Jan‐Erik Lane, David McKay, and Kenneth Newton
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780198280538
- eISBN:
- 9780191601934
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019828053X.003.0018
- Subject:
- Political Science, Reference
This section provides information on the most significant features of government and politics in Iceland. These include data on state structure and offices, parties, government constitutions, ...
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This section provides information on the most significant features of government and politics in Iceland. These include data on state structure and offices, parties, government constitutions, electoral and voting systems, and basic media materials on media, education, economic interest organisations and the budget.Less
This section provides information on the most significant features of government and politics in Iceland. These include data on state structure and offices, parties, government constitutions, electoral and voting systems, and basic media materials on media, education, economic interest organisations and the budget.
Robert Elgie (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198293866
- eISBN:
- 9780191599156
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198293860.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
Semi‐presidentialism is an increasingly popular form of constitutional government. Semi‐presidential regimes can now be found in Western Europe, in Austria, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, and ...
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Semi‐presidentialism is an increasingly popular form of constitutional government. Semi‐presidential regimes can now be found in Western Europe, in Austria, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, and Portugal, in Central and Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, and Ukraine; in Asia, in places such as Mongolia, South Korea, and Sri Lanka; and elsewhere in, e.g. Guyana, Haiti, Angola, and Namibia. By definition, all of these countries share a similar set of basic constitutional features, namely, a directly elected fixed‐term president and a prime minister who is responsible to parliament. However, the main observation to be made about them is that the exercise of political power varies greatly from one to another. For example, in some countries (particularly France), the president is usually the dominant political actor; in other countries (such as Finland), there is a sometimes uneasy balance of power between the president and prime minister; in yet others (notably Ukraine), the president and parliament share powers; and finally, in others still (including Austria, Iceland, and Ireland), the president is merely a figurehead and the prime minister dominates the decision‐making process. Because of the very varied forms of political leadership that occur across these institutionally similar countries, some writers have dismissed the concept of semi‐presidentialism, but in fact, though, it provides a perfect opportunity to study the general question of why political systems function in the way they do and to examine the relationship between particular constitutional arrangements and different forms of political practice. This book examines the politics of semi‐presidentialism in 12 European countries (all those listed above except for Portugal), and the constitutional powers of political leaders, the role of political parties, and the importance of past precedent. Ch. 1 provides a background to the study of the concept and a framework for the analysis of semi‐presidential regimes. This framework is then applied to the politics of individual European countries in the following chapters. In the conclusion, the lessons of these chapters are reviewed and the future of semi‐presidential studies is considered.Less
Semi‐presidentialism is an increasingly popular form of constitutional government. Semi‐presidential regimes can now be found in Western Europe, in Austria, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, and Portugal, in Central and Eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, and Ukraine; in Asia, in places such as Mongolia, South Korea, and Sri Lanka; and elsewhere in, e.g. Guyana, Haiti, Angola, and Namibia. By definition, all of these countries share a similar set of basic constitutional features, namely, a directly elected fixed‐term president and a prime minister who is responsible to parliament. However, the main observation to be made about them is that the exercise of political power varies greatly from one to another. For example, in some countries (particularly France), the president is usually the dominant political actor; in other countries (such as Finland), there is a sometimes uneasy balance of power between the president and prime minister; in yet others (notably Ukraine), the president and parliament share powers; and finally, in others still (including Austria, Iceland, and Ireland), the president is merely a figurehead and the prime minister dominates the decision‐making process. Because of the very varied forms of political leadership that occur across these institutionally similar countries, some writers have dismissed the concept of semi‐presidentialism, but in fact, though, it provides a perfect opportunity to study the general question of why political systems function in the way they do and to examine the relationship between particular constitutional arrangements and different forms of political practice. This book examines the politics of semi‐presidentialism in 12 European countries (all those listed above except for Portugal), and the constitutional powers of political leaders, the role of political parties, and the importance of past precedent. Ch. 1 provides a background to the study of the concept and a framework for the analysis of semi‐presidential regimes. This framework is then applied to the politics of individual European countries in the following chapters. In the conclusion, the lessons of these chapters are reviewed and the future of semi‐presidential studies is considered.
Sören Holmberg
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198295686
- eISBN:
- 9780191600043
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198295685.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
In Scandinavia, as demonstrated by the analysis of the World Values Survey in Ch. 2, people remain highly positive towards the political community and democratic principles; nevertheless, support for ...
