Fall 2018 Courses Offered in the Department of Scandinavian Studies:
HIS-219: Scandinavia Since 1800
Associate Professor Glenn Kranking
MWF, 11:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
Poor, socially stratified, politically autocratic, internationally insignificant are words which accurately describe Scandinavia in the early 19th century. Prosperous, egalitarian, democratic, internationally significant are words which accurately describe Scandinavia today. What happened in Scandinavia to allow us to alter the description so radically? To answer this question will be a purpose of this course.
SCA-244: Special Topics: Ingmar Bergman and His World
Associate Professor Kjerstin Moody
MW, 2:30-4:20 p.m.
This course will focus on the cinematic, stage, and literary works of Swedish filmmaker, theater director, and writer Ingmar Bergman, one of the foremost directors of Western cinema from the mid to the close of the twentieth century. Bergman’s work is largely known for its asking of questions of a philosophical and existential nature, often centering on humanistic topics such as love, loss, faith, fallibility, passion, and, sometimes, even, ecstatic joy. Over the course of the semester together we will consider the questions and topics his works offer us, and, following his narratives, his mind, and his eye, contemplate them together.
SWE-101: Swedish I
Section: -001, Associate Professor Kjerstin Moody
MTWF, 9:00-9:50 a.m.
Section: -002, Instructor David Jessup
MTWF, 10:30-11:20 a.m.
Section: -003, Associate Professor Ursula Lindqvist
MTWF, 1:30-2:20 p.m.
This course introduces 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. Language materials include textbook, short stories, and film. Weekly tests and quizzes are given. The course is designed for students with no previous knowledge of Swedish.
SWE-201: Intermediate Swedish I
Associate Professor Kjerstin Moody
MTWF, 10:30-11:20 a.m.
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, TV and radio programs and films about modern Swedish culture. After successful completion of SWE-201, students will qualify for study in Sweden, if desired.
SWE-301: Swedish Conversation and Composition
Associate Professor Ursula Lindqvist
MWF, 12:30-1:20 p.m.
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. In this course, students will further improve their reading, speaking, and writing skills through discussion, grammar and written assignments, and in-class presentations. Required of all Scandinavian Studies majors and minors and also open to students with the necessary background in Swedish.
Two First Term Seminars with a Nordic focus:
FTS-100-190: Nordic Explorers
Associate Professor Glenn Kranking
MTWF, 9:00-9:50 a.m.
This seminar introduces students to critical thinking and a discussion of values, and develops oral and written communication skills, through an investigation of Nordic exploration. Scandinavians since the Viking Age have gone around the world as explorers, seeking adventure, economic benefits, and scientific understanding. They encountered many different civilizations and faced off against nature, gaining greater understanding of the world in which we live. This course will focus on explorers heading to North America, Africa, the South Pole, and even into space, in order to address issues of cross cultural contact and environmentalism, as recorded through oral traditions and memoirs.
FTS-100-190: Nordic Fairy Tales
Associate Professor Ursula Lindqvist
MTWF, 9:00-9:50 a.m.
This seminar introduces students to critical thinking and a discussion of values, and develops oral and written communication skills, through an investigation of how childhood is depicted in Nordic folk and fairy tales. This seminar will explore narratives written primarily for and/or about children and childhood, with a focus on well-known folk tales from throughout the Nordic region and the fairy tales of Danish storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. We will consider the origins of the tales, analyze their staying power, and explore their global reach.