Week #10 - Scandinavian Exceptionalism Flashcards
What is the nature of Scandinavian exceptionalism?
a. Penal exceptionalism = low imprisonment and humane prison conditions
b. Argument – it emerges from the cultures of equality that existed in these countries which were then embedded in their social fabrics through the universalism of the Scandinavian welfare state
Explain the egalitarian tradition in the US?
Contributed to a dynamic which has led to a tolerance of more degrading punishments
Explain the egalitarian tradition in the Scandinavia?
i. Opposite effect
ii. Roots of Scandinavian exceptionalism to be found in highly egalitarian cultural values and social structures of these societies
iii. Was institutionalized and embedded in their social fabrics through the welfare state
Explain closed prisons?
i. Humane treatment, personal space, material comfort
ii. Unlike US prisons
iii. Common rooms
iv. Solarium facilities – so no Vitamin D deficiency from no sunlight
Explain open prisons?
i. Fences, walls and other barriers are reduced to a minimum, sometimes there are none
ii. There are still rules, surveillance, and sanctions
Explain the culture of equality?
a. Social conditions provided for little class distinction and high levels of egalitarianism
b. ‘Sameness’ between citizens ensured that the conduct of everyday life reflected passivity, consensus and an emphasis on collective rather than individual interests
Explain the conditions for penal exceptionalism
a. There are characteristics in the Scandinavian countries that are also to be found in other European low-imprisonment societies
i. Such as: well informed public with objective rather than sensationalized crime knowledge
b. Clearly, when these, or some combination of them, are present in a given society, the less likelihood there will be of that society marching down the route towards penal excess
What does Scharff argue about penal populism and Scandinavian Exceptionalism?
o The idea of Scandinavian penal exceptionalism is in need of further theoretical and empirical testing
• In Denmark one could argue that penal populism has not been countered successfully by the existence of a so-called egalitarian welfare state
What does Scharff argue about pretrial solitary confinement and exceptionalism?
o Pre-trial solitary confinement
potentially has more to do with social control than egalitarianism and humane penal culture
What does Dullum argue about EXCEPTIONALISM IN SCANDINAVIA?
• High material standard of Nordic prison facilities is controversial
o Some view it as too good for prisoners and luxurious
•Punishment is a complex social institution, not just simple expression of the crime rate