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In Scandinavia, as demonstrated by the analysis of the World Values Survey in Ch. 2, people remain highly positive towards the political community and democratic principles; nevertheless, support for the remaining three levels of measure—regime performance, political institutions, and politicians—is more problematic. This chapter therefore focuses on how trust in politicians has evolved over the last twenty to thirty years in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland all established, parliamentary, multi‐party, unitary, welfare state democracies. The analysis starts at the bottom level—trust in politicians—since that is where the greatest change over time might be expected, and where there is access to some of the longest measured time‐series in the Scandinavian countries. Subsequent sections of the chapter analyse support for Swedish political institutions (parties, elections, the Rikstag, and the Cabinet), and democratic processes too. Considers explanations for trends in trust in politicians and regime institutions over time.Less
In Scandinavia, as demonstrated by the analysis of the World Values Survey in Ch. 2, people remain highly positive towards the political community and democratic principles; nevertheless, support for the remaining three levels of measure—regime performance, political institutions, and politicians—is more problematic. This chapter therefore focuses on how trust in politicians has evolved over the last twenty to thirty years in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Netherlands, Sweden, and Finland all established, parliamentary, multi‐party, unitary, welfare state democracies. The analysis starts at the bottom level—trust in politicians—since that is where the greatest change over time might be expected, and where there is access to some of the longest measured time‐series in the Scandinavian countries. Subsequent sections of the chapter analyse support for Swedish political institutions (parties, elections, the Rikstag, and the Cabinet), and democratic processes too. Considers explanations for trends in trust in politicians and regime institutions over time.
Gunnar Helgi Kristinsson
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198293866
- eISBN:
- 9780191599156
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198293860.003.0005
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
The office of Icelandic president was created in 1944 to take over the functions of the Danish monarch, which were largely ceremonial at that time, and is non‐party political. Although the president ...
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The office of Icelandic president was created in 1944 to take over the functions of the Danish monarch, which were largely ceremonial at that time, and is non‐party political. Although the president is directly elected, political power in Iceland lies with the parliament and a government that is responsible to it. This chapter explores the actual and potential powers of the Icelandic presidency in the light of Duverger's concept of semi‐presidential government, arguing that traditional interpretations of the Icelandic constitution have overlooked the distinctiveness of semi‐presidential government, and noting that the powerlessness of the presidency is less a fact of law than of politics. An attempt is also made to account for why the presidency has developed in the manner of a powerless figurehead rather than as an effective political leader. The three sections of the chapter are: The Presidency and Political Leadership in Iceland—formation of the regime, constitutional powers, parliamentary majorities; The Presidency and the Political Forces—presidentialism in Iceland, the choice of a president; and Conclusion.Less
The office of Icelandic president was created in 1944 to take over the functions of the Danish monarch, which were largely ceremonial at that time, and is non‐party political. Although the president is directly elected, political power in Iceland lies with the parliament and a government that is responsible to it. This chapter explores the actual and potential powers of the Icelandic presidency in the light of Duverger's concept of semi‐presidential government, arguing that traditional interpretations of the Icelandic constitution have overlooked the distinctiveness of semi‐presidential government, and noting that the powerlessness of the presidency is less a fact of law than of politics. An attempt is also made to account for why the presidency has developed in the manner of a powerless figurehead rather than as an effective political leader. The three sections of the chapter are: The Presidency and Political Leadership in Iceland—formation of the regime, constitutional powers, parliamentary majorities; The Presidency and the Political Forces—presidentialism in Iceland, the choice of a president; and Conclusion.
Geir Lundestad
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- April 2004
- ISBN:
- 9780199266685
- eISBN:
- 9780191601057
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199266689.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
In the late 1960s, the wider framework for and the basic structure of the North Atlantic alliance was being challenged on virtually all fronts at the same time, causing the need for a reappraisal of ...
