Nordic Council defends 31 million króna survey

The Nordic Council of Ministers paid just over 31 million krónur for a survey on men’s situation in the Nordic countries, but serious questions have been raised about its reliability in Iceland, mbl.is reports.

Svend Olling, a department head at the council responsible for gender equality, international cooperation, natural resources and culture, told mbl.is that the council initiated the survey. It was conducted by Equimundo and has faced criticism from experts in recent days.

Some had described the findings as a warning for Icelandic society and called for action concerning boys and young men, equality, violence and relationships. The findings were also linked to debate in Iceland and to a case in the United States in which male students at Cornell University were accused of gang rape.

Asked why the report was published despite the survey’s shortcomings, Olling said that questions about sampling, representativeness and methodology are legitimate topics for discussion. He said the council’s office takes the criticism seriously and welcomes scrutiny of the methodology.

However, the council sees no reason to dismiss the findings entirely. Olling said the survey should not be treated as a comprehensive picture of men in the Nordic countries, but as one contribution to knowledge about men’s lives, experiences and attitudes.

The survey has also been criticised in Norway. Jørn Ljunggren, a researcher at OsloMet who studies men and masculinity, told Norwegian outlet VG that the study was so methodologically weak that its findings were almost worthless.

Asked whether the sample could have affected the reliability of the results, Olling said the composition and representativeness of a sample matter when interpreting any survey, and that concerns about this one deserved serious consideration. He said Equimundo was professionally responsible for the survey’s methodology, analysis and findings, and that a detailed assessment of the sample’s effect should be directed to the organisation. He added that the results should generally be considered alongside other research and sources of knowledge.

Iceland’s Centre for Gender Equality has already distanced itself from responsibility for the survey.