Investigation of selected authors, topics, or problems. Variable subject matter; see departmental announcement for description.

Traditionally the department might have offered a course on “The Artist of the North,” focusing on the (often aberrant) psychology, cultural standing, or near-divine giftedness of the bard, writer or painter within his (usually his) cultural milieu. This seminar aims to shift focus in order to examine the concept of “cultural worker” as it evolved in the Scandinavian welfare states, considering works of literature, theater, films, journalism, and other cultural artefacts in light of their meta-representations of cultural workers and their work. In addition to reading about the theory and history of cultural work and studying representations of cultural work(ers), we will hear from people who perform cultural work in Scandinavia today, many of whom have direct connection to our department. At the same time, we will perform our own meta-work of thinking about how doctoral candidates in a department like ours can and have become cultural workers of various kinds: professors, yes. But also editors, translators, consultants on game design and films, grant-writers, administrators of universities, foundations and museums, and more. We will hear from some cultural workers in America as well. Through our study of the history and theory of cultural work and how it is represented and discussed, we can gain an understanding of how such work is valued and experienced in Scandinavia and North America. Students can consider how they might like to employ what they learn in the Scandinavian graduate program at UC Berkeley in the world of cultural work either here in North America or in Scandinavia. More ambitiously, how might we transform cultural work and its representation in our culture? Martin Schultz, Curator of North and Central American Collections at the National Museum of World Cultures in Stockholm, Sweden Kristin Ørjasæter, Director of the Norsk barnebokinstitutt, editor of children’s literature Valdimar Hafstein, professor, former Chair of Iceland’s Commission for UNESCO, journal editor Elle-Kari Höjeberg, Program Manager for Sweden’s Radio Program 2 (retired) Magnus Florin, dramaturg, Sweden’s Royal Dramatic Theater, opera librettist, author, former director of the Swedish Radio Theater Magnus Bremmer, director of podcast Bildningspodden Sjón, author and cultural worker, Iceland Anna Hellgren, cultural editor Expressen Signe Westin, Kulturrådet Head of the Bergman Foundation, Jan Holmberg Mara Lee, författare Peter Englund, historiker Henning Wærp, academic and fictional author Shelley Wright, translator Gita Pasternak, Gyldendals forlag

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