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In the late 1960s, the wider framework for and the basic structure of the North Atlantic alliance was being challenged on virtually all fronts at the same time, causing the need for a reappraisal of relationships. These challenges included: the continuing Cold War with the Soviet Union and its allies, where the confrontation continued, but was now being combined with détente (i.e. cooperation on important military, political, and economic issues); the change in the American–European relationship resulting from Europe striking out more on its own; the perceived decline of the US by the Nixon administration and its resulting need to cooperate with the other economic centres of the world; outside Europe, the combination of the rise of OPEC and the volatility of the Middle East, which highlighted a growing energy problem that was to prove quite troublesome in Atlantic relations; and the effect of the rise of Japan and the Pacific rim in redefining the role and importance of Western Europe in the world. All these redefinitions imposed a strain on American–European relations in the period 1969–1977, but even though the resulting conflicts were now more structural than they had been earlier, they were still contained within the alliance framework, for both the US and Western Europe still needed a certain degree of cooperation and mutual dependence. The four main sections following the explanatory preamble to this chapter discuss various aspects of this conflict and cooperation between the US and Western Europe. They are: The US, Western Europe, and Détente; Nixon–Kissinger's Reappraisal of European Integration, 1969–1976; The Southern Flank [of Europe], Communism, and the US—a discussion of the political situations in Portugal, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Italy (and Iceland); and Conflict, but Still Primarily Cooperation.Less
In the late 1960s, the wider framework for and the basic structure of the North Atlantic alliance was being challenged on virtually all fronts at the same time, causing the need for a reappraisal of relationships. These challenges included: the continuing Cold War with the Soviet Union and its allies, where the confrontation continued, but was now being combined with détente (i.e. cooperation on important military, political, and economic issues); the change in the American–European relationship resulting from Europe striking out more on its own; the perceived decline of the US by the Nixon administration and its resulting need to cooperate with the other economic centres of the world; outside Europe, the combination of the rise of OPEC and the volatility of the Middle East, which highlighted a growing energy problem that was to prove quite troublesome in Atlantic relations; and the effect of the rise of Japan and the Pacific rim in redefining the role and importance of Western Europe in the world. All these redefinitions imposed a strain on American–European relations in the period 1969–1977, but even though the resulting conflicts were now more structural than they had been earlier, they were still contained within the alliance framework, for both the US and Western Europe still needed a certain degree of cooperation and mutual dependence. The four main sections following the explanatory preamble to this chapter discuss various aspects of this conflict and cooperation between the US and Western Europe. They are: The US, Western Europe, and Détente; Nixon–Kissinger's Reappraisal of European Integration, 1969–1976; The Southern Flank [of Europe], Communism, and the US—a discussion of the political situations in Portugal, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Italy (and Iceland); and Conflict, but Still Primarily Cooperation.
Lamin Sanneh
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195189605
- eISBN:
- 9780199868582
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195189605.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Synopsis: This chapter examines Roman imperial pressure and the persecution that triggered wide‐ranging dispersion and movement in Christianity. Persecution induced habits of vigilance, and ascetic ...
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Synopsis: This chapter examines Roman imperial pressure and the persecution that triggered wide‐ranging dispersion and movement in Christianity. Persecution induced habits of vigilance, and ascetic witness against wealth and power. Tertullian (d c.240) describes the refining effects of persecution and repression on Christian spiritual life and new forms of Christian social organization. Christians pioneered voluntary and philanthropic ethics, and promoted mutual support and encouragement. As a vernacular movement Christianity spread to Scotland, northern England, and Iceland. Semi‐urban Arabs of the trade routes converted, though Christianity failed to take root in the Arab heartland proper. Augustine assessed the historical challenge facing Christianity after the fall of the empire, and his achievement, the chapter argues, transformed classical historiography from its deterministic pessimism into a choice‐driven, morally‐transparent enterprise. The chapter contends that a corresponding Augustinian revolution in thought would help place the searchlight on provincial diversity and cultural variety of rising World Christianity.Less
Synopsis: This chapter examines Roman imperial pressure and the persecution that triggered wide‐ranging dispersion and movement in Christianity. Persecution induced habits of vigilance, and ascetic witness against wealth and power. Tertullian (d c.240) describes the refining effects of persecution and repression on Christian spiritual life and new forms of Christian social organization. Christians pioneered voluntary and philanthropic ethics, and promoted mutual support and encouragement. As a vernacular movement Christianity spread to Scotland, northern England, and Iceland. Semi‐urban Arabs of the trade routes converted, though Christianity failed to take root in the Arab heartland proper. Augustine assessed the historical challenge facing Christianity after the fall of the empire, and his achievement, the chapter argues, transformed classical historiography from its deterministic pessimism into a choice‐driven, morally‐transparent enterprise. The chapter contends that a corresponding Augustinian revolution in thought would help place the searchlight on provincial diversity and cultural variety of rising World Christianity.
