This course will explore how Scandinavian–American encounters have shaped racial formation and racialization in America, particularly focusing on how ‘the Nordic’ came to be perceived in popular discourse as an embodiment of whiteness. Which interpretations of national, colonial, and imperial histories and contemporary realities allowed for this? Who has been included and excluded? And how does the racial construct of Nordic whiteness function and inform current American understandings of whiteness, Scandinavian heritage and the Nordic region? To answer these questions, the course engages perspectives from Black, Indigenous, and White communities, as well as from people who identify across these categorizations, in America and Scandinavia.

For centuries, Scandinavian and American cultures have been connected through the flow of people and ideas across the Atlantic. Notable intersections of American and Scandinavian lives include the establishment of a Swedish settler colony on Lenape and Susquehannock land in the 17th Century, Danish plantation slavery in what is now the US Virgin Islands in the 18th and 19th Century, and mass migration of Scandinavians to America in the 19th and 20th Century. Today, Scandinavian and American cultures continue to be connected through cultural exchanges such as Indigenous movements spanning Scandinavian Sámi and Native American communities, the internet-driven globalization of Black Lives Matter connecting American activists with Scandinavian counterparts, or Nordicness used as a brand to promote interior design and food to US consumers. This class will explore how Scandinavian–American cultural entanglements have shaped racial formation and racialization in America, particularly focusing on how ‘the Nordic’ came to be perceived, in popular discourse, as an embodiment of whiteness. Which interpretations of historical and contemporary realities have allowed for this? Who is included and excluded? And how does the racial construct of Nordic whiteness function in the US and inform present day American understandings of whiteness, Scandinavian heritage and the Nordics? To answer these questions, the course engages perspectives from Black, Indigenous, and White communities, as well as from people who identify across these categorizations, in both America and Scandinavia. The class is taught in a seminar-style format, emphasizing discussion and curiosity-driven inquiry. All readings are in English. You don’t need prior knowledge of Scandinavia to take part in this course. All are welcome.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills