reforms which came to constitute the core elements of what is considered the women-friendly welfare state. In order to understand these developments, this article explores the rise of women's political influence, looking specifically at women's agency outside the parliamentary sphere. This article analyses how a network of influential women combined critical resources such as knowledge of families' concerns and inside information from commissions and boards with agenda-setting strategies promoting family policy reforms, even though women constituted a minority in parliament and had no permanent women's state institution. Hence, modern Danish family policy was not a state project granted to women but to a great extent the result of a network of exceptional women setting a new agenda.

Competitive low-tech manufacturing and challenges for regional policy in the European context--lessons from the Danish experience

Today, low-tech firms in high-wage countries are focusing on increasing investments in highly skilled labour and advanced machinery, incremental innovation and high value-added niches. Danish policy, however, gives little attention to the new specificities of low-tech manufacturing, and the understanding of innovation in national and regional strategies is dominated by a science-based perspective. There is a strong policy focus on human capital and research and development in manufacturing. Human capital is vital to manufacturing in general, but the latter is of less importance for low-tech firms. Conversely, user–producer interactions and machinery investments, which are critical to low-tech competitiveness, are disregarded by policies.

Going non-nuclear in the nuclear alliance: the Danish experience in NATO

Danish nuclear policy is at a crossroads. Looking back, Denmark's relationship to nuclear technology has been a difficult balancing act for successive governments, trying to soothe an anti-nuclear domestic sentiment on one side and the membership of a nuclear military alliance on the other. This history produced an enduring double approach to nuclear policy by Copenhagen throughout the cold war. Looking ahead, this history is of particular relevance as Denmark and Greenland are considering lifting their twenty-five-year ban on mining radioactive elements and allowing the production of Greenland's uranium. With Greenland's large reserves potentially catapulting this otherwise non-nuclear and non-mining kingdom into one of the world's top suppliers of uranium, the policy debate has to include a look back at Denmark's relationship to nuclear technology, for both peaceful and military purposes.

Shifted Roles: Explaining Danish and Norwegian Alliance Strategy 1949–2009

During their 60 years within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Denmark and Norway have experienced both high and low standings within the alliance, which can be attributed to both external and internal factors influencing their alliance strategies. During the ‘first’ Cold War and Détente, 1949–79, Danish and Norwegian alliance strategy aimed to simultaneously deter and reassure the Soviet Union. During the ‘second’ Cold War, 1979–89, Danish alliance policy became driven by domestic politics, and the Danish government was forced to formally dissociate the country from NATO's policies. Norway was not uncritical, but held a much lower profile. After the Cold War this situation shifted. Denmark successfully rehabilitated itself as a loyal and dependable ally by responding to the call for focusing on out-of-area operations. Meanwhile, Norway's continued focus on the lingering Russian Threat made the country seem out-of-touch with priorities in the post-Cold War alliance, and domestic politics prevented a more active out-of-area engagement.

Intimate Contradictions: Comparing the Impact of Danish Family Unification Laws on Pakistani and Cuban Marriage Migrants

The Danish family unification policies are based on an underlying moral agenda rooted in the idea of emotional, intimate, love-based marriages as the basis of the modern nation state. This paper questions the efficacy of this moral agenda by examining the unintended consequences and false dichotomies that emerge with the implementation of the legislation, particularly focusing on kin relations and individual autonomy. Empirically, the article compares how the legislation affects both the intended targets (intra-ethnic marriages among Danes of immigrant descent) and the unintended targets (ethnic Danes who marry non-European spouses, namely, Cubans). This comparative perspective highlights the cracks in the moral agenda of the state's efforts to shape family formation and, ultimately, the contradictions of attempting to promote ‘modernity’ over ‘tradition’.

Research in substance abuse treatment: Contributions by the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research

This article describes contributions from the Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research (CRF), Faculty of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, within treatment for alcohol and drug problems. This article focuses on three key research areas: evaluation research and development of monitoring systems/registers, development of screening and treatment methods, and treatment system research. Some of the important findings from the studies conducted within these three areas will be presented and the impact that these findings have had on Danish treatment policy will be described.

Klimaaktivisme som udenrigspolitik: Helt centralt, men hvorfor egentlig?

Global environmental and climate concerns have been central to Danish foreign policy activism since the end of the Cold War. is article chronicles the development of Danish international climate activism and ex- plores how and why it became central to Danish foreign policy. e article discusses the role of globalization, institutionalization and Europeanization, and how these developments interact with Danish state identity thereby constructing an action space for political decision-makers in climate policy.