Anna Wallette
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264522
- eISBN:
- 9780191734724
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264522.003.0007
- Subject:
- Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology
During the Viking Age, the use of private violence was a precondition for social power. Iceland, for instance, was a law-making community but had no executive power to put the laws into effect. ...
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During the Viking Age, the use of private violence was a precondition for social power. Iceland, for instance, was a law-making community but had no executive power to put the laws into effect. Politics throughout the whole of Scandinavia was based on strong personal relations. This was not a society of uncontrolled violence, but, alongside the development of church and kingdom, the attitude towards a legal type of violence changed. The Icelandic sagas are preoccupied with networks; the alliance patterns described can shed light on the relations between both biological and social kin. This chapter describes competing loyalties through marriage, fostering, friendship, and pledges of support. Kin and marriage systems are the main organization form for people. The discussion also considers alliances and the need for strong bonds with both family and friends at a time when the political and social order was changing.Less
During the Viking Age, the use of private violence was a precondition for social power. Iceland, for instance, was a law-making community but had no executive power to put the laws into effect. Politics throughout the whole of Scandinavia was based on strong personal relations. This was not a society of uncontrolled violence, but, alongside the development of church and kingdom, the attitude towards a legal type of violence changed. The Icelandic sagas are preoccupied with networks; the alliance patterns described can shed light on the relations between both biological and social kin. This chapter describes competing loyalties through marriage, fostering, friendship, and pledges of support. Kin and marriage systems are the main organization form for people. The discussion also considers alliances and the need for strong bonds with both family and friends at a time when the political and social order was changing.
Anders Angerbjörn, Pall Hersteinsson, and Magnus Tannerfeldt
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780198515562
- eISBN:
- 9780191705632
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198515562.003.0008
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology
This chapter examines the life history characteristics of two Arctic fox populations, a relatively stable one in Iceland and a fluctuating one in Sweden. Intraspecific variation in reproductive and ...
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This chapter examines the life history characteristics of two Arctic fox populations, a relatively stable one in Iceland and a fluctuating one in Sweden. Intraspecific variation in reproductive and social strategies of Arctic foxes in Sweden and Iceland suggests that adaptations to different resource distributions in have resulted in divergence in strategies between the two populations. In Sweden, where food availability fluctuates widely in time but less in space, the foxes have adopted the ‘jackpot’ strategy which exhibits enormous variation in reproductive output from year to year with much inter-annual variation in cub and juvenile survival, depending on food availability. In Iceland, on the other hand, where food availability is predictable in time and space, reproductive output is stable with small litter sizes, high cub survival, and intermediate dispersal distances, and female yearlings frequently use their natal territories as a base while searching for a vacant territory or mate in the neighbourhood.Less
This chapter examines the life history characteristics of two Arctic fox populations, a relatively stable one in Iceland and a fluctuating one in Sweden. Intraspecific variation in reproductive and social strategies of Arctic foxes in Sweden and Iceland suggests that adaptations to different resource distributions in have resulted in divergence in strategies between the two populations. In Sweden, where food availability fluctuates widely in time but less in space, the foxes have adopted the ‘jackpot’ strategy which exhibits enormous variation in reproductive output from year to year with much inter-annual variation in cub and juvenile survival, depending on food availability. In Iceland, on the other hand, where food availability is predictable in time and space, reproductive output is stable with small litter sizes, high cub survival, and intermediate dispersal distances, and female yearlings frequently use their natal territories as a base while searching for a vacant territory or mate in the neighbourhood.
Wendy S. Mercer
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263884
- eISBN:
- 9780191734830
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263884.003.0004
- Subject:
- Literature, 19th-century and Victorian Literature
The year 1836 was an important year for Marmier, for it marked his first expedition with the Commission du Nord on board the corvette La Recherche to the Scandinavian countries. To his mind, his ...
