Reading and discussion of the great Scandinavian novels; the development of the novel. Readings and discussion in English.

The image of Nordic countries around the globe is that of stability, welfare and societal cohesion, peaceful, but a bit dull. However, scratching the surface, it emerges that multiple crises since the end of the Cold War have damaged Scandinavian processes of identity formation and self-fashioning. Economic downturn, migration and a series of strategic shocks have transformed Scandinavian societies profoundly. This course explores the roots behind ‘nordic noir’ as a cultural mood of contemporary Scandinavia, one of the most prosperous, sustainable and happy regions of the world. A first part is devoted to conspiracy culture, how concepts of imagining malicious plots recently have manifested in Scandinavian society. Conspiracy theories as meaning-making narratives make either sense within various domestic settings (such as the murder of Swedish Prime Minister Palme in 1986) or are transported from outside in (such as about 9/11). The COVID-19-pandemic has highlighted societal fractures and radically diverging perceptions about the state of affairs in the entire region. In part 2 of the course, migration to Scandinavia is treated. Contemporary migration has highlighted a number of sensitive issues of cultural identity, leading to the rise of populist radical right parties and movements. But self-perceptions are also increasingly questioned from inside, from ethnic and societal minorities (such as the Sámi-population in Northern Scandinavia). The last part of the course is devoted to a closer discussion of melancholia, nostalgia and historical memory as driving forces of cultural resentment and indignation. How can these deeper levels of identity formation be explained? The final examination will be an essay combined with oral presentation, preferably in the format of a mini-conference. Books • Anastasiya Astapova et al., Conspiracy Theories and the Nordic Countries (2021), 140p. Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Conspiracy-Theories-and-the-Nordic-Countries/Astapova-Bergmann-Dyrendal-Rabo-Rasmussen-Thorisdottir-Onnerfors/p/book/9780367354473# • Eric Einhorn et al., Migration and Multiculturalism in Scandinavia (2022), 368p. (selected chapters) UWP: https://uwpress.wisc.edu/books/5829.htm • Ov Christian Norocel et al., Nostalgia and Hope: Intersections between Politics of Culture, Welfare, and Migration in Europe (2020), 235p. (selected chapters) Springer: https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030416935 Open Access • Course reader

Prerequisites: none
Teaching and reading in English.

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Requirements class fulfills