Scandinavian Urban Studies Term
Fall Semester
In less than fifty years, Norway moved from being one of the poorest and most homogenous countries in Europe to one of the richest in the world with a population that is increasingly multicultural. Twenty-five percent of Oslo residents, for example, are not of ethnic Norwegian background. The Scandinavian Urban Studies Term investigates the dramatic changes of Northern Europe by critically analyzing the development of the Norwegian welfare state through a wide range of topics such as globalization theories, nation-building and national identity, governance and political party systems, European integration, racial thinking, histories of racialization, international aid politics, sexuality, and environmentalism. The topical organization of the program is cumulative and deliberately contradictory, illuminating the international relevance of the Scandinavian case study. All seminars, lectures and readings are in English.
Questions that guide analysis and exploration throughout the program are:
- How has national identity in Norway been shaped and reflected by art, film, literature and social movements?
- How have art, film, literature and social movements reproduced and/or challenged conventional understandings of what it means to be Norwegian?
- What are the contemporary challenges and opportunities for the Scandinavian welfare states in general and the Norwegian social democracy in particular?
- How does the form of a welfare state relate to its ability to foster a multicultural society?
- How might the Scandinavian welfare states adapt to the challenges of multiculturalism, European integration and globalization?
Students will be equipped to answer these questions using tools from their local environment. In addition to course work, meetings with political parties and community organizations in the program’s home base of Oslo give students firsthand insight into policy-making and community organizing in Norway. Students also intern for four to six hours each week with a leading NGO, placing them on the front lines of political, social, and cultural debates in contemporary Norway. A nine-day field trip to Copenhagen, Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden, illuminates the similarities and differences among the Scandinavian states, particularly in their responses to globalization and migration. As a result of their analysis of the Scandinavian context, students are equipped to think critically about their experience in the United States.
Affiliation, location, and language
Based in Oslo, Norway, a compact, increasingly multicultural city nestled between the Oslo Fjord and mountains, the Scandinavian Urban Studies Term is associated with the University of Oslo. Classes are held on campus, with comparative field study in selected regions of Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Optional Norwegian language study offers deeper insight into Norwegian culture. All seminars, lectures and readings are in English.
| To view additional photos, see homemade video documentaries about Norway, and to read reflections from a student currently participating in the program, please take a few extra moments to visit Andrew's SCANDINAVIA BLOG. |
Hands-On Experience
Seminars include a variety of experiential projects outside the classroom where students interact with diverse groups including politicians, community activists, university faculty, and immigrants. In addition to seminars and field excursions, students spend approximately four hours each week at a volunteer placement working at one of a variety of government and community organizations. For examples of the types of placements available see the link below.
Example Volunteer Placements
Courses and Credits
The Scandinavian Welfare States in an Age of Globalization
2 course credits / 8 credit hours
Scandinavian Art, Film, and Literature
1 course credit / 4 credit hours
Norwegian Language or Independent Study Project
1 course credit / 4 credit hours
Total: 4 course credits / 16 credit hours
The four courses are taken as an integrated whole and provide the equivalent of a semester’s worth of credit, i.e. 4 course credits, 16 semester hours or 27 trimester credits.
Faculty
Margareta Dancus, Ph.D. (University of Washington-Seattle)
Of special note
Students with prior Norwegian language study who choose to continue will be placed in a Norwegian class by exam. Those interested in intensive language learning (at any level) should consider enrolling in the International Summer School in Oslo and then continuing study during the fall semester with HECUA.
Housing is located in a student village near the campus which is a shared living space with Norwegian and other foreign students. Students buy and cook their food with a monthly food stipend. One brief home stay is arranged during the term.
Opportunities for personal travel include visits to other parts of Scandinavia and Europe during breaks and upon program completion.
For more about the program fee, dates or other specific application information please visit the General Program Information page.
Scholarships
Among the various scholarship resources for HECUA students planning to participate in the SUST and DSE program are the following. Please check with your off-campus study office for more opportunites.
The Lakselaget Foundation; scholarship amount is $1,000.
The Sons of Norway Foundation has a King Olav V Norwegian-American Heritage Fund; scholarship amount ranges from $1,000 - $1,500.
Scholarship eligibility and deadline information can be found by clicking on the links above. Please contact the foundations directly with questions.
| Program Documentation |
| Sample Syllabus |
| Learn More About Scandinavia |
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