Scandinavian Studies and Swedish (SCA, SWE)

The interdepartmental program in Scandinavian Studies is designed to acquaint students with different aspects of Scandinavian culture and society. In addition to offering a three-year curriculum in Swedish, the program includes regular courses, taught in English, that deal with Scandinavian history, masterworks in Scandinavian literature, and Scandinavian film, as well as interdisciplinary courses focusing on specific Nordic countries and Scandinavian American ethnic culture.

The Department of Scandinavian Studies encourages its students to study abroad in one of the Scandinavian countries. Nearly all student majors and most minors will spend one or two semesters at a Scandinavian university or college. Study abroad in the Nordic countries is also recommended for other students who have a more general interest.

Gustavus currently has exchange programs in Sweden with the University of Uppsala, the Mora Folk High School, and Växjö University. Close connections exist with the folk high school in Jönköping. In addition, study opportunities can be arranged in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, or Norway for students interested in those countries.

In 2009, the College initiated a Gustavus Semester in Sweden Program. Led by Gustavus faculty members, students in this program will stay at different locations in Sweden and take courses in different disciplines. A listing of the courses taught regularly through this program appears at the end of the section.

Major:

Nine courses in Scandinavian studies including: Three courses in Swedish above SWE-102, including SWE-301, and six courses chosen from the Scandinavian studies listings below, from advanced language courses, or from approved courses taken at Scandinavian institutions. Majors are required to take at least three Level III courses. (Swedish is the only Scandinavian language offered at the College. Students wishing to use Danish or Norwegian as their language base must have the equivalent of three courses above the 102 level from an American institution or from approved institutions in Denmark and Norway.)

Minor:

Six courses approved by a departmental advisor. Students may choose one of two paths leading to a minor: a) four courses of Swedish language study plus two other courses in Scandinavian studies; b) two courses of Swedish language study plus four other courses in Scandinavian studies.

Swedish Language Courses (SWE)

101,102 Beginning Swedish I, II (1 course, 1 course) These two courses introduce students to the Swedish language and important aspects of modern Swedish society. Students learn to speak, read, and write Swedish through pronunciation practice, conversation, and grammar study. Readings include textbook selections, young people’s literature, and some modern Swedish short stories. Instructional films are also used. Offered annually.

201, 202 Intermediate Swedish I, II (1 course, 1 course) A continuation of SWE-102, these courses are designed to help students strengthen their Swedish conversation skills and improve their writing and reading abilities. Students will read modern Swedish literary texts and will also discuss articles and films about breakthroughs in modern Swedish culture. After successful completion of SWE-201, students will qualify for study in Sweden, if desired. Prerequisite: SWE-102 or the consent of the instructor. Offered annually.

301 Conversation and Composition: Swedish Short Story (1 course) This combination of beginning literature and advanced language course introduces students to the social and psychological themes expressed by writers of modern Swedish short fiction. Many of these writers are recent immigrants to Sweden. In this course, students will further improve their reading, speaking, and writing skills through discussion, written assignments, in-class presentations, and outside reports. Required of all Scandinavian Studies majors and minors and also open to students with the necessary background in Swedish. Prerequisite: SWE-202 or the consent of the instructor. Fall semester.

344 Topics in Swedish Literature and Culture (1 course) These courses focus on prominent representatives of Swedish culture or selected themes and ideas in Swedish cultural life. Topics included in recent years: Vilhelm Moberg and working class literature, Swedish crime fiction, Swedish women writers, the child in Swedish literature and film, and Sweden today and how news media present it. Prerequisite: SWE-301 or consent of instructor. Spring semester.

291, 391 Independent Study (Course value to be determined) Students with an adequate reading knowledge of a Scandinavian language concentrate on one chosen area: language, literature, history, art, etc. Instructor’s permission required. Fall and Spring semesters.

Scandinavian Studies Courses (SCA)

100 Scandinavian Life and Culture (1 course) How do the five Scandinavian countries differ from one another? What have they contributed to European culture? This course will answer these questions by surveying the history, literature, art, and philosophies of the Scandinavian peoples. Students will hear lectures on developments and issues in Scandinavia from the Middle Ages to the modern welfare state and will read works of fiction that reflect life and thought in Scandinavia. Sample topics might be: pagan mythology and the Vikings, the Icelandic saga, the life of Linnaeus, Scandinavian emigration, the Scandinavian welfare state, Scandinavia and the European Union, and Scandinavian feature films. LARS, HIPHI, Spring semester.

