Swedish, Nordic, European: The journey of a ‘model’ to abolish prostitution

Abstract

In presenting the increasing global popularity and application of the ‘Swedish model', this chapter shows how key ideas underpinning it evolved and were adapted over time, and how currently the adoption of its multiple interpretations is pursued by countries with limited or no proximity and little socio-economic, political, and social welfare resemblance to the Nordic region. In its multiple redefinitions as Swedish, Nordic, pan-European, end demand, or equality ‘model' it has acquired potent symbolic capital globally, serving as a tool of convergence and consensus for the many who ascribe to it a superior moral status and who view it as the solution to the ‘problem of prostitution'. The precedent for prostitution policy conformity in modern Europe takes us back to the 19th century, when the widespread optimism about the effectiveness of regulationism resulted in the containment and regulation of prostitution across many European cities.