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Number of teaching hours:
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50 hours in total, approx. 4 per week. In
addition to the 50 hours, compulsory excursions of
historic and cultural interest are included in the
programme.
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Content of course:
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This course is designed to provide the students
with a general understanding of the cultural
patterns which determine the Nordic countries' view
of themselves and the outside world. Throughout
time, this - in some respects rather remote - part
of Europe has had to adapt to a vast "flow" from
more culturally dominating parts of the globe; yet
it is possible to operate with an attitude towards
world and man that is particularly "Scandinavian".
Considering the geographical site of the SAS
programme, it is only natural that a major subject
of the course will be the special Danish dimension
of this attitude, as it finds its expression on a
broad cultural scale ranging from everyday life to
fine arts.
Various aspects of 20th century cultural
phenomena, such as "Danish Design",
"Functionalistic Architecture", "Cultural Leftism"
and "Modernism" in art and literature will be
studied. The reading of Danish literature will
serve two purposes: One as an important key to the
understanding of the Danish ways of thinking, and
second as an exciting way of getting familiar with
the language. Therefore, short easy-to-read texts
of cultural relevance will be used in the classes
from an early stage. Gradually, more difficult
material - e.g. Hans Christian Andersen and Karen
Blixen - will be read and discussed. English will
be spoken in the beginning of the
Danish/Scandinavian Culture classes. However, as
the students' knowledge of Danish improves, Danish
will play a larger role.
The odyssey through Scandinavian Culture will
not be solely theoretical - several excursions to
museums and interesting locations/sights in Denmark
will ensure that the classes are given a practical
aspect as well.
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