Norway: Scandinavian Urban Studies Term

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Overview

Program Categories:

International

Program Location:

Scandinavia

Semester(s) offered:

Fall and Spring Semesters

Program Start/End Dates:

January 6, 2012 - April 20, 2012

Other Program Dates:

Program break dates are February 20th-24th, 2012

Program Fees:

Some schools have a different fee structure. Check with home institution first.
For member school students HECUA invoices the institution $17,500.
Nonmember school students pay $18,300.

In less than fifty years, Norway moved from being one of the poorest and most homogenous countries in Europe to one of the richest in the world with a population that is increasingly multicultural. Twenty-five percent of Oslo residents, for example, are not of ethnic Norwegian background. The Scandinavian Urban Studies Term (SUST) investigates dramatic changes in Northern Europe by critically analyzing the development of the Norwegian welfare state through a wide range of topics such as globalization theories, nation-building and national identity, governance and political party systems, European integration, racial thinking, histories of racialization, international aid politics, sexuality, and environmentalism. The topical organization of the program is cumulative and deliberately contradictory, illuminating the international relevance of the Scandinavian case study.

Questions that guide analysis and exploration throughout the program are:

How has national identity in Norway been shaped and reflected by art, film, literature and social movements?
How have art, film, literature and social movements reproduced and/or challenged conventional understandings of what it means to be Norwegian?
What are the contemporary challenges and opportunities for the Scandinavian welfare states in general and the Norwegian social democracy in particular?
How does the form of a welfare state relate to its ability to foster a true multicultural society?
How might the Scandinavian welfare states adapt to the challenges of multiculturalism, European integration and globalization?

Students will be equipped to answer these questions using tools from their local environment. In addition to course work, meetings with political parties and community organizations in the program’s home base of Oslo give students firsthand insight into policy-making and community organizing in Norway. As a result of their analysis of the Scandinavian context, students are equipped to think critically about their experience in the United States.

Important to note:

All seminars, lectures and readings are in English.

The program is based in Oslo, Norway, a compact, increasingly multicultural city nestled between the Oslo Fjord and mountains, and is associated with the University of Oslo, International Summer School (ISS). Classes are held on campus three days a week (usually Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays). Optional Norwegian language study offers deeper insight into Norwegian culture. Those with prior Norwegian language study who choose to continue will be placed in a Norwegian class by exam. Students who opt out of language study will be conducting an independent research project that lasts the duration of the semester.

Housing is located in a student village near the campus which is a shared living space with Norwegian and other international students. HECUA students buy and cook their food with a provided monthly food stipend.

Students also intern for four to six hours each week with a local organization, placing them on the front lines of political, social, and cultural debates in contemporary Norway.

A field trip to Stockholm, Sweden, illuminates the similarities and differences among these two Scandinavian states, particularly in their responses to globalization, migration, and multiculturalism.

Field Study

Seminars include a variety of experiential projects outside the classroom where students interact with diverse groups including politicians, community activists, university faculty, and immigrants.

Students walk and bike a great deal during the semester. Public bikes are available for rent throughout the city. Some students choose to purchase or rent a temporary bike for a four-month period. Everyone associated with the program becomes a public transportation expert during their time in Oslo. It may be rare to ever be in a car during the program (unless students use taxi services late at night). From trains, to buses, to the the T-Bane (pronounced tay-baa-na), students will be empowered to move around a city in new and exciting ways. This is how field visits are conducted during the semester as well.

Recent city excursions included visits to the following sites and organizations:

Viking Ship Museum, part of the Museum of Cultural History of the University of Oslo, and houses incredible archaeological finds from the region.
Center for Interface Encounter and Interreligious Dialogue (Kirkelig senter for religiønsmøter og dialog), during the segment of the program on religion and nationalism in a multicultural Norway.
Department of Sami and Minority Affairs (Same- og minoritetspolitisk avdeling), based out of the Ministry of Government Administration, has the chief responsibility of formulating and coordinating the state’s policies towards the Sami population and the national minorities.
Directorate for Integration and Diversity (Integrerings- og mangfoldsdirektoratet) has as its motto, "diversity enriches us." IMDi's goal is to contribute to equality in living conditions and diversity through employment, integration and participation.
Nordic Black Theatre, to explore the creative theater arts. This organization develops young transcultural actors through a theatre and writing school, and provides a number of additional activities for aspiring actors, families, and children.
Norwegian People’s Aid--this organization aims to increase public knowledge of lifesaving first aid, and actively lobbies for the introduction of mandatory first aid training within the school system and other public bodies. A second objective is to bring about a stop to all kinds of structural racism through laws, regulations and routines. As part of both our local and nationwide activities, the organization undertakes long-term attitude-changing work to prevent racism and contribute to integration.
Norwegian Refugee Council which is an independent, humanitarian non-governmental organization that provides assistance, protection and durable solutions to refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide.
Queer Youth (Skeiv Ungdom), an advocacy group for education and support of young people in the GLBT community.

The group hears from educators, government officials, international non-governmental organization representatives, midwives, artists, activist, etc. In addition, the program usually includes:

A guided tour of the National Gallery/Nasjonalgalleriet, home to Norway's largest public collection of paintings, drawings and sculptures. The museum's central attractions include Edvard Munch's The Scream and Madonna and paintings by Cézanne and Manet.
An extended field trip to Stockholm, Sweden, is a capstone experience to the semester. This trip illuminates the similarities and differences among these two particular Scandinavian states, especially in their responses to globalization, migration, and multiculturalism.