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The year 1836 was an important year for Marmier, for it marked his first expedition with the Commission du Nord on board the corvette La Recherche to the Scandinavian countries. To his mind, his mission was clear: he was to observe the current state of literature and learning in Iceland in order to compare the intellectual relationship between the ancient and the modern – the Iceland of the sagas and the Iceland of the nineteenth century. Marmier was greatly impressed by the hospitality he received everywhere in Iceland, although a major focus of his criticism is the Danish trade monopoly. On Saturday 28 January 1837, Marmier finished the last page of his book on Iceland. His Lettres sur l'Islande is an important historical document in many respects. The descriptions of Icelandic life are still of great interest today as a record of social conditions at the time.Less
The year 1836 was an important year for Marmier, for it marked his first expedition with the Commission du Nord on board the corvette La Recherche to the Scandinavian countries. To his mind, his mission was clear: he was to observe the current state of literature and learning in Iceland in order to compare the intellectual relationship between the ancient and the modern – the Iceland of the sagas and the Iceland of the nineteenth century. Marmier was greatly impressed by the hospitality he received everywhere in Iceland, although a major focus of his criticism is the Danish trade monopoly. On Saturday 28 January 1837, Marmier finished the last page of his book on Iceland. His Lettres sur l'Islande is an important historical document in many respects. The descriptions of Icelandic life are still of great interest today as a record of social conditions at the time.
Orri Vesteinsson
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198207993
- eISBN:
- 9780191677885
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198207993.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, World Medieval History, History of Religion
In this historical study of High-Medieval Iceland, the author investigates the influence of the Christian Church on the formation of the earliest state structures in Iceland, from the conversion in ...
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In this historical study of High-Medieval Iceland, the author investigates the influence of the Christian Church on the formation of the earliest state structures in Iceland, from the conversion in 1000 to the union with Norway in 1262. In the history of mankind, states and state structures have usually been established before the advent of written records. As a result historians are rarely able to trace with certainty the early development of complex structures of government. In Iceland, literacy and the practice of native history writing had been established by the beginning of the twelfth century; whereas the formation of a centralized government did not occur until more than a hundred years later. The early development of state-like structures has therefore been unusually well chronicled, in the Icelandic Sagas, and in the historical records of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Based on this material, this book contributes to the discussion on the formation of states.Less
In this historical study of High-Medieval Iceland, the author investigates the influence of the Christian Church on the formation of the earliest state structures in Iceland, from the conversion in 1000 to the union with Norway in 1262. In the history of mankind, states and state structures have usually been established before the advent of written records. As a result historians are rarely able to trace with certainty the early development of complex structures of government. In Iceland, literacy and the practice of native history writing had been established by the beginning of the twelfth century; whereas the formation of a centralized government did not occur until more than a hundred years later. The early development of state-like structures has therefore been unusually well chronicled, in the Icelandic Sagas, and in the historical records of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Based on this material, this book contributes to the discussion on the formation of states.
Robert Elgie
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199585984
- eISBN:
- 9780191729003
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199585984.003.0007
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics
This chapter presents a set of indicative case studies that illustrate the consequences of the two forms of semi-presidentialism. For both, evidence from cases that appear to confirm the hypothesized ...
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This chapter presents a set of indicative case studies that illustrate the consequences of the two forms of semi-presidentialism. For both, evidence from cases that appear to confirm the hypothesized dynamics of each type of semi-presidentialism is presented first. Then, a number of apparently confounding cases are presented. The chapter begins by examining the dynamics of president-parliamentarism in Russia, Taiwan, Austria, Iceland, and Namibia. The chapter then moves on to an examination of premier-presidentialism in Poland, Congo-Brazzaville, Niger, and Haiti.Less
This chapter presents a set of indicative case studies that illustrate the consequences of the two forms of semi-presidentialism. For both, evidence from cases that appear to confirm the hypothesized dynamics of each type of semi-presidentialism is presented first. Then, a number of apparently confounding cases are presented. The chapter begins by examining the dynamics of president-parliamentarism in Russia, Taiwan, Austria, Iceland, and Namibia. The chapter then moves on to an examination of premier-presidentialism in Poland, Congo-Brazzaville, Niger, and Haiti.
Owen Chadwick
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198269021
- eISBN:
- 9780191600470
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269021.003.0014
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Reformed parishes wanted married and educated clergy, but the capacity to support a manse, with a pastor and his family, could be quite beyond the resources of rural communities. Pastors often had ...
