Scandinavian Common Sense

When some claim austerity is the only answer to today’s economic woes, a close look at the best practices in Scandinavia and Finland gives pause for thought. Cited as models for their egalitarian social and health policies, these countries also have thriving economies where the gap dividing rich from poor is smaller than elsewhere. Despite their quasi mythic status, the policies implemented to combat inequalities in health are neither well known nor understood. Policies discussed in Scandinavian Common Sense include education, housing, conciliation of work and family life, daycare, sustainable development and more. For these policies to be part of political debate, be it in Quebec, Canada, the United States or elsewhere, they must be in the public domain. That is the purpose of this book.