Danish Language and Culture Section 101 Spring 2017

Monday and Thursday 11.25 – 13.00 | Classroom F24 203| Credits 3

Popular poster from the 1930’s København, Christianshavn, June 2013

Danskeren er en tvivler fordi Danmarks historie er historien om en stærk stammes undergang. (Johannes V. Jensen, 1901) “The Dane is a skeptic, because 's history is the story of the downfall of a powerful tribe”

Course instructor Suzanne da Cunha Bang, Cand.mag. et art. (Scandinavian Literature and Languages, English Literature and Language, History of Art, University of Copenhagen). DIS Professor of “ and Culture”, “Impressionism in Paris”, “Venice, Power Art and Urban Space” since 2004. Program Director, Danish Language and Culture, since 2005. Previously art gallery owner and art consultant to Danish companies.

Office Hours will be scheduled with students individually

DIS contacts Suzanne da Cunha Bang, DLC Program Director Anna Sommer, Assistant Program Director

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Course description When studying the Danish language, we will employ a functional approach. Hence, the course will focus on spoken everyday Danish and enable you to have short basic conversations with . The text book used is DIS DANSK I

The cultural content of the course deals with different aspects of Danish Culture such as history, literature, architecture, theatre, painting, education, the welfare state, religion, the prison system, trust and equality all seen in the perspective of national identity. It is taught as a combination of lectures and Field Studies which include visits to Christiansborg Castle , a Danish school and the Royal Theater. Furthermore, Copenhagen and its surroundings will be used as your extended classroom

The course will explore how language serves as an opener to culture. The language itself and the interactional conventions and etiquette reveal something of the values and worldviews that form everyday life in a community and how we perceive others and ourselves. By analyzing keywords and concepts and applying appropriate etiquette while using the language, you learn how to navigate in a foreign culture.

An important component of the course will be your own observations and critical analysis of what you are experiencing. There will be a strong focus on intercultural awareness and reflection through a comparative approach. We will use Copenhagen and Denmark as an extended classroom and discuss current key issues and events in Denmark.

Learning objectives of the course is for you to  Acquire knowledge and understanding of the overall themes in Danish history, culture, and society, as well as special aspects of Danish identity, culture and society.  Be able to approach another culture analytically with tools to analyze everyday life critically.  Appropriate a comparative lens, so you will also obtain a new understanding of your own background.  Know enough Danish to live among Danes without feeling linguistically isolated.  Be able to engage in basic everyday conversations with the locals, while applying the proper cultural sensitivities relevant to Danish society.  Get the experience of being well-informed and perceptive residents in Denmark.

Approach to teaching and what is expected of students The ambition is to create a classroom culture in which everyone feels at ease trying to pronounce the unfamiliar Danish sounds and words, a classroom atmosphere where students feel safe and confident to bring to class personal observations, reflections, experiences etc.; to share, analyze and discuss. The hope and expectation is that we will have interesting and stimulating class discussions.

Course requirements & exams Semester Project (40% of course grade) Part one: counts 5 %, group presentation in class February 16 Part two: termpaper, to be uploaded to Canvas, April 21, before 23.59

Oral Exam (20% of course grade) The oral exam will take place during class on Monday, May 1st and Thursday, May 4th Written Exam (20% of course grade) The written exam will take place during finals week, May 8th through 11th (TBA)

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Engaged participation (10% of course grade) Participation is graded because it is part of the learning process. You are required to participate actively in all class activities throughout the semester. Attendance in all classes and field studies is required and expected and is not credited as participation. If you miss a class, please note that it is your own responsibility to catch up.

Quizzes (10% of course grade) Your progress will be monitored regularly, for instance, through the use of quizzes.

Field Studies We have three Field Studies in this class. The purpose of the Field Studies is to use Copenhagen as our extended DIS classroom. Material covered during these sessions will be included in quizzes and final exams. Missing a Field Study will impact your participation grade.

*Please note, that failure to show up for the quizzes and exams or submit assignments on time for any other reason than illness or family emergency will automatically result in a Z. You will not be admitted to the exam room if you arrive late.

Course material Required language material Textbook: DIS DANSK I

Podcasts On Canvas, you can find podcasts that you can use to practice vocabulary, phrases, and pronunciation. In the textbook DIS DANSK, they are marked with a little headphone symbol. The podcasts can be found on Canvas under Danish Language Resources, Modules.

