I have a tendency to fall into utopian thinking. Just ask anyone who talks to me in July and August. Suddenly New England and rugged Canadian villages hold the key to life (mainly defined by cooler summers with low[er] humidity). I’ve nearly jumped ship on my beloved hometown a number of times because I fixated on one aspect or another of some dreamy far off place. If only things were like x then all my problems would be solved.
And I’ve certainly fallen into similar modes of thinking when reading about Nordic societies. They’re already on my in-list being perpetually freezing and snow-covered (my favorite), so add in generous family leave policies and childcare, top notch (free!) schools, universal healthcare, and I’m sold. Even the notoriously taciturn culture doesn’t really deter me. You mean there’s a place where you can avoid small talk and keep to yourself? Well, sign me up.
All jokes aside, they’re clearly doing something right in Nordic countries. They perpetually dominate the top rankings on the World Happiness Report. Their public school system consistently tops the charts and the quality of their healthcare is equal to (and in many cases, much better) than the USA. Finland’s solutions for homelessness have been called “a miracle.” Nordic countries are also ranked the best places to raise a family.
Meanwhile Americans are at a new mental health low point, with one of the widest wealth gaps in history. The U.S.A. is also ranked the second worst ‘wealthy’ nation to raise a family. (There is no national maternity leave [nearly unheard of in modern industrialized countries], no state-funded childcare, and a work culture that insists on near constant availability and productivity - are we really surprised?) Homelessness is surging across the country (with many children now a part of that population) and our public school system is a disaster.
So something is going on here. Something, I think, that we ought to take note of, especially in an election year.
When I read Anu Partanen’s book, The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life, I vacillated between feelings of depression (you mean it doesn’t have to be so hard?), righteous anger (I’m going to do something about this!), and outright skepticism (Finland is smaller than my state of Maryland and has basically no military budget - this just would never work in the USA!). As I tried to hold all these feelings together, I decided the best thing to do would just be to talk to the author herself. So I sent her an email, and guess what? She was happy to chat.
Anu is a Finnish journalist and writer who married an American and lived in the USA for a decade before moving back to Finland. It was during her time in America that she started thinking things in US were a little… odd. What was this low-level anxiety always humming in the background? Why did she have to be on the defensive constantly, whether she was paying her cable bill or trying to purchase an insurance plan? Why were well-off friends of hers going back to work at two weeks postpartum, afraid of being left behind in a corporate dog-eat-dog world? Why were people with cancer going bankrupt and starting go-fund-me accounts to get essential care? And most of all, why did Americans think this was… normal?
Anu’s book is a defense and explanation of Nordic-style policies, systems founded on the idea of ‘The Nordic Theory of Love,’ a useful concept when trying to understand the philosophical underpinnings of these government programs. Essentially, the Nordic theory of love states that unhealthy dependencies inhibit our ability to truly love one another - that true love thrives under circumstances that establish independence and equality. I found Anu’s best argument to be that (at this moment in history) Nordic countries are more American than America.
British Prime Minister Ed Miliband once quipped, “If you want the American dream, move to Finland.”
Just how free are we here in America, when our healthcare is tied to employment status, when upward mobility is stagnant, when we cannot afford childcare, when success and opportunity is largely tied to our family’s wealth and connections?
Nordic countries are not perfect. Anu and I discuss this as well. In fact Anu says there is much Nordic society could learn from Americans’ take-charge attitudes, from our friendliness and tolerance (even encouragement of!) eccentricity and individuality.
Nordic societies are also incredibly irreligious (though there’s a ‘Catholic awakening’ going on at the moment!) and homeschooling is pretty unheard of. For some people this might be a sign of an enlightened modern society. For others (many reading this newsletter, I would guess) this might be a warning sign, and a rather sad state of affairs.
Take it for what you will, but I don’t think maternity leave and caring for the poor and healthcare as a human right and universal access to quality education is in any way contrary to religious faith (and in fact, I think you could argue pretty convincingly these are policies rooted in a deep respect for and understanding of the God-given dignity of the human person).
I believe in America and its future. That’s a hard thing for me to say right now. But I’m going to keep repeating it until it’s true because to make an ironic edit to Shakespeare’s famous line, “something is rotten in the state of America.”
We can do better. I know we can.
I hope you enjoy this conversation (and check out the book while you’re at it) and I would love to hear your comments. Thank you for listening!
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Hi, I’m Katie, a writer and podcaster and I believe that literature, art, beauty, theology, and wonder are worth our time and attention. This podcast is free for you to listen to, but took time and research to make - consider upgrading to a paid subscription to support the work I do.
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The Nordic Theory of Love