Jul 31 2026
Faroe Islanders have a very strong sense of a distinct national identity, which has only grown stronger over the years as the Faroe Islands, under the home-rule arrangement, have become increasingly autonomous and less dependent on financial support from outside. No Faroese person doubts the fact that he or she is not “Danish,” but first …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2026/07/31/the-future-of-the-faroe-islands-after-secession/
Jul 24 2026
In small societies – like small towns, villages, tight-knit subcultures, family businesses, professional niches – social control is mostly informal. Reputation, gossip, approval, and exclusion matter more than formal law. These factors shape people and businesses in distinct ways. By Elin Brimheim Heinesen How Social Control Works in Small Societies People have a high visibility …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2026/07/24/social-control-in-small-societies/
Oct 04 2025
This article seeks to answer the following questions: What does it mean for a society to be patriarchal? How does a patriarchal mindset shape our gender roles from childhood? How does this mindset manifest in close relationships? Why is there such a strong attachment to “performative masculinity,” even though it harms both men and women? …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2025/10/04/how-patriarchy-shapes-us-all/
Oct 02 2025
Most people (in the Faroe Islands) agree that there are special difficult circumstances where exceptions can be made and permission should be granted for abortion. Therefore this question is being asked: So why not make a law that allows abortion because of those difficult circumstances? Why not make a law on exceptions instead of a …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2025/10/02/should-the-law-allow-free-abortion-or-only-allow-exceptional-cases/
Mar 29 2025
Fifty years of Reaganomics—laissez-faire vulture capitalism and neoliberalism—has resulted in the massive wealth gap we see today between the rich and poor in the USA and in other countries. Trillions in tax revenue have been lost due to deregulation and the dismantling of checks and balances in the system. This shift has handed disproportionate power …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2025/03/29/trickle-down-economics-doesnt-work/
Mar 28 2025
PRESENTATION ABOUT WOMEN IN MUSIC held at the G! Festival 2024 in Gøta, Faroe Islands, by Elin Brimheim Heinesen – an old-timer on the Faroese music scene, born in 1958 and started performing music publicly in 1974 when she was 16 years old: WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES FEMALE ARTISTS FACE? I will be speaking to …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2025/03/28/the-gender-gap-in-the-music-industry/
Mar 12 2025
As anti-feminist sentiments regain popularity, understanding the psychological background of these attitudes becomes crucial. They often stem not from genuine hatred of women, but from identity threats and fears related to changing societal norms. Only by recognising this can we change these attitudes, demonstrating that feminism is a means of promoting well-being and equality for …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2025/03/12/why-feminism-scares-men/
Feb 05 2025
Pay people proper wages – with pensions and vacation pay – for working at home, taking care of the house, and providing care for children and elderly parents. Then many would undoubtedly choose to stay home and do this important work, which is so incredibly valuable to society – not least according to those who …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2025/02/05/salary-for-being-a-homemaker/
Nov 08 2024
Recently, the conflicts between the genders seem to have intensified following the announcement of the results of the American election, which triggered a tsunami of misogynistic rhetoric online. Trump’s and the conservative Republican Party’s takeover in the USA is perceived as a significant setback for equality, leaving particularly many women, as well as minority groups, …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/11/08/why-we-have-gender-wars/
Oct 30 2024
The war between Israel and Hamas stirs many emotions among people and has, in many ways, created division among the Faroese, who have differing opinions on what is currently happening in the Gaza Strip. In online debates, it seems that people just dig into their trenches, uncompromisingly shooting at each other. The disagreement serves as …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/10/30/is-it-possible-to-feel-sorry-for-the-palestinians-without-being-anti-semitic/
Sep 24 2024
Dear Russel, Let me say right away, I’m not one to mock your newfound passion. If your love for Christianity is genuine, and you truly have a desire to become a better person, then this might be the right path for you to follow. You certainly seem convinced that the Bible holds the key to …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/09/24/open-letter-to-a-former-drug-addict-turned-born-again-christian/
Aug 13 2024
If there’s one thing most people don’t seem to understand about how money works that I think would really help governments work better in the 21st century, it’s that money does not flow in the way we perceive it does. It’s an illusion. What money actually does is pop into and out of existence in …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/08/13/how-money-is-born-out-of-public-spending-and-dies-by-taxes/
Aug 10 2024
I have nearly lived for 66 years now. Looking back, it can be established that I have lived a very colourful life, both for better and worse. When you live this long, you can’t avoid facing some challenges along the way. If I hadn’t had friends to help me get back on my feet, I …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/08/10/friends-are-crucial-for-quality-of-life/
Jul 20 2024
Read the whole presentation – click this link: Presentation held at G! Festival 2024: WOMEN IN MUSIC The Gender Gap in the Music Industry – What are the Challenges Female Artists Face? The presentation is about: women in music the gender gap in the music industry the challenges female artists face what can be …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/07/20/presentation-held-at-g-festival-2024-women-in-music/
Jul 12 2024
In continuation of the debate about the lack of female representation at festivals in the Faroe Islands and elsewhere, many wonder why it should even be a problem. Why the heck should everything be turned into a question of gender? Isn’t it all just about good music? The desire for more female musicians on stage …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/07/12/are-women-less-musical-than-men/
Jun 27 2024
Let’s discuss a topic that often leads to contention in the political arena: taxation, particularly when it involves property taxes and imposing higher taxes on the wealthy. Is this advantageous or disadvantageous for society? In this article, I will argue that requiring the wealthy to pay more in taxes, such as property taxes, it would …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/06/27/can-higher-taxes-ensure-more-and-cheaper-housing/
May 16 2024
Jóannes Heinesen – also known as Jóannes á Lofti or simply Beiggi (Brother) – was born on 7th April 1930 and passed away at the Sýnini nursing home in Miðvágur on Sunday, 21st April 2024, exactly two weeks after his family celebrated his 93rd birthday. Jóannes inherited the family farm from his grandfather, Petur Heinesen …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/05/16/in-memory-of-my-uncle-joannes-heinesen-sheep-farmer-from-sandavagur/
May 12 2024
Let me say this straight away. I support freedom of choice – meaning women should have the right to decide whether to carry a pregnancy to term or not. This doesn’t mean I believe abortion is good or an ideal solution, as the best scenario would naturally be for women to completely avoid situations where …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/05/12/should-women-be-forced-to-undergo-unwanted-pregnancies/
Apr 17 2024
What does a young 17-year-old Faroese maid in a small village in the Faroe Islands in 1916 have to do with a revolutionary new urine-based cleaning fluid for diesel engines? By Elin Brimheim Heinesen in Berlingske Tidende, Section 4, Sunday, 16 December 2001 On 28 September, 2001, one of the world’s leading scientific journals, New …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/04/17/what-a-load-of-piss/
Mar 05 2024
In our patriarchal society, age-old norms still dictate how men and women are supposed to be. Traditional ideas about gender influence us to expect men to be strong and stoic. Boys are told throughout their upbringing that “real men don’t cry!” and are mocked if they show weakness. The worst thing a boy can hear …
Permanent link to this article: https://heinesen.info/wp/en/blog/2024/03/05/womansplaining-the-so-called-masculinity-crisis/
