Citizenship in the Faroe Islands: Participant, Parochial or Colonial?

TY - JOUR

T1 - Citizenship in the Faroe Islands: Participant, Parochial or Colonial?

AU - Hoff, Jens Villiam

AU - West, Hallbera Frida

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - This article analysis citizenship in the Faroe Islands based on a quantitative survey carried out in summer 2004. Located theoretically in the tradition of Scandinavian citizenship investigations, four areas of citizenship are analysed: political engagement, democratic participation, political efficacy and democratic identity. The main hypothesis is that the character of citizenship in the Faroe Islands is very similar to that found in the Scandinavian countries in general. While most of the results found confirm this hypothesis, there are a number of special features which demands alternative explanations. Thus, the fact that the Faroese score much below the Scandinavian average concerning "post-modern" forms of political participation like political consumption or boycott of goods, and that gender differences are in general bigger than in other Scandinavian countries especially when it comes to female representation in the Faroese parliament and in government, seems better explained by the relative remoteness of the islands from the Scandinavian political and cultural mainstream (the parochialism hypothesis). Also the fact that the Faroese are much less confident in speaking at public meetings, sending letters to newspapers or complaining to authorities than for example Danes in general call for an alternative explanation. As these features goes together with much less knowledge about and confidence in the Danish parliament ("Folketinget"), and a lower level of efficacy towards the parliament than among Danes in general, the most likely explanation seem to be found in the way in which Danish supremacy has affected political culture in the Faroe Islands (the colonialism hypothesis).           

AB - This article analysis citizenship in the Faroe Islands based on a quantitative survey carried out in summer 2004. Located theoretically in the tradition of Scandinavian citizenship investigations, four areas of citizenship are analysed: political engagement, democratic participation, political efficacy and democratic identity. The main hypothesis is that the character of citizenship in the Faroe Islands is very similar to that found in the Scandinavian countries in general. While most of the results found confirm this hypothesis, there are a number of special features which demands alternative explanations. Thus, the fact that the Faroese score much below the Scandinavian average concerning "post-modern" forms of political participation like political consumption or boycott of goods, and that gender differences are in general bigger than in other Scandinavian countries especially when it comes to female representation in the Faroese parliament and in government, seems better explained by the relative remoteness of the islands from the Scandinavian political and cultural mainstream (the parochialism hypothesis). Also the fact that the Faroese are much less confident in speaking at public meetings, sending letters to newspapers or complaining to authorities than for example Danes in general call for an alternative explanation. As these features goes together with much less knowledge about and confidence in the Danish parliament ("Folketinget"), and a lower level of efficacy towards the parliament than among Danes in general, the most likely explanation seem to be found in the way in which Danish supremacy has affected political culture in the Faroe Islands (the colonialism hypothesis).           

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - Medborgerskab, politisk kultur, Færøerne, politisk deltagelse, politisk engagement, demokratisk identitet

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0080-6757

VL - 31

SP - 311

EP - 332

JO - Scandinavian Political Studies

JF - Scandinavian Political Studies

IS - 3

ER -