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Reformed parishes wanted married and educated clergy, but the capacity to support a manse, with a pastor and his family, could be quite beyond the resources of rural communities. Pastors often had difficulty obtaining books for the preparations of sermons. The customs and orders surrounding services, burials, the churchyard, and other parish affairs varied widely in different regions and are illustrated here with evidence from six more distant countrysides: the peasant republic of Dithmarschen in the marshlands of south‐west Jutland; the broad lands with few towns in eastern Germany, mostly in the duchy of Prussia; the mountain region of western Switzerland; the countryside of France and Navarre; the churches of Iceland, distantly governed from Denmark; and the attempt to reform Moldavia, nominally under Ottoman sovereignty.Less
Reformed parishes wanted married and educated clergy, but the capacity to support a manse, with a pastor and his family, could be quite beyond the resources of rural communities. Pastors often had difficulty obtaining books for the preparations of sermons. The customs and orders surrounding services, burials, the churchyard, and other parish affairs varied widely in different regions and are illustrated here with evidence from six more distant countrysides: the peasant republic of Dithmarschen in the marshlands of south‐west Jutland; the broad lands with few towns in eastern Germany, mostly in the duchy of Prussia; the mountain region of western Switzerland; the countryside of France and Navarre; the churches of Iceland, distantly governed from Denmark; and the attempt to reform Moldavia, nominally under Ottoman sovereignty.
Thorvaldur. Gylfason
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780199275786
- eISBN:
- 9780191602160
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199275785.003.0018
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter examines the impact of resource abundance on the economic performance of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Natural resource abundance can retard economic growth by reducing ...
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This chapter examines the impact of resource abundance on the economic performance of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Natural resource abundance can retard economic growth by reducing total exports, and investments in human and physical capital. These outcomes are not inevitable if appropriate institutions safeguards are in place. However, an echo effect of resource dependence may be detected.Less
This chapter examines the impact of resource abundance on the economic performance of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. Natural resource abundance can retard economic growth by reducing total exports, and investments in human and physical capital. These outcomes are not inevitable if appropriate institutions safeguards are in place. However, an echo effect of resource dependence may be detected.
Mike Fortun
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520247505
- eISBN:
- 9780520942615
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520247505.003.0002
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
The author has a brief history of collaboration with Skúli Sigurdsson; the first publication of his academic career was coauthored with Sigurdsson. But two different career paths on the two different ...
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The author has a brief history of collaboration with Skúli Sigurdsson; the first publication of his academic career was coauthored with Sigurdsson. But two different career paths on the two different tectonic plates that diverge from each other under Iceland had kept additional layers from sedimenting into the friendship. So it was really through his work as advance man in September 1998, and on later trips, that Sigurdsson and the author became friends. In September 1998, on his first trip to Iceland, the author thought that deCODE Genetics was an interesting and potentially admirable project. Other ethnographers of Iceland at the time have suggested that “Iceland is emerging as the site of biotechnology and bioethics.”.Less
The author has a brief history of collaboration with Skúli Sigurdsson; the first publication of his academic career was coauthored with Sigurdsson. But two different career paths on the two different tectonic plates that diverge from each other under Iceland had kept additional layers from sedimenting into the friendship. So it was really through his work as advance man in September 1998, and on later trips, that Sigurdsson and the author became friends. In September 1998, on his first trip to Iceland, the author thought that deCODE Genetics was an interesting and potentially admirable project. Other ethnographers of Iceland at the time have suggested that “Iceland is emerging as the site of biotechnology and bioethics.”.
Mike Fortun
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520247505
- eISBN:
- 9780520942615
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520247505.003.0006
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
In this chapter, the author narrates his trip to Húsavík, Iceland for a meeting with deCODE Genetics CEO Kári Stefánsson. Kári and the deCODE team were presenting their plans, wants, needs, wishes, ...
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In this chapter, the author narrates his trip to Húsavík, Iceland for a meeting with deCODE Genetics CEO Kári Stefánsson. Kári and the deCODE team were presenting their plans, wants, needs, wishes, and demands to a group of about fifteen physicians, nurses, and administrators. In this milieu, the author was at a sign nadir, clueless as to what was being said. But Kári was smooth, working the floor, speaking softly and confidently, pausing at the overhead projector to point to one of the few simple Icelandic phrases on the PowerPoint transparency. There was some questioning, but it was easy to tell that everyone seemed pleased, especially the deCODErs. Up in a corner of the meeting hall, on the wall near the ceiling, there were two fading words written in neat script: uppruni hvala, which means “origin of whales.”.Less
In this chapter, the author narrates his trip to Húsavík, Iceland for a meeting with deCODE Genetics CEO Kári Stefánsson. Kári and the deCODE team were presenting their plans, wants, needs, wishes, and demands to a group of about fifteen physicians, nurses, and administrators. In this milieu, the author was at a sign nadir, clueless as to what was being said. But Kári was smooth, working the floor, speaking softly and confidently, pausing at the overhead projector to point to one of the few simple Icelandic phrases on the PowerPoint transparency. There was some questioning, but it was easy to tell that everyone seemed pleased, especially the deCODErs. Up in a corner of the meeting hall, on the wall near the ceiling, there were two fading words written in neat script: uppruni hvala, which means “origin of whales.”.
