forum axess 1999–2004 Forum Axess 1999–2016 1 forum axess 1999–2012 2 forum axess 1999–2004 Forum Axess 1999–2016 Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation 3 forum axess 1999–2012 Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation Stureplan 3 se-103 75 Stockholm sweden www.axsonjohnsonfoundation.org © Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation and the authors Graphic design and production: Johan Laserna Typeface: Indigo Printed and bound in Riga by Studio RBB 2017 isbn 978-91-89672-91-8 4 Index Forum Axess by Kurt Almqvist 7 The Engelsberg Seminar 9 International Seminars 71 International Summer School 159 Swedish Seminars 161 The Great Non-Fiction Book Prize 215 Summer Academy 217 Axess Magazine 221 Global Axess 249 Television Programmes 277 Axess TV 291 Books 345 Funded Books 355 Chronological Report 365 Contributors 515 5 forum axess 1999–2012 6 Forum Axess * The objective of Forum Axess is to disseminate the results of scholarly work and research and generate conditions for bringing together academics, journalists, writers, the business community and the general public. The Foundation’s vision is to support individuals, ideas and humanistic projects that run the risk of finding themselves outside current trends, but which, in the long term, are deemed to be of decisive benefit to the public interest by preserving traditions and by renewing and developing society. The motto is “excellence and access”. The Foundation focuses on a small number of humanistic areas and projects that have prospects of providing effects deemed to be long-term and of high quality. Driven by a sense of civic responsibility, the Foundation exists to conduct activi- ties of long-term, decisive importance for the development of society from a comparative international perspective. The aim of its activities is to initiate and explore new ideas and methods and to transfer the resulting knowledge to society. A community thrives on human encounters. The Foundation aspires to constitute a forum for independent, intellectual and spiritual discussion in Sweden, an important element of which is to introduce an international, interdisciplinary humanist debate. The Foundation’s publishing arm summarises the diverse activities of the Foundation and makes them accessible to the 7 forum axess general public through seminars and conferences, publications in the form of books, a humanistic scholarly magazine and television programmes broadcast through the Foundations tele- vision channel, Axess TV. Kurt Almqvist President Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation Stockholm, December 2016 8 The Engelsberg Seminar * The Axel and Margaret Ax:son Johnson Foundation’s Engels- berg Seminar is a forum for promoting independent discussion of practical and spiritual matters of importance to Swedish society and culture, and for promoting Sweden’s ongoing con - tribution to international, interdisciplinary humanist debate. 1999 The Swedish Success Story? 24th to 27th of august at engelsberg manor The modern project promises that man can create the world anew. Sweden in the 20th century was a supreme embodiment of that promise. During that century it evolved from a minor state on the fringes of northern Europe – with no foreign policy function in the European system of states (other than as a potential ally of Germany against Russia) and with a population many of whom dreamed of getting out of the country as soon as possible – to a world ideological alternative. The formula had already been expressed in 1936, in Marquis Childs’ book Sweden: The Middle Way, in which Sweden was seen as a possible midway between the individualist USA and the collectivist Soviet Union. Sweden seemed to represent com- promise, a balance between self-assertion and subjugation. Modernity aims to eliminate contradictions between free- dom and equality, between state and society. In many people’s 9 the engelsberg seminar eyes, no state achieved more headway in these respects during the 20th century than Sweden. It became a symbol of modernity. The freedom which Sweden sought to realise has been a “freedom to”, aimed at making possible a “freedom from”. In this “freedom from” modernity seeks its own enigma, its own inherent meaning. Sweden in the 20th century was also to actively assimilate the notion that it could abolish the contradictions of modernity. Modernity became Sweden’s self-image: the promise of a future which had left historical ties behind it, a harmonisation of modernity sustained by perpetual and continuous peace. Sweden entered its fourth age of greatness: at one time (in the 17th century) a military power, in the 18th century it had become a great power in the field of science (Linnaeus, Celsius and others) and then, in the late 19th century, became a great power in the field