Example Internships

The following provides detailed information on internships that have been available most recently. Sites often change in response to the needs of local organizations and the specific interests of students participating in the program where possible.

Manfold i Arbeidslivet (MiA)/Diversity in Working Life

MiA is a foundation working to promote diversity, understanding and tolerance through the workplace across Norway. Students assisted with workshops, conferences, undertaking interviews and preparing reports. This placement provided opportunities to gain a tremendous insight into integration challenges and developments in Norway.

American Chamber of Commerce in Norway

The Chamber seeks to develop Norwegian-American business relations and support trans-Atlantic business interests in Norway. This placement involved maintaining the Chamber’s database, networking with clients and high-level officials in Norway, supporting the Chamber’s publications and assisting at regular events. Through this placement the student became well acquainted with business and political aspects of the Norwegian-American relationship, including through participation in important meetings and events.

BYMIF/City of Oslo Centre for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors

BYMIF seeks to provide unaccompanied refugee minors with both academic and social support so that they can succeed in Norwegian society. This placement involved socialization and homework help, particularly English language conversation and provided a unique opportunity to learn about Norway from the perspective of youth refugees.

UTROP

UTROP is Norway’s first multicultural newspaper and the student here worked as a journalist intern preparing both opinion pieces and a longer research piece for publication. The longer research article involved conducting interviews and data collection, including an interview with the Minister for International Development, Erik Solheim. Through this placement the student was able to actively participate in multicultural debates in Norway.

Natur og Ungdom (NU)/Nature and Youth

NU is the youth wing of Friends of the Earth Norway and seeks to be at the cutting edge of environmental issues and debates in Norway. This placement primarily involved writing English language material on NU’s activities for their website. However, the student also participated in some of NU’s political activism and conducted interviews with leading environmentalists in Norway.

ORKIS Leksehjelp/Oslo Red Cross

ORKIS runs homework help and youth centres in Oslo aimed at teenagers with minority cultural and ethnic backgrounds. This placement involved assisting students with English homework as well as networking and providing social support. Two students were placed with ORKIS and were able to gain a firsthand insight into youth culture in Oslo, in particular youth experiences within the education system.

Sogn videregående skole (VGS)/Sogn Senior Vocation High School

Sogn VGS is the largest vocational school in Northern Europe with in excess of 2,000 students. The student population is very diverse economically, socially and ethnically with the majority coming from a non-ethnic Norwegian background. This placement involved work as a teaching assistant in the school’s pioneering peer mediation/conflict resolution program. Moreover, there were opportunities to lead class discussions and shadow teachers.

Svarttjern skole/primary school

Svarttjern school is a small outer suburban school with a socially, economically and ethnically diverse population. This placement also involved work as a teaching assistant in the school’s third grade outdoor program. Svarttjern embodies a Montessori-esque ideal and provided the student volunteer with an incredible opportunity to learn from teachers and students alike and to become purposefully involved in this community.

Friluftssenteret i Gamle Oslo (FRIGO)

FRIGO is an outdoor education service run by the City of Oslo and aims to provide opportunities for young people in inner-city Oslo to become acquainted with the outdoors and the environment. FRIGO also sees its role as helping young people with non-ethnic Norwegian backgrounds become well integrated in broader society. Young people that utilise FRIGO are approximately between the ages of 7 and 12. This placement involved assisting FRIGO’s activity leaders on excursions in and around Oslo.

Kirkens Bymisjon, Tøyenkirken/Oslo City Mission, Tøyen Church

The City Mission runs numerous programs to meet the needs of those on the margins of society. This placement involved working at the Mission’s Tøyen Church Centre in inner eastern Oslo helping with their Wednesday evening dinner and service program. The City Mission is a dynamic, social justice-based organisation and this placement enables students to become immersed in local issues of social justice on an interpersonal and faith based level.

Eligibility & Coursework

Documentation & Syllabus Examples:

HECUA SUST11 Syllabus.pdf

Prerequisites/Eligibility:

Students must have completed your first year in college
Students must be in good academic standing overall – 2.0 GPA or higher (any GPA lower than 2.5 will receive extra evaluation)
Students must also complete all home campus requirements for off-campus study

Courses:

The Scandinavian Welfare States in an Age of Globalization (equivalent of 2 courses)
Scandinavian Art, Film, and Literature
Norwegian Language or Independent Study Project

Total: 4 course credits / 16 credit hours
The courses are taken as an integrated whole and provide the equivalent of a semester's worth of credit, i.e. 4 course credits, 16 semester credits or 27 trimester credits. This program is full-time, five days a week, with classes scheduled for three days a week (Monday, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 10am to 3pm) and approximately 6 hours weekly in an internship.

Credits

Receive Credits That Count

Like with most off-campus study programs, students need to work directly with their home institution to receive credit for participation in a HECUA program. It's important to note that HECUA's courses offer upper-level division credits. It's common to be awarded general education ("gen ed") credits, but most students also obtain significant Major and Minor credits as well. To assist with the process of negotiating credits with advisors and registