A comparative Study of the Scandinavian Development Cooperation Policies : Evaluating and Contrasting the Similarities and Differences between Denmark, Norway and Sweden

Abstract: This paper examines the development cooperation policies of the Scandinavian countries, namely Denmark, Norway and Sweden. It aims to provide a more detailed understanding of the similarities and differences between the three countries in conducting development cooperation. The term of development cooperation is almost synonymous with aid programs or more specifically with Official Development Assistance / ODA while also being a broader concept covering many support mechanisms. Thus, a central concern in this study is to investigate the aid volume, focus areas, geographic allocations, institutional structure and objectives of the Scandinavian countries as well as explore the policy reasons from theoretical perspectives and models. The research is conducted according to John Mill's method of difference as the researched countries are highly similar in development level and aid provision. Possible theories of the thesis are neorealism and sociological institutionalism which are proven effective in analyzing the foreign policies and understanding state behaviors in International Relations. The political culture and models of foreign policy analysis branch are also involved for providing a broader scope. The research results show that although these three countries are very similar in many aspects, they have also some differences in their policy objectives and strategies. The reasons are various, be it power aspirations, cultural differences or simply the values.