of engineering (“industries of genius”): tele- communications, ball bearings, electronics. Starting in the 1930s, Sweden faced the modern age with its eyes wide open, and the fourth age of greatness began. From this perspective, the Second World War could only be termed a deviation, a temporary dip in the development curve. The casus belli between the great powers was really no concern of Sweden: the war centred round problems which Swedish society had already left behind it. Then, after the war ended, the modernity project could be resumed with full vigour. Under Social Democratic leadership a welfare state was formed, in tended to give people the freedom which would enable them to realise their potential and in doing so find the meaning of secular life. In one field after another Sweden, in relation to the size of its population, took the lead. An advanced technological culture resulted among other things in Sweden having two car manu- facturers when most comparable countries had none at all. Swedish industry was able almost single-handed to rearm the country’s armed forces with ultra-modern weaponry. A close- knit social insurance system appeared to provide com prehensive security. Equality between the sexes is another pivotal criterion of a country’s modernity. Here again, Sweden took the lead. 10 the engelsberg seminar For just over a decade now, though, the Swedish self-image has been disintegrating. “The world’s most modern country” – the paradigm no longer serves as a benchmark for the future. Sweden seems to have lagged behind. Swedish self-esteem is rocking on its heels. The welfare consensus supporting post-war society has been broken. What used to be the bulwark against harmful influences from the outside world – the policy of neutrality – seems to have lost its relevance in a world from which the great power blocs have vanished. After accession to the EU, Nato membership beckons. Sweden’s go-it-alone approach is finished and the sense of leading the world and being unique has gone. Sweden itself no longer believes in modernity – in the model of progress, willingness to negotiate and technical progress which was once fundamental. Such, in part, is the perspective in which we have found the themes for this conference, aimed at drawing up a balance sheet for Sweden’s 20th century. moderators Alf W. Johansson, Professor of History, Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden, Kay Glans, Journalist, Svenska Dagbladet, Stockholm, Sweden, Kristian Gerner, Professor, Department of Eastern European Studies, Uppsala University, Sweden, Kim Salomon, Department of History, Lund University, Sweden lecturers Rolf Torstendahl, Department of History, Uppsala University, Sweden, Sverige i ett europeiskt perspektiv – särväg eller huvudfåra? Rune Johansson, Professor, Ethnic Studies, Linköping University, Sweden, Konstruktionen av svenskheten Jonas Frykman, Professor, Department of Ethnology, Lund University, Sweden, Svensk mentalitet Håkan Arvidsson, Lecturer, Department of History, Roskilde Univer - sity, Denmark, Modernitetsbegreppet Henrik Berggren, PhD, Editor, Dagens Nyheter, Stockholm, Sweden, Nationalism och modernism Bo Stråth, Professor, European University of Florence, Italy, Neutralitet som mentalitet 11 the engelsberg seminar Mikael af Malmborg, PhD, Department of History, Lund University, Sweden, Neutraliteten och lusten att bestämma själv Ann-Sofie Ohlander, Professor, School of Humanities, Education and Sciences, Örebro University, Sweden, Den välsignade tillväxten av människovärdet Hans Ingvar Roth, Master of Letters, Researcher, Uppsala University and Department of Theology, Lund University, Sweden, Det multi­ kulturella Sverige Klas-Göran Karlsson, Lecturer, Department of History, Lund Univer- sity, Sweden, Förintelsen – ett svenskt problem? Anders Isaksson, Author and Journalist, Dagens Industri, Stockholm, Sweden, Normaliseringen av Sverige Per Molander, Researcher, SNS (Centre for Business and Policy Studies), Stockholm, Sweden, Vad har gått förlorat under moderniteten? commentators Sheri Berman, Dr., Department of Politics, Princeton University, Prince ton NJ, USA Bernt Henningsen, Professor, University of Humboldt, Berlin, Germany Fredrik Schoug, PhD, Department of Ethnology, Lund University, Sweden Olav Riste, Professor, Institutt for Forsvarsstudier, Oslo, Norway Patrick Salmon, Professor, Department of History, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK Madeleine Hurd, Lecturer, Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden Kajsa Ekholm Friedman, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Anthropology, Lund University, Sweden Göran Dahl, Lecturer, Department of Sociology, Lund University, Sweden Kjell Östberg, Associate Professor, Södertörn University, Stockholm, Sweden Per-Olof Bolander, Editor, Stockholm,