Read more
With its focus on the popular television genre of Nordic noir, this book examines subtle and explicit manifestations of geopolitics in crime series from Scandinavia and Finland, as well as the impact of such programmes on how northern Europe is viewed around the world.
Drawing on a diverse set of literature, from screen studies to critical International Relations, Geopolitics, Northern Europe, and Nordic Noir addresses the fraught geopolitical content of Nordic television series, as well as how Nordic noir as a genre travels the globe. With empirical chapters focusing on the interlinked concepts of the body, the border, and the nation-state, this book interrogates the various ways in which northern European states grapple with challenges wrought by globalisation, neoliberalism, and climate change. Reflecting the current global fascination with all things Nordic, this text examines the light and dark sides of the region as seen through the television screen, demonstrating that series such as Occupied, Trapped, and The Bridge have much to teach us about world politics.
This book will be of interest to those interested in geopolitics, national identity, and the politics of popular culture in: Scandinavian studies, media/screen studies, IR/political science, human/cultural geography, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, and communication.
List of contents
Preface 1. Co-Constituting the World: Popular Culture and Geopolitics 2. Why Norden? Why Now? A Geopolitical Foregrounding 3. Northern Places, Dark Spaces: Norden as a Realm of Imagination 4. It's the Little Things: Bodies, Communities, Encounters 5. In/Out/In-Between: (B)orders, Liminality, and Us/Them 6. Ideology vs. Idylls: Neoliberalism, Nationalism, and Nature 7. Beyond Norden: The Global Geopolitics of a Genre Appendix 1. Television and TV Film Series
About the author
Robert A. Saunders is a Professor in the Department of History, Politics, and Geography at Farmingdale State College – State University of New York, USA, where he teaches courses in world politics and European culture. His research explores various intersections of popular culture, geopolitics, nationalism, and religious identity.
Summary
With its focus on the popular television genre of Nordic noir, this book examines subtle and explicit manifestations of geopolitics in crime series from Scandinavia and Finland, as well as the impact of such programmes on how northern Europe is viewed around the world.
Report
"Saunder's range of secondary materials is extensive, and the book's notes and references reflect an informed, sustained research process across multiple disciplines"
- Rosemary Erickson Johnsen, Scandinavian Studies