Mike Fortun
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520247505
- eISBN:
- 9780520942615
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520247505.003.0007
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
In the deCODE mass media stories, no one leveraged the saga effect better than Robert Kunzig in his December 1998 piece in Discover, “Blood of the Vikings.” The issue was on U.S. newsstands as the ...
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In the deCODE mass media stories, no one leveraged the saga effect better than Robert Kunzig in his December 1998 piece in Discover, “Blood of the Vikings.” The issue was on U.S. newsstands as the Althingi sped and slogged to its final vote on the Health Sector Database legislation. There is no question that deCODE Genetics, genomics, the 1990s, and Iceland are all subject to the laws of fable, even if such laws should turn out to be unruly, unwritten, or unreadable. Speculation is surely one element of the unruly laws of fable. It involutes a future into the present, complementing the mythic foldings of past into present, generating anticipation; the excitement, thrill, and risk of awaiting the arrival of what might, or might not, come. Ever slow on the uptake, the author learned about how fable crosses with history not from the deCODE events themselves, but from the fable of another expat who returned to Iceland at the same time as deCODE Genetics CEO Kári Stefánsson: Keiko the killer whale, a.k.a. Free Willy.Less
In the deCODE mass media stories, no one leveraged the saga effect better than Robert Kunzig in his December 1998 piece in Discover, “Blood of the Vikings.” The issue was on U.S. newsstands as the Althingi sped and slogged to its final vote on the Health Sector Database legislation. There is no question that deCODE Genetics, genomics, the 1990s, and Iceland are all subject to the laws of fable, even if such laws should turn out to be unruly, unwritten, or unreadable. Speculation is surely one element of the unruly laws of fable. It involutes a future into the present, complementing the mythic foldings of past into present, generating anticipation; the excitement, thrill, and risk of awaiting the arrival of what might, or might not, come. Ever slow on the uptake, the author learned about how fable crosses with history not from the deCODE events themselves, but from the fable of another expat who returned to Iceland at the same time as deCODE Genetics CEO Kári Stefánsson: Keiko the killer whale, a.k.a. Free Willy.
Paul Douglas Lockhart
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199271214
- eISBN:
- 9780191709616
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199271214.003.0011
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
This chapter focuses on the difficult years from Brömsebro to Christian IV's death. Topics covered include the burden of taxes, polarization along economic lines, local government, and Norway and ...
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This chapter focuses on the difficult years from Brömsebro to Christian IV's death. Topics covered include the burden of taxes, polarization along economic lines, local government, and Norway and Iceland under Christian IV.Less
This chapter focuses on the difficult years from Brömsebro to Christian IV's death. Topics covered include the burden of taxes, polarization along economic lines, local government, and Norway and Iceland under Christian IV.
Alexandra Sanmark
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9781474402293
- eISBN:
- 9781474435260
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9781474402293.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Medieval History
Until very recently Viking Age and Old Norse assembly (thing) sites were essentially unknown, apart from a few select sites, such as Thingvellir in Iceland. The Vikings are well-known for their ...
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Until very recently Viking Age and Old Norse assembly (thing) sites were essentially unknown, apart from a few select sites, such as Thingvellir in Iceland. The Vikings are well-known for their violence and pillage, but they also had a well-organised system for political decision-making, legal cases and conflict resolution. Using archaeological evidence, written sources and place-names, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of their legal system and assembly sites, showing that this formed an integral part of Norse culture and identity, to the extent that the assembly institution was brought to all Norse settlements.
Assembly sites are analysed through surveys and case studies across Scandinavia, Scotland and the North Atlantic region. Alexandra Sanmark moves the view of assembly sites away from a functional one to an understanding of the symbolic meaning of these highly ritualised sites, and shows how they were constructed to signify power through monuments and natural features. This original and stimulating study is set not only in the context of the Viking and Norse periods, but also in the wider continental histories of place, assembly and the rhetoric of power.Less
Until very recently Viking Age and Old Norse assembly (thing) sites were essentially unknown, apart from a few select sites, such as Thingvellir in Iceland. The Vikings are well-known for their violence and pillage, but they also had a well-organised system for political decision-making, legal cases and conflict resolution. Using archaeological evidence, written sources and place-names, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of their legal system and assembly sites, showing that this formed an integral part of Norse culture and identity, to the extent that the assembly institution was brought to all Norse settlements.
