Scandinavian Course Offerings – Spring 2015
Now’s the time to sign up for several courses in Scandinavian and Arctic studies.
SCAN 102 – Beginning Swedish II (Beginning Scandinavian II)
M T W Th, 11:00-11:50 AM, 4 credit hours
Dr. Mark Safstrom
This is the SECOND course in the Scandinavian language sequence (usually Swedish). Instruction is by immersion, emphasis is on further developing basic skills: reading, writing, speaking, and aural comprehension. Prerequisite: SCAN 101 or consent of instructor.
SCAN 104 – Intermediate Swedish II (Intermediate Scandinavian II)
M T W Th, 12:00-12:50 PM, 4 credit hours
Dr. Theo Malekin
This is the FOURTH course in the Scandinavian language sequence (usually Swedish). The emphasis in this course is on close reading, translation and analysis of authentic texts, such as novels and drama in the target language. Instruction is by immersion. Prerequisite: SCAN 103 or consent of instructor.
SCAN 225 – Vikings to Volvos: Scandinavia
M W F, 10:00-10:50 AM, 3 credit hours
Dr. Mark Safstrom
An introduction to the history, literature, and culture of Scandinavia and the Nordic region, from the Viking age until the modern era (700s-present). Includes discussion of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Svalbard, and Greenland. All readings in English. This course satisfies the Gen Ed Criteria for a Literature and the Arts course, and Western Comparative Culture course.
Campus Honors Program Course: SCAN 240 – Arctic Narratives
M, 12:00-2:50 PM, 3 credit hours
Dr. Anna Westerståhl Stenport
This is an interdisciplinary course that investigates representations of the Arctic in literature, art, cinema, media, and scientific, environmental, and geographical writing. We will study early polar explorer accounts, and how contemporary artists reinterpret that legacy; we will investigate how the Cold War militarized the Arctic region; we will study the region’s indigenous populations—especially the Sámi of Northern Scandinavia—and their struggle for self-government; and we will discuss matters of policy and governance of the region. This course satisfies the Gen Ed Criteria for a Literature and the Arts course, and Western Comparative Culture course. Same as CWL 282 / EURO 240. Restricted to Chancellor’s Scholar-CHP Honors students.
SCAN 251 – Viking Mythology
M W, 10:00-10:50 AM (Friday sessions at 10:00, 11:00, or 1:00), 3 credit hours
Dr. Theo Malekin
This course will explore the pre-Christian beliefs of the Germanic peoples of Northern Europe, primarily as reflected in medieval Icelandic prose and poetry in translation. This course satisfies the Gen Ed Criteria for a Hist. & Philosophy Perspective, and Western Comparative Culture course. Same as CWL 251 / MDVL 251 / RLST 251.
SCAN 375 – Scandinavian Sexualities
T Th, 3:30-4:50 PM, 3 credit hours
Dr. Theo Malekin
In this course we will explore the changing understanding of childhood and youth in Scandinavian literature and film with a comparative focus on the US and the United Kingdom. Works analyzed range from Hans-Christian Andersen’s fairy tales and Astrid Lindgren’s “Pippi Longstocking” to contemporary youth fiction and cinema. Thematic concepts include the following; Psychoanalytic approaches to children’s literature; Constructions of the childhood self and the bildungsroman; Education, feminism, and social reform; Individualism and the welfare state; Political radicalism; gender, sexuality, and masculinity. Same as CWL 375 / GWS 375.
SCAN 494 – Special Topics: Translation, Theory and Practice
W, 11:30 AM-1:50 PM, 3 or 4 credit hours
Dr. Patricia Phillips
Study of the history, theory and methods of literary translation and the practice of literary translation as we engage in our own work as translators. Examines the growing importance of translation studies as a rapidly expanding field which examines the close relationships between language and culture, language and art, and broad questions of intercultural exchange. Swedish language students will also register for 1 credit of SCAN 199, with Dr. Mark Safstrom (safstrom@illinois.edu). Meets with TRST 410.
SCAN 494 – Special Topics: History of the Germanic Languages
W, 4:00-5:50 PM, 3 credit hours
Charles Webster
In this course, we will explore the historical development of the Germanic languages, from Proto-Indo-European to the present day. We will discuss regional, cultural, and social aspects of language variation and change, with a primary focus on German and the Scandinavian languages. The course will be taught in English, though knowledge of a Germanic language (other than Modern English) will be helpful. Meets with GER 465.