115 Hans Cristian Andersen and His World (1 course) This is a survey of 19th century Scandinavian literature, with Hans Christian Andersen as the pivotal figure. Students will read about romanticism and folk tales and study realism and social reform writers. Andersen and his fairy tales are a transition between these trends. The study of Andersen per se will take about forty percent of the course. Other major authors are the dramatists Henrik Ibsen and August Strindberg and the novelist Selma Lagerlöf. Significant women writers are included, and the role of women in Scandinavia is an important course theme. LARS, WRITI, offered occasionally.

117 Henrik Ibsen and Norwegian Literature (1 course) Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) is as dominant a cultural figure in Norway as William Shakespeare is in England. In this course, we will examine why Ibsen has been called the most Norwegian of all Norwegian writers, in spite of the fact that most of his famous plays are very international and were actually written during the 25 years he lived abroad. Though Ibsen will play a prominent role in the course, we will study other writers from different periods as well. We will read excerpts from St. Olaf’s Saga by Snorri Sturlasson and some major works by the Nobel Prize winners Sigrid Undset and Knut Hamsun, as well as contemporary novels and short stories. LARS, Spring semester, even years.

234 Scandinavian Film (1 course) Several Scandinavian filmmakers have reached international fame from the silent era when Victor Sjöström, Mauritz Stiller, and Carl Dreyer were important innovators, through the long hegemony of Ingmar Bergman, to today when Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, and Icelandic films have attained much recognition. In this course we will view and discuss the artistic merits and social significance of some major films of the silent era, and we will examine the Bergman canon, as well as well as some of the most recent films in Scandinavia. WRITD, Spring semester, odd years.

236 Finland: East and West (1 course) Where did the Finns come from? Are they Scandinavians? Do they have a culture of their own? This course will answer these questions by studying the traditional differences between eastern and western Finland. We also will consider Finland’s relations with Sweden and Russia. The first half of the course will concentrate on ancient Finnish folklore and mythology, the origins of the Finns, and their struggle for a national identity. The second half deals with life in modern Finland and Finns in America. Literary texts are included, e.g., Kalevala and The Unknown Soldier. Study also includes the Sami and the Åland Islands. LARS, HIPHI, WRITI, offered occasionally.

244, 344 Special Topics in Scandinavian Studies (1 course) This course provides in-depth study of varied aspects of Scandinavian life and culture. Topics will depend on visiting staff specializations. Offered occasionally.

377 August Strindberg (1 course) A hundred years after his death, August Strindberg (1849–1912) is still often called “the most modern of all Scandinavian writers.” A modernizer and innovator he was, a prolific playwright, novelist, poet, and outspoken social critic. He was admired, cursed, condemned, and emulated by his contemporaries, and in every decade since his death new writers call upon the master for inspiration and ideas. In this course, students will become acquainted with Strindberg and his times by reading his major plays and some of his autobiographical and polemical writings and by examining how contemporary Scandinavian writers and filmmakers have been influenced by him. LARS, WRITD, Spring semester, odd years.

The following courses are offered by the Department of History: (see History section for course descriptions)

• HIS-218 Scandinavia to 1800
• HIS-219 Scandinavia since 1800

The following courses are offered through the Gustavus Semester in Sweden Program:

221 The Sami: The Indigenous People of the North (1 course) Students will live in Jokkmokk in Swedish Samiland for a major part of this course. In Jokkmokk, they will be in daily contact with Sami students and participate in Sami activities. In early February, they will attend the traditional Sami Winter Fair, a weeklong event that has been held annually since the early 1600s. NWEST, Spring semester.

222 People and Politics (1 course) A course on Swedish politics and public policies, taught by Lennart Sacrédeus, member of the Swedish parliament and former member of the EU parliament. Students will examine contemporary political issues in Sweden and the positions vis-à-vis the EU taken by Sweden and the other Nordic counties. The course will have two venues, Mora and Stockholm. While in Mora, students will have classroom instruction and also experience politics and public policy in action on a regional level. The second phase of this course will take place in Stockholm where students will visit the parliament and other governmental and public institutions. SOSCI, Spring semester.

223 The Study of Nature/The Natural Environment (1 course) In this course, taught at different locations and with different instructors and lecturers, students will survey Sweden’s achievements in the natural sciences, receive formal instruction in glacial geology—with field research—and study current environmental laws and policies. Daniel Lundberg, who has a doctorate in chemistry from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Uppsala), will introduce students to the academic study of science in Uppsala, a city with major research universities, and present well-known Swedish scientists and their achievements. Linnaeus, Celsius, Scheele, Nobel, Ångström, Arrhenius, and Klein are among the scientists introduced. Mark Johnson, a former professor of geology at Gustavus and currently on the faculty at Göteborg University, will discuss research in his professional field, the earth sciences, focusing on glacial geology. Students will also learn about Swedish laws and public policies aimed at preserving the natural environment. NASP, Spring semester.