University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Syllabus: Social Change & Development in Denmark
875-333-001
Fall 2000

 

Instructor: Dr. Lynn Walter Schedule: MWF 1:00
Office: RH 354
Phone: 465-2474
Office Hours: 2-3 MW, 11-12 F
Email: walterl@uwgb.edu
Class email: c875333001@uwgb.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course examines several themes of international interest raised by studying social change and development in Denmark. These themes include the social welfare state; social democracy and economic democracy; multi-party, parliamentary politics; egalitarian values and programs; class and gender consciousness and the labor and women's movements; nationalism and national identity; and European integration. We will explore these themes in a discussion format with some lectures.

TEXTS AND HANDOUTS:

Borish, Steven M. 1991. The Land of the Living.
Handout: Sandemose, Aksel "The Law of Jante"
Handout: Rasmussen, Halfdan "Something about Heroes"
Handout: "Denmark in the European Communities"
Rifbjerg, Klaus "Oh, to be Danish,"

http://www.um.dk/english/danmark/danmarksbog/kap8/8.asp

RESERVE READING LIST:

Arendt, Hannah "Denmark and the Jews"

Einhorn, Eric & John Logue 1986. "The Scandinavian Democratic Model" Industrial & Labor Relations Review, Vol. 39, no. 4, pp. 193-208.

Einhorn, Eric & John Logue 1989. "The Social Welfare State," "From Industrial Conflict to Industrial Democracy," and "Scandinavian Welfare States and their Critics" in Modern Welfare States, New York: Praeger.

Enoch, Yael 1994. "The Intolerance of a Tolerant People: Ethnic Relations in Denmark" Ethnic and Racial Studies, 17 (2): 282-200.

Goodman, Myrna 1998. "Foundations of Resistance in German-Occupied Denmark" in Resisting the Holocaust, Ruby Rohrlich, ed., Berg: Oxford, NY, pp. 213-36.

Matthiessen, Poul Christian. 1993. "Family Formation in Denmark" in Welfare Trends in Scandinavian Countries, Erik Jorgen Hansen, et.al, eds., Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, pp. 320-326.

Østergård, Uffe 1992. "Peasants and Danes: The Danish National Identity and Political Culture" Comparative Studies in Society and Culture, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 3-27.

Rosenbeck, Bente. 2000. "Modernisation of Marriage" manuscript.

Tham, Henrik. 1993. "Crime, Drugs, and Suicide in the Scandinavian Countries" in Welfare Trends in Scandinavian Countries, Erik Jorgen Hansen, et.al, eds., Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe, pp. 320-326.

Walter, Lynn 2000 "Women’s Rights and Women’s Welfare" in Women’s Rights: A Global View, Lynn Walter, ed., Greenwood Publishing Group: Westport, CT.

ALSO ON RESERVE:

Goldberger, Leo ed. 1987. The Rescue of the Danish Jews, New York: New York University Press.

Borish, Steven 1991. The Land of the Living, Neveda City: Blue Dolphin.

Jones, W. Glyn 1986. Denmark, A Modern History, London: Croom Helm.

REQUIREMENTS AND DUE DATES:

Bibliography 5% Due Dates: Paper Topic Sept. 22
Annotations 15%                   Bibliography Oct. 13
Term paper 25%                   Annotations Nov. 17
Presentation 10%                   Research Paper Nov. 27
Class participation 20%                   Final Exam Dec. 20
Final exam 25%  

Quizzes The instructor may give unannouced quizzes on the reading for the day.

Web links

Find five web links that you think are especially interesting and useful on Denmark in general and/or your paper topic in particular. In an in-class session in the computer lab, pick one of these to demonstrate to the rest of the class. Do consider web sources with international data (e.g. from UN, EU, OECD) that may also have useful information on Denmark.

Term Paper

Choose a topic, in consultation with the instructor, and construct a bibliography on this topic of at least 10 items. Order all of those items on your bibliography through interlibrary loan and do an annotated bibliography. Develop a thesis, in consultation with the instructor and class and write a paper based upon these sources. Present the paper in written form via email to the rest of the class and lead a discussion of your paper in class.

Class Participation

Everyone is expected not only to have read the assignment but also to contribute to the discussion. In cases in which a student's grade is between two marks, good class discussion participation will raise her/his grade to the higher one.

THEMES

Danish Culture
The Nation State: Race, Ethnicity and National Identity
The Folk High Schools and the transition to capitalism
The Rescue of the Danish Jews
The Development of Social Democracy and the Welfare State
Welfare State Programs
Gender and Welfare in Denmark
Class and Class Consciousness
Denmark and Europe

SCHEDULE

Week 1 Sept. 6-8: Introduction to the Course

            Why Study Denmark?

            Reading: Borish, Parts I & II.

Week 2 Sept. 11-15: Introduction to Denmark: Language, Geography, Demography.

            Film: "Approaching Denmark"

Week 3 Sept. 18-22: The Folk High Schools and the Transition to Capitalism

            Reading: Borish, Part III.

            Film: "The Bell of Freedom"

Week 4 Sept. 25 Meet in Computer Lab to look at Danish web sites

             Sept 27-29: Danish Culture

             Reading: Borish, Part IV & V.

Week 5 Oct. 2-6: Continued.

            Reading: Handout: Sandemose

            Film: "Babettes Gaestebud"

Week 6 Oct. 9-13: The Rescue of the Danish Jews

            Reading: Arendt
            Handout: Rasmussen
            Goodman

Week 7 Oct. 16-20: The Nation State: Race, Ethnicity and National Identity

            Reading: Østergård
            Rifbjerg
            Enoch

Week 8 Oct. 23-27: Social Democracy and Danish Politics

            Reading: Einhorn & Logue, "From Industrial Conflict to Industrial Democracy"
                                                      "The Scandinavian Democratic Model"

Week 9 Oct. 30-Nov. 3: The Welfare State

            Reading: Einhorn & Logue, "The Social Welfare State"

Week 10 Nov. 6-10: Gender and Welfare

            Reading: Walter
                          Rosenbeck

Week 11 Nov. 13-17: Problems in the Social Welfare State

            Readings: Einhorn & Logue, "The Scandinavian Welfare States and their Critics"
                            Tham
                            Matthiessen

Week 12 Nov. 20-22: The Culture of Social Democracy

            Film: "Danzen med Regitze"

Week 13 Nov. 27: Denmark and Europe

            Readings: Handout: "Denmark in the European Communities"

            Nov. 29, Dec. 1 Presentation of Research Papers

Week 14 Dec. 4-8: Presentation of Research Papers Continued

Week 15 Dec. 11-15: Continued

Final Exam: 1:00-3:00 Wednesday, December 20.

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