Understanding Civic Engagement in the Scandinavian Context

Abstract

This chapter provides an introduction to civic engagement in Scandinavia. The chapter accounts for the institutional background of the popular mass movements, the welfare state and the negotiated market economies in the Scandinavian countries. We argue that the combination of these institutions feed into a combination of supply and demand mechanisms that are necessary to comprehend in order to understand not only the levels of civic engagement but also the structure and composition of the organized parts of civil society. Further, we discuss the internal variations between the Scandinavian civil societies and the most important challenges for civil society and voluntary associations in this context. Finally, we provide an overview of the logic and structure of this book.