Assembly sites are analysed through surveys and case studies across Scandinavia, Scotland and the North Atlantic region. Alexandra Sanmark moves the view of assembly sites away from a functional one to an understanding of the symbolic meaning of these highly ritualised sites, and shows how they were constructed to signify power through monuments and natural features. This original and stimulating study is set not only in the context of the Viking and Norse periods, but also in the wider continental histories of place, assembly and the rhetoric of power.
Corinne G. Dempsey
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199860333
- eISBN:
- 9780199919598
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199860333.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter juxtaposes Hindu and Christian strategies for conferring extraordinary abilities onto human bodies. The traditions under consideration, Icelandic Spiritualism and Indian Neo-Vedanta, ...
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This chapter juxtaposes Hindu and Christian strategies for conferring extraordinary abilities onto human bodies. The traditions under consideration, Icelandic Spiritualism and Indian Neo-Vedanta, were similarly formed by their countries’ respective independence struggles during the turn of the last century as well as by scientific frameworks through which both find validation. This use of science emerges from the turn-of-the-century scientific revolution that challenged the existence of religion, met by Spiritualism and Neo-Vedanta not with a rejection of the supernatural but with a softening of the divide between science and religion, matter and spirit. This chapter's juxtaposition illuminates how the similar epistemological, historical, and political forces that shape these traditions are trumped by that which most dramatically distinguishes them: the insistent presence or absence of spirits. Rather than analyzing this presence/absence of spirits as representing yet another layer of social influence, this chapter focuses on the ways practitioners’ differently conceived bodily encounters with the sacred guide their cosmologies and, subsequently, their ethics.Less
This chapter juxtaposes Hindu and Christian strategies for conferring extraordinary abilities onto human bodies. The traditions under consideration, Icelandic Spiritualism and Indian Neo-Vedanta, were similarly formed by their countries’ respective independence struggles during the turn of the last century as well as by scientific frameworks through which both find validation. This use of science emerges from the turn-of-the-century scientific revolution that challenged the existence of religion, met by Spiritualism and Neo-Vedanta not with a rejection of the supernatural but with a softening of the divide between science and religion, matter and spirit. This chapter's juxtaposition illuminates how the similar epistemological, historical, and political forces that shape these traditions are trumped by that which most dramatically distinguishes them: the insistent presence or absence of spirits. Rather than analyzing this presence/absence of spirits as representing yet another layer of social influence, this chapter focuses on the ways practitioners’ differently conceived bodily encounters with the sacred guide their cosmologies and, subsequently, their ethics.
C. T. Sandars
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198296874
- eISBN:
- 9780191685293
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198296874.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, International Relations and Politics
This chapter discusses the U.S. government's efforts to revive wartime agreements after the end of World War II. The U.S. invested much in the construction of a worldwide network of military bases ...
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This chapter discusses the U.S. government's efforts to revive wartime agreements after the end of World War II. The U.S. invested much in the construction of a worldwide network of military bases during the war and felt that it was owed some return on this investment. However, after the war the U.S. was asked to leave its bases in Greenland, Iceland, and the Azores, which were considered as stepping stones across the Atlantic. To address the problem, the U.S. issued a unilateral invitation to several European countries including Portugal, Iceland, and Denmark to join the North Atlantic Treaty in April 1949, paving the way for the return of American forces to Greenland, Iceland, and the Azores in the interest of common defence.Less
This chapter discusses the U.S. government's efforts to revive wartime agreements after the end of World War II. The U.S. invested much in the construction of a worldwide network of military bases during the war and felt that it was owed some return on this investment. However, after the war the U.S. was asked to leave its bases in Greenland, Iceland, and the Azores, which were considered as stepping stones across the Atlantic. To address the problem, the U.S. issued a unilateral invitation to several European countries including Portugal, Iceland, and Denmark to join the North Atlantic Treaty in April 1949, paving the way for the return of American forces to Greenland, Iceland, and the Azores in the interest of common defence.
