Stein Rokkan: A Man of Several Worlds

Stein Rokkan (1921-1979) introduced the concepts of ’centre and periphery’ and ’counterculture’. He also formulated the idea that ’votes count but resources decide’ in elections. Rokkan was a founder of Norwegian social science, who became a world leader in the discipline. This biography offers an intimate portrait of the scientist and the man. Born in Lofoten and raised in Narvik, he rapidly became a star talent at Oslo University. He was courted by the great American universities, and universities in Manchester, London, and Paris, but opted to stay in Bergen, accepting only sporadic visiting professorships. Rokkan was a powerhouse in the political science discipline, especially in the relatively new field of comparative politics. When he died in 1979, aged only 58, his contribution drew praise from all sides; he had become a role model, the epitome of the international scholar. Who was he?