New mapping of local study associations and study circles shows major differences across the Nordic countries

Despite common origins in popular movements and a shared focus on education and active citizenship, there are major differences between the Nordic countries when it comes to the organisation and specific activities that take place in local study associations and study circles.

By Malene Thøgersen and Henriette Bjerrum

A new mapping of study associations and study circles in four Nordic countries shows that promoting democracy and active citizenship is a central purpose of public funding in both Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, just as learning and responsibility for one's own life are mentioned in the legal framework of the field in all four countries.

But despite these similarities, the survey also shows that the organisations and areas of society that are organised under the umbrella of local study associations and study circles vary greatly in the Nordic countries.

A significant difference can be seen, for example, in the field of scouting, where leadership training is part of the study associations' activities in Norway, Sweden and Finland, but not in Denmark. Another difference is in the field of sports, where a significant number of leadership and coaching courses are organised in all countries, but only in Norway are these courses run by the study associations.

The countries' organisational structure varies

The mapping was carried out by the Danish Centre for Non-Formal Education in Denmark in collaboration with partners from Norway, Sweden and Finland to create a knowledge base that actors in the field can use for mutual learning and reflection on the different structures and practices that exist across the countries.

As table 1 shows, one of the key differences between the Nordic countries is the organisational structure at the national and local levels and who provides the activities.

In Denmark, it is the local evening schools that provide activities and courses, while in the other countries it is typically the national study associations and their member organisations at national level that are responsible for the actual course activities. Although the national organisations are responsible, the activities take place locally in study circles, local associations or local branches of the study associations.

Evening school activities in Denmark are thus anchored in local associations to a greater extent than in other countries. Denmark is also the only country where the primary public support comes from the municipal level, while the activities in the other countries are predominantly funded by the state.

Table 1: Organisational characteristics of the field in the four countries 

	National level	Local level
Norway	14 approved national study associations.    These national study associations have 509 member organisations – mainly at the national level.    Some of the national study associations are rooted in political parties, others in specific fields (e.g. sport or culture) and others again in religious values.	The organisational structure of the national study associations varies: Some only have a central level, while others also have regional and local organisational levels.     The concrete activities take place in local voluntary associations. The study associations are responsible for distributing grants to the parts of the organisations and the member organisations providing the courses.
Sweden	9 national study associations.   The national  study associations have 235 member organisations.   The national study associations have different ideological roots. Some have roots in political parties, others in religious values or other types of values and activities.	The organisational structure of the national study associations varies.   Some have regional units covering multiple counties, while others have districts and smaller local branches.  The study associations have activities spanning all 290 municipalities.
Finland	11 study centres.    The study centres have 372 member organisations (2023).    The study centres are rooted in different political ideologies, religious values or in specific types of activities or target groups.	Educational cooperation is carried out with different partners. In 2022, educational cooperation was carried out with 1366 different organisational partners.    Apart from the activities provided by the study centres, there are 175 adult education centres, run by municipalities, providing different types of courses.
Denmark	5 approved national study associations.     The national study associations have local member associations providing the activities.      Four of the five national study associations are rooted in political parties while the last one is apolitical.	1080 local study associations in 2017.    Half of the local study associations (47 per cent) are members of one of the five national study associations.    The rest of the local study associations are not members but are approved by the municipalities.

Creative subjects dominate across countries

When it comes to the content of activities, the survey shows that musical, creative and crafts subjects are a common denominator for the sector across the countries.

Creative activities such as knitting, painting, ceramics and woodwork are among the most common subjects in all four countries. The same applies to music and singing, which make up a large part of the course offerings, especially in Sweden.

The mapping suggests that  study associations play a central role in providing adults with opportunities for creative expression. In Norway and Sweden, participation in cultural life and learning about cultural heritage is even specifically mentioned in the purpose descriptions for funding in the field.

But there are also big differences. In Denmark, classes involving exercise and movement make up a large part of study association activities, while in Sweden they do not exist as an activity under the study associations. Another example is that in both Sweden and Finland, study associations are responsible for educational activities for political parties, while this is not the case in Norway and Denmark.

In addition to the contents of the courses, there are differences in the teaching methods. Study circles, where there is not necessarily an actual teacher present, are still a central form of teaching in Sweden, while in the other countries, classroom teaching is less common.

The level of activity varies

When it comes to the level of activity in study associations, there are also big differences. Table 2 shows an overview of the number of inhabitants per teaching hour in the four countries in 2022.

The activity level in Denmark and Norway is roughly at the same level with about 5 inhabitants per teaching hour, while the level is higher in both Sweden and Finland. In Finland, however, the vast majority of activities take place in the municipal adult education centres, while the activity level in study centres, which are part of civil society, is low compared to the other countries.

When comparing activity levels, however, it is important to remember that the definition of the area varies across the countries.

Table 2: Number of study hours across the four countries 

	Overview of study hours	Number of inhabitants per study hour
Norway	Study hours: 1,030,457 (2022)	National study associations: 5.3 inhabitants per study hour
Sweden	Study circles: 4,318,900 study hours (2022)    Other popular education activities: 938,700 study hours (2022)	Study circles: 2.4 inhabitants per study hour   Other popular education activities: 11.1 inhabitants per study hour
Finland	Study hours: 218,764 (2022)     Local adult education centres: 2,716,770 study hours (2019)	National study centres: 25.4 inhabitants per study hour   Adult education centres: 2 inhabitants per study hour
Denmark	Study hours in study associations within the five national study associations: 1,230,000 (2022)	Local study associations within the five national study associations: 4.8 inhabitants per study hour

The numbers are calculated on the basis of information in the country reports and the number of inhabitants in each country (2022).  

Another interesting difference across countries is the geographical patterns in activity levels, with Denmark and Sweden in particular representing two different trends. In Denmark, activity levels are highest in the larger urban municipalities, while the rural areas have the highest activity levels in Sweden when the population is taken into account.

An opportunity to reflect on your own practice?

Both the national differences in the way the area is defined and organised and the large differences in available statistical material across countries mean that there are some limitations in making a comparative analysis.

Despite these reservations, the mapping’s concrete descriptions of how the field is organised in the other countries may still provide an opportunity to reflect on the different models in the field.

The mapping clearly shows that there are many different ways of organising the field, and similarly, there are different models for financial support.

Although the individual models have been established on the basis of a long history in the respective countries, there may still be areas where inspiration can be drawn from the other countries - for example, the descriptions of the different ways of organising can make it clearer what the advantages and disadvantages of the different models may be.

At the same time, the results raise some concrete and practical questions. For example, why is it easier to maintain activity levels in rural Sweden than in Denmark? Why is it easier for Norwegian study organisations to attract men and younger participants? And are there lessons to be learnt across the countries when it comes to creating coherence between the overall purpose descriptions and the evening schools' practices?