Becoming a warring nation: The Danish 'military moment' and its repercussions

TY - JOUR

T1 - Becoming a warring nation

T2 - The Danish 'military moment' and its repercussions

AU - Daugbjerg, Mads

AU - Sørensen, Birgitte Refslund

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - This introduction sets the frame for the section’s four articles, all themed on contemporary developments in Denmark in the wake of the country’s involvement in the ‘coalition’ wars of recent decades. During this period, Danish governments have adopted a so-called ‘activist’ foreign policy, a key element of which is the increased utilization of its armed forces in operations across the globe. These processes are interesting, not least because they run counter to earlier conceptions in and of Denmark, a country that has been known, for long, as a bastion of politically liberal stances, widespread pacifism and a strong foreign policy tradition of noninvolvement. We outline this Danish road from ‘adaptation’ to ‘activism’, arguing for a need for a critical, qualitatively based research focus on the social and cultural repercussions of this peculiar ‘military moment’ in Denmark. The four articles that make up the themed section are written on the basis of ethnographic case studies that seek to contribute to such a wider discussion.

AB - This introduction sets the frame for the section’s four articles, all themed on contemporary developments in Denmark in the wake of the country’s involvement in the ‘coalition’ wars of recent decades. During this period, Danish governments have adopted a so-called ‘activist’ foreign policy, a key element of which is the increased utilization of its armed forces in operations across the globe. These processes are interesting, not least because they run counter to earlier conceptions in and of Denmark, a country that has been known, for long, as a bastion of politically liberal stances, widespread pacifism and a strong foreign policy tradition of noninvolvement. We outline this Danish road from ‘adaptation’ to ‘activism’, arguing for a need for a critical, qualitatively based research focus on the social and cultural repercussions of this peculiar ‘military moment’ in Denmark. The four articles that make up the themed section are written on the basis of ethnographic case studies that seek to contribute to such a wider discussion.

U2 - 10.1080/23337486.2016.1231994

DO - 10.1080/23337486.2016.1231994

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2333-7486

VL - 3

SP - 1

EP - 6

JO - Critical Military Studies

JF - Critical Military Studies

IS - 1

ER -