Introduction

In terms of international comparisons, the Nordic countries emerge as having the lowest rates of gender inequality. At the same time, they continue to exhibit a long list of well-documented inequalities, ranging from issues of education and work to parenting, health and violence. In recent decades, gender equality has also become a prominent policy area in the Nordic region. As part of Nordic co-operation, the Nordic Council of Ministers regularly finances and publishes reports aimed at providing a basis for the development of gender equality policy in relation to various social challenges. Overall, the reports demonstrate a clear ambition to contribute to policy development on a scientific basis and are usually written by researchers or investigators with gender expertise. In many cases, they contain research reviews on areas such as fatherhood, online misogyny, or gender and education at different levels. Some also detail original scientific studies or other investigations.

In recent years, the concept of masculinity has begun to be referenced repeatedly in such publications. Specifically, it is mentioned and discussed to varying degrees in twelve reports published during the period 2019–2024. But what does it mean that men and masculinity are highlighted in these reports? That is what this text aims to explore. This overall purpose is examined through a number of specific questions:

How are the concepts of men and masculinity used? How does the use of concepts and metaphors – either explicitly or implicitly – relate to current theories and discussions in masculinity research?
How are problems, causes and solutions constructed in discourses about men and masculinity? How do problem formulations relate to the different emphases that research shows often recur in politics focusing on men and masculinity: a focus on the problems men create, the problems men experience, or a focus on differences among men as a group?

The publication has been produced by Nordic Information on Gender (NIKK), which is a collaborative body under the Nordic Council of Ministers based at the University of Gothenburg. The text has been written by Kalle Berggren, Associate Professor of Gender Studies and Senior Lecturer at the Department of Child and Youth Studies, Stockholm University. It is hoped that the publication will provide perspectives on previous initiatives and a basis for how research can guide Nordic gender equality policy going forward.

Materials and methods

The material analysed in this study consists of twelve reports published by the Nordic Council of Ministers between 2019 and 2024. The reports cover topics such as climate (3 reports), education (3), work (2), the internet (2), parenting (1) and health (1). The reports vary in length, between approximately 25 and 175 pages, with the total material consisting of about 1,000 pages. Overall, the reports show a clear ambition for gender equality policy to be based in research. Several of the reports are research reviews or combined surveys of existing studies and practical initiatives within a particular area. In some cases, the reports detail original research or summarise material presented at conferences, including by politicians, researchers and representatives of civil society organisations. In many cases the reports are written by researchers, but investigators and gender equality experts also appear as authors.

In many cases, the reports provide an educational introduction and easily accessible overview of knowledge and initiatives in various areas of gender equality policy. They often aim to contribute policy recommendations based on a research review or survey of various initiatives, and these are aimed at different levels. A common approach taken is to compare policy and practice between the various Nordic countries and then identify best practices, i.e. successful strategies and solutions that can be recommended to other countries.

It should be noted that the purpose of this text is not to re-evaluate the conclusions of the reports or to develop new, better policy recommendations in the specific areas. Instead, the focus is on examining the overall understandings that are brought to the fore through discussions of men and masculinity. However, the prominence of issues pertaining to men and masculinity varies across the reports. In some they are central, such as when the focus is on issues of fatherhood or mental health among young men. In others, norms of masculinity are touched upon briefly within the framework of a more general discussion of gender and inequality.

The material has been analysed qualitatively. The analysis process can be described schematically in five steps (although qualitative analysis work is more iterative in practice).

The reports were read, and paragraphs, arguments and formulations relevant to the research questions identified.
The extracts were compared to identify similarities and differences.
The empirical observations were related to relevant parts of current gender research, particularly regarding politics and masculinity. More specifically, feminist constructivist policy analysis, theoretical and conceptual discussion within masculinity research and a three-part model for analysing emphases in masculinity politics were used.
The text was written. Given the focus on existing understandings of masculinity rather than the specific claims made in each report, the reports are referred to in a semi-anonymised manner: R1–R12 (cf. Hemmings, 2011). However, complete references are provided in the reference list for full transparency.
The results and analysis were discussed with other people. Fredrik Bondestam and Elin Engström at NIKK read the draft, and the preliminary results were presented during the webinar ‘Men and gender equality policies’, organised by the Finnish Council for Gender Equality (Tane) and the Central Association of Men’s Organisations in Finland in May 2025, and at the Nordic masculinity conference ‘Men and Masculinities in Transition’, held at Stockholm University in June 2025.

Outline

The report consists of five parts. This introductory section is followed by a section presenting the theoretical basis of the study. This is followed by two sections of analysis that correspond to the research questions. The first section of analysis deals with the concepts, metaphors and perspectives used in the reports when addressing men and masculinity. The second analysis section focuses on the emphasis or focus of discussions of masculinity within the report material. The concluding section summarises and discusses the results and analysis, and provides examples of issues to be addressed going forward.