Research on migration in the Nordic countries often frames diversity as starting post-1960s (3, 21), when international migration from outside of Western Europe was seen to challenge the social cohesion of these supposedly homogeneous countries; therefore, as societal security is often understood as strengthened through cultural homogeneity, migrants are often depicted as a potential threat (2-3, 21). However, as this edited book Undoing Homogeneity in the Nordic Region: Migration, Difference,

more »

... nd the Politics of Solidarity clearly illustrates, this narrative ignores the indigenous Sámi and national minorities that have been residing in the region, who historically have been framed by the state as problematic, resulting in harsh assimilation policies and repression to maintain an image of homogeneity. The editors Suvi Keskinen, Professor and Academy Research Fellow in the Centre for Research on Ethnic Relations and Nationalism (CEREN) at the University of Helsinki; Unnur Dís Skaptadóttir, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Iceland; and Mari Toivanen, Academy of Finland Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Swedish School of Social Science, University of Helsinki, effectively disrupt the narrative of homogeneity through this interdisciplinary book with chapters focusing on the indigenous Sámi, national minorities, and migrant groups side-by-side. This starting point highlights crucial parallels between treatment of these groups, illustrates that notions of a homogeneous nation were achieved through repression and assimilation, and leads us to new questions relating to solidarity. The book is a Nordic anthology, which is divided into three parts, totaling 12 chapters. Part 1 is unified through histories of homogeneity and difference and lays a strong foundation to frame the book. These chapters illustrate how 'national mythmaking' (47) is a storytelling process that includes some groups while excluding others, and where old cultural and ethnic diversity were conveniently excluded from the narrative when new cultural diversity post-1960s took place (30). Part 2 addresses the governing and negotiating of differences in the present day. These chapters highlight how minorities are problematized and