Lessons from the Nordic Model of Government and Social Welfare

Eighteen students from Wheelock College, Simmons College, and Cambridge College embarked on a two-week study tour of Sweden, Denmark, and Norway on Saturday May 17, 2014, led by Irwin Nesoff, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Leadership and Policy at Wheelock. Prof. Nesoff’s course, titled “Comparative Social and Government Policies: The Nordic and American Models,” focused on social welfare services and policies and models of citizen participation that have developed in Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

The Nordic model of comprehensive, publicly funded health care and social services, available at low cost to all residents, ranks among the most successful in the world. During this travel-learn-study tour, students experienced first-hand how Scandinavian citizens and officials view their system of social welfare and public policy, learned how these systems are organized, and saw how they work on multiple levels.

Read blog to see a compilation of some student writings during their trip and more photos.