Prescription of angiotensin II receptor antagonists in a cohort of heart failure patients following changes in Danish drug reimbursement policies

Prescription of angiotensin II receptor antagonists in a cohort of heart failure patients following changes in Danish drug reimbursement policies

Reorienting the Afghan woman in Denmark: Negotiating gender and xenophobia in Amulya Malladi’s The Sound of Language

In Europe, the increasing transnationalization of borders has given rise to a new economy of xenophobia and nationalist sensibilities. Muslim women bear the brunt of Europe's orientalizing epistemologies that tokenize their bodies as sites of gender and cultural otherness. One of the challenges for Women's Studies is not only how to dismantle such epistemologies, but also how to celebrate women's differences without homogenizing their experiences. Rosi Braidotti has recently proposed a transpositional approach that highlights the importance of creative and ethical insight in engendering other, alternative ways of knowing. This article argues that fostering alternative ways of knowing, being and becoming lies at the heart of Amulya Malladi's novel, The Sound of Language (2008). Set in Denmark, the novel tells the story of an Afghan refugee, Raihana, who feels traumatized by the war being waged in her country, but also by the Danish integration programme that strives to assimilate her to Danish culture via the so-called praktik (involving three years of language and vocational training). Through Raihana's encounters with various inflections of racism, but also through her growing friendship with Gunnar, a Danish beekeeper, Malladi not only debunks the traditional epistemologies underpinning European multiculturalism, but also exposes the Muslim community's own prejudices, whilst simultaneously creating bridges across cultural and gender divides. Read against the background of Danish immigration policies, Malladi's novel provides valuable lessons about the role literature can play in transforming stale multicultural positions into transpositions that are not only ethical, but also feminist and political.

How Positive Childhood Experiences Promote Children's Development of Democratic Skills: A Reflection From Denmark

The development of democratic citizenship is deeply associated with positive childhood experiences, particularly those resulting from adult-child relationships that are based on mutual respect and active participation. This study of Danish policies, culture, and practices explores the influence of childhood experiences on the development of democratic citizens. Using case stories and sociocultural theories of children's development, the researchers illustrate the importance for children to have an influence on everyday life, doing things that matter to them. The study also highlights the need for adults to reflect on and acknowledge policies that call for changed cultural values and attitudes that recognize increased children's rights. The findings have implications for preparation of teachers and child care providers in keeping with the evolving cultural and social values as reflected in laws and suggested practices of child care.

Moral boundaries and national borders: Cuban marriage migration to Denmark

The discussion of marriage migration in Denmark primarily has focused on citizens of immigrant descent (‘New Danes’) who marry partners from their ancestral homeland (often Turkey or Pakistan). This type of marriage migration was the target of the strict Danish family reunification policy instituted in 2002. This article examines the genealogy of the morality underpinning the family reunification policies and asks whether the rules actually promote this moral agenda or have unintended consequences. Empirically, I shift the focus from immigrant Danes to native Danes who marry Cubans. Finally, while little attention is paid to the non-western country involved, transnational marriages always involve two nations. This article investigates how state policies on both ends of this migration trajectory shape moral-territorial borders that transnational couples navigate.

Existing buildings – Users, renovations and energy policy

This paper deals with the energy consumption of existing owner-occupied detached houses and the question of how they can be energy renovated. Data on the age of the Danish housing stock, and its energy consumption is presented. Research on the potential for energy reductions in the Danish housing sector is discussed, and it is shown that there is a huge potential for reductions. It is a well-known problem that even if there are relevant technical means and even if it is economically feasible, the majority of house owners do not energy renovate their homes. This paper intends to address what can be done to solve this problem. The paper draws on different sources of why, when, and how, people do not energy renovate their homes. These results are then compared and discussed together with a presentation and discussion of the Danish policy measures aimed at encouraging people to energy renovate their homes. These policy measures include building regulations, energy tax and different types of incentives and information dissemination. The conclusion calls for new and innovative policy measures to cope with the realities of renovations of owner-occupied houses and how energy efficiency improvement could be part of that.

Enhancing the Transition Capability of Danish Biomass Technology By Applying a Futures Study Backcasting Methodology on the Biogas Sector.

This paper discusses how the Danish biogas sector can achieve the political goals set outby the Danish government, in order to turn around the currently weak implementation ofthe technology. Biogas technology provides many environmental and energy relatedbenefits, but the transition capability of the technology has so far not been supported by astable policy pushing the sector in the right direction. The paper argues that a moreholistic and consistent support for the biogas sector must be developed, enhancing itsindependence from shifting Danish policy regimes. This could be achieved by applying abackcasting methodology in combination with future research activities which areidentified by means of energy chain analysis. The paper stresses that future Danish biogasresearch should be applied all along the sector’s energy chain, and not just in parts of it,looking at enhancement of the transition capability within ‘Resources’,‘Technology/Conversion’ and ‘Distribution/End-use’. The future research activities,proposed in this paper are interconnected and thought backwards with the goal ofcreating reachable aims for achieving the political targets set forth before the year 2020and 2050.

Denmark between liberalism and nationalism

What explains the restrictive turn towards immigrants in European countries like Denmark? Are countries returning to nationalism, or are they following a general European trend towards a perfectionist, even ‘repressive’ liberalism that seeks to create ‘liberal people’ out of immigrants? Recent developments in Danish policies of integration and citizenship, education and anti-discrimination suggest a combination of these two diagnoses. The current Danish ‘integration philosophy’ leaves behind a previous concern with private choice and equal rights and opportunities to emphasize other historical elements, especially the duty to participate in upholding democracy and the egalitarian welfare community, and to promote autonomous and secular ways of life. However, the virtues of this ‘egalitarian republicanism’ are seen by right-of-centre intellectuals and politicians as rooted in a wider Christian national culture that immigrants must acquire in order to become full citizens.