{"product_id":"the-predicament-of-privilege-inequality-and-ambivalence-in-contemporary-scandinavian-culture-paperback","title":"The Predicament of Privilege: Inequality and Ambivalence in Contemporary Scandinavian Culture - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDevika Sharma\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eAndrew Nestingen\u003c\/b\u003e (Editor)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eIs privilege a problem? Scandinavians ask, \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003ci\u003eIs this okay?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e--and wrestle with the answer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eA twenty-first century paradox has emerged in contemporary Scandinavian societies: the region's deeply ingrained egalitarian ideals exist uneasily alongside its undeniable global privilege. In \u003ci\u003eThe Predicament of Privilege\u003c\/i\u003e, Devika Sharma examines this tension, exploring how a well-intentioned desire to \"do good\" collides with an unsettling realization: the very structures that enable ethical consumption, charitable donations, and humanitarian action are themselves embedded in a system of exploitation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough an incisive analysis of contemporary Scandinavian cultural texts, \u003ci\u003eThe Predicament of Privilege\u003c\/i\u003e introduces the concept of \u003ci\u003eskeptimentality\u003c\/i\u003e--a pervasive moral ambivalence about virtuous emotions like compassion and generosity. As Sharma demonstrates, this sentiment does not necessarily lead to action but creates a vacuum, leaving privilege-sensitive publics with a crisis of conscience but no clear path forward. Sharma's book challenges both the self-image of Nordic societies and the broader assumptions of humanitarian ethics. A necessary read for scholars, cultural critics, and anyone engaging with the politics of privilege, this book offers a bold new perspective on the unfinished business of equality.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eDevika Sharma\u003c\/b\u003e is associate professor of modern culture at the University of Copenhagen. She is author of \u003ci\u003eAmerikanske fængselsbilleder: Kunst, kultur og indespærring i samtidens USA\u003c\/i\u003e, coeditor of \u003ci\u003eStructures of Feeling: Affectivity and the Study of Culture\u003c\/i\u003e, and editor of the Nordic journal \u003ci\u003eK\u0026amp;K\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 264\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 8.99 x 5.99 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 24, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47685815206109,"sku":"9780295754116","price":68.04,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/9867\/8237\/files\/uNMUBrMuSE9780295754116.webp?v=1774012217","url":"https:\/\/handfulofbooks.com\/products\/the-predicament-of-privilege-inequality-and-ambivalence-in-contemporary-scandinavian-culture-paperback","provider":"Handful of Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}