Examines the Nordic aspect of J.R.R. Tolkien's work, especially The Lord of the Rings. The course concentrates on the Nordic saga tradition, mythology, folklore and fairy tales Tolkien used as his sources. Students will explore the transformations of these sources from prehistoric times to contemporary cinematic adaptations, while paying special attention to cultural appropriations, national revisions, and political alterations. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
Provides a comprehensive introduction to modern Nordic culture and society. Surveys the history of Nordic countries and examines their culture using art, architecture, literature, and film. Studies social issues, environmental concerns, and political patterns. In profiling aspects of culture and society unique to Nordic countries, students arrive at a conception of a collective Nordic identity. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: contemporary societies.
Examines the social, cultural, technological, and artistic backgrounds of the Viking experience, charting the history of the period both within the Nordic region and Europe as well as North America. Additionally, looks at some of the lasting influences of the Vikings on Western civilization. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: historical context.
Provides insight into cultural adaptations, political struggles and social transformations taking place in the contemporary Nordic world. Subjects treated vary according to current developments in the region, student interest and faculty availability.
Explores contemporary Nordic culture and society with special focus on Iceland. Emphasis is on the relationship between historical, geographic, artistic, and political forces in Iceland and their effects on culture and society. Provides insight into the life and attitudes of contemporary Icelanders and stresses their place in the global culture of today. Taught in English. Recommended prereq., SCAN 2201. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: contemporary societies.
Surveys the mythology and heathen cult practices of the Old Norse world. Students learn to read mythological texts and study the major gods (Odin, Thor, Frey and Freyja, among others), along with other mythological beings. The course examines and evaluates evidence for beliefs and cult practices in texts, art, archeological finds, and other sources. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
Examines the Nordic region's influence on social realism, expressionism, and postwar literature, including such themes as women in society, nature and industrialization, and identity and angst. May include works by Ibsen, Strindberg, Dinesen, and Nobel Prize winners Lagerlof, Hamsun, Undset, and Lagerkvist. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
Advanced introduction to medieval Icelandic saga with readings in the family, outlaw, skald, and legendary sagas as well as the main scholarly approaches to this unique literature. Topics include honor, blood feud, fate, sexuality/gender, oral composition, and legend. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
Introduces the rich tradition of Scandinavian oral narrative. Looks at relationships between the various genres of oral narrative and their historical, social, and cultural contexts. Genres studied may include ballad, fairy tale, rural legend, and urban legend. Explores various interpretive methodologies. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
Examines Nordic colonial enterprise and the relationship between the Scandinavian center and colonial peripheries from the Arctic to the Caribbean, Africa, and India. Studies colonial and postcolonial cultures, and postcolonial criticism and theory. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.
Examines the role and status of women and marginalized social classes in the Nordic countries, whose societies have been heralded as egalitarian models since the twentieth century. Texts include a variety of media, from literature to sociological works to artifacts of political and popular culture. Taught in English. Same as WMST 3208. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: human diversity.
Advanced introduction to contemporary Nordic literature and film. Readings/screenings of recent translated Nordic texts and films, presenting a broad spectrum of contemporary issues, along with current critique and theoretical approaches. Topics: history, culture, translation, gender/sexuality, nationalidentity, minority issues, etc. Taught in English.
Examines the current rise of National Socialists, white supremacists, ethnic separatists, anti-Islam activists, and social and cultural ultraconservatives in northern Europe. Treats extremist nationalism as a social, cultural, aesthetic, intellectual and political movement. Consults scholarship from sociology, criminology, and political science, as well as music, literature, art and film. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: ideals and values. Same as IAFS 3630.
Examines the many contributions of Scandinavian dramatists to world theater from the 18th century to the present. With emphasis on Holberg, Bjornson, Ibsen, Strindberg, and Bjorneboe, surveys Enlightenment comedy, national romanticism, realism, naturalism, symbolism, expressionism, and Brechtian epic theater. Taught in English. Approved for arts and sciences core curriculum: literature and the arts.
