Welfare Becomes Punishment: Penal Nationalism in Danish Social Policy.

This article examines how "penal nationalism" influenced Danish social policy in the 2000s through the introduction of Parenting and Youth Orders (PYOs), which integrated penal measures into welfare provisions targeting ethnic minority families, particularly those from Muslim-majority countries. Originating from local practices such as the Helsingør municipality’s sanctions against Roma families, PYOs imposed economic penalties and behavioral requirements on parents and youth to enforce compliance with Danish societal norms, reflecting a form of "indirect welfare chauvinism." The study challenges the notion of the Nordic welfare state as universally egalitarian by highlighting how punitive instruments have been embedded within social policy to regulate marginalized groups, thereby protecting the perceived fragility of the Danish welfare state. This case illustrates a broader trend of merging penal, social, and integration policies aimed at responsibilizing ethnic minorities and preserving national identity within welfare governance.