Ordbogen.com DIS has a subscription to Ordbogen, a Danish-English/English-Danish online dictionary. Go to http://www.ordbogen.com/ and enter the e-mail address that you have registered with DIS. This e- mail address serves as both your username and password

Required readings Adriasen, Inge: “Summary Volume II”, Nationale Symboler i Det Danske Rige, Museum Tusculanums Press 2003 Andersen, Benny: “Verdensborger i Danmark”, Verdensborger I Danmark og andre digte, Borgen, 1998 Andersen, H.C.: “Klods Hans”, Samlede Eventyr og Historier, Gyldendal 2011 Andersen, H.C.: ”I Danmark er jeg født”, Samlede Digte, Gyldendal 2011 Carlsen, Jørgen: “The Folk High School – Freedom and the Living Conversation”, Learning in Denmark Grundtvig, N.F.S.: “Langt Højere Bjerge”, Salmer og Aandelige Sange, Karl Schønbergs Forlag 1981 Jenkins, Richard: ”Everyday social democracy”, Being Danish: Paradoxes of Identity in Everyday Life, Museum Tusculanum Press 2012 Knud J.V.Jespersen: A Kingsley, Patrick: “Being Danish: The Immigrant Dilemma”, being Danish, Short Books ltd 2012 Kramsch, Claire: ”The relationship of language and culture”, Language and culture, Oxford University Press, 1998 Kramsch, Claire: ”Language and cultural identity”, Language and culture, Oxford University Press, 1998 Lidegaard, Bo: “Prologue”, A short history of Denmark in the 20th century, Gyldendal 2009

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Oehlensläger, Adam: ””, Sanlede Digte, Nabu Press 2010 Rose, Flemming: The Tyranni of Silence Rasmussen, Halfdan: “Noget om helte”, Halfdans sange, Schønberg 2015 Sandemose, Aksel: ”Zoologi”, A Fugitive crosses his Tracks, Alfred A. Knopf 1936 Sandemose, Aksel: ”The Law of Jante”, A Fugitive crosses his Tracks, Alfred A. Knopf 1936 Steensgaard Pernille: Copenhagen Svendsen, Tinggaard Gert & Lind Haase Svendsen, Gunnar: “Social Capital and the Welfare State”, The Nation-State in Transformation, Aarhus University Press 2010

Online sources Denmark’s Culture Canon: http://kum.dk/uploads/tx_templavoila/KUM_kulturkanonen_uk_OK.pdf Sanders, Bernie: ”What Can We Learn Fron Denmark?”, Huffington Post 05/26/2013: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-bernie-sanders/what-can-we-learn-from-de_b_3339736.html The Counsil of Europe: Cultural Politics and Trends in Europe (Denmark): http://www.culturalpolicies.net/web/denmark.php Trolle Linnet, Jeppe: ”Money can’t buy me hygge”, Academia.edu: http://www.academia.edu/714349/Money_cant_buy_me_hygge_Danish_middle- class_consumption_egalitarianism_and_the_sanctity_of_inner_space

Continue learning outside the classroom You are expected to continue learning outside of the classroom. Download the app duolingo.com in order to gain a larger vocabulary. Keep informed about what is going on in Denmark - it is expected that you will read the Danish news in English (and in Danish), gain a basic knowledge of Danish political and societal structures, and explore Danish culture on your own through movies, TV-shows, literature, and various cultural events offered in Copenhagen (and elsewhere). Terms & conditions Disabilities If you are in need for accommodation based on the impact of a disability, please contact the Office of Accademic Support ([email protected]) to coordinate this. In order to receive accommodations, students should inform the instructor of approved DIS accommodations within the first two weeks of classes.

Attendance You are expected to attend all DIS classes when scheduled. If you miss multiple classes, the Office of Academic Support and the Director of Student Affairs will be notified and they will follow up with you to make sure that all is well. Absences will jeopardize your grade and your standing at DIS. Allowances will be made in cases of illness, but you might need to provide a doctor’s note. Being late to class will also have a negative impact on your final grade.

Academic Honesty DIS expects that students abide by the highest standards of intellectual honesty in all academic work. DIS assumes that all students do their own work and credit all work or thought taken from others. Academic dishonesty will result in a final course grade of “F” and can result in dismissal. The students’ home universities will be notified. DIS reserves the right to request that written student assignments be turned in in electronic form for submission to plagiarism detection software. See the Academic Handbook for more information, or ask your instructor if you have questions.

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Classroom etiquette Use of laptop computers in class is allowed for the purpose of note-taking only. Cell phones and other electronic devices should be turned off and stored away.

Important dates

Field Study 1: Wednesday February 15, 13.00 – 17.00

Field study 2: Wednesday April 19, 8.30 – 12-30

Cultural event: Thursday, February 23, The Royal Theatre, “Dance 2 Go”, at 20.00

Semester project (part 1): Group presentations February 16

Semester project (part 2): Termpaper to be uploaded to Canvas April 21 before 23.59

Oral Exam: during class on Monday, May 1st and Thursday, May 4th Written Exam: Finals Week, May 8th through May 11th (TBA)

Study Plan

Lesson 1: Thursday, January 19 Introduction to the course. Language AND Culture. Examples of how language can be used as an opener to a nation’s culture. Does being surrounded by a language of which you understand very little have an impact on your reactions and behaviour? Discussion based on the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Gk9A_dnmK8 Discussion and sharing of experiences in public space and/or in your home stay Wrap up from DIScover Copenhagen DIS DANSK (DD) chapter 1, your first words and phrases Assigning: Cultural assignment 1

