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

Jens Villiam Hoff, Hallbera Frida West

    4 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    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).           
    Translated title of the contributionMedborgerskab på Færøerne: deltagelsespræget, provensielt eller kolonialt?
    Original languageEnglish
    JournalScandinavian Political Studies
    Volume31
    Issue number3
    Pages (from-to)311-332
    ISSN0080-6757
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

    Keywords

    • Faculty of Social Sciences

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