Lesson 2: Monday, January 23 Decoding Danish Etiquette. Discussion: how can it be argued that values and traditions of a society is deplayed in everyday behaviour and manners? How to define the concept of “hygge” Reading: Richard Jenkins: Everyday social Democracy. Stop on p 43, at the paragraph starting with “It is interesting to…” Watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjelfnLA30k DD chapter 1

Lesson 3: Thursday, January 26 To be discussed: Danish history and the Shaping of a Nation. Competing narratives. Reading: Knud J.V. Jespersen: A History of Denmark, chapter 1: Introduction: what is Denmark and who are the Danes? ( p.1 -11) DD chapter 1

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Lesson 4: Monday, January 30 Danish history and the Shaping of a Nation. National Identity, a tribe or a nation? Discussion: The decline of the Danish empire. A new national identity and strength defined by loss and defeats. Reading: Bo Liedegaard and Hans Christian Andersen: The Ugly Duckling DD chapter 2

Lesson 5: Thursday, February 5 To be discussed: The foundation of a trust society Reading: Dennis Nørmark: Cultural Intelligence for Stone-Age Brains, pp.26 – 49 DD Chapter 2

Short study tours February 6 - 10

Lesson 6: Monday, February 13 To be discussed: The Enlightenment, as preparation for the FS on Wednesday Readings Knud Jespersen: ”The Enlightenment” DD chapter 3

Field Study Wednesday, February 15, 13 - 17. Focus: the Enlightenment seen from a Danish perspective. Visit to Christiansborg Castle

Lesson 7: Thursday, February 16 Students group presentations. Cultural assignment 1 Wrap up from FS

Lesson 8: Monday, February 20 TRUST – TRIBE – TAX. The trust based society Discussion: Does trust thrive naturally in small, homogeneous societies? And is that why it can be claimed that TRUST is Denmark’s only real natural resource? Students are to bring to class observations of trust experienced while in Denmark. How is trust created? Readings: Tinggaard Svendsen: Trust, p 6-25 DD chapter 3

Lesson 9: Monday, February 23 Quizz – language and culture DD chapter 4 introduction

Travel Break February 27 – March 3

Lesson 10: Monday, March 6 Theme: The Danish Welfare State Discussion: how to characterize and define the Danish welfare state, and reflect upon what might be some of the US challenges in implementing something like the welfare state.

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Readings “The Danish Model of the Welfare State” by Knud V. Jespersen + “What can we learn from Denmark” by Bernie Sanders DD chapter 4

Lesson 11: Thursday, March 9 The Welfare state, present and future threats, Immigration into the welfare state Discussion: can you have too much welfare? What are some of the threats from within to the welfare state – and how do you deal with that? Theats to the welfare state from the outside world? Why can it be argued that the well developed Danish welfare state is threatened in a more and more globalized world? Readings:” Dovne Robert og Fattig Carina” Danes rethink the welfare state, Anne Knudsen: “ Welcome Welfare” (Canvas) DD chapter 4

Lesson 12: Monday, March 12 Theme: . Discussion: Main differenced between the American and the Danish approach to education and ‘learning’. Which values are reflectied? Readings: Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy2f4RnStlg It lasts 10-12 minutes, and be able to discuss in class .cc DD Chapter 4

Lesson 13, Thursday, March 16 Continued discussion on Education. Reading: Hans Christian Andersen: Clod Hans DD Chapter 5

Travel break March 20 – 24

Lesson 14: Monday March 27 Theme Equality. Denmark, the most equal nation in the world. Discussion: pro’s and con’s to the Danish ethos of Equality. Have you experienced the unspoken set of rules called ”The Law of Jant”? Readings: The Law of Jante (Canvas) Richard Jenkins: “Everyday social Democracy”, p 43 - 46, start on p 43, at the paragraph starting with “It is interesting to…” “What wealth gap? Danish welfare narrows the disparity”

Lesson 15: Thursday, March 30 Theme: Crime and Punishment Discussion: which underlying values in a society can be seen reflected in a nation’s way of handling crime and punishment? Readings: “Denmark doesn’t treat its prisoners like prisoners — and it’s good for everyone” (Canvas) Watch the movie: http://www.nopenguins.com/danish-open-prison DD chapter 5

Lesson 16: Monday, April 3 Continue discussion of Crime and Punishment, do you thing it will survive in a still more global international world with open borders?

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Discussions, based on videoclips (TV2 + Olsen Banden) DD chapter 6

Lesson 17: Thursday, April 6 Theme: Famous Danes

Lesson 18: Monday, April 10 Quizz

Travel break April 13 - 17

Field Study Wednesday, April 19, 13 -17.

Lesson 19: Thursday, April 20 Freedom of speech. The Danish way the American way. Safe spaces and political correctness.

Lesson 20: Monday April 24 Wrapping up the course

Lesson 21: Thursday April 27 Preparing for Oral and written exams

Lesson 22, : Monday May 1 Oral exams

Lesson 23:Thursday, May 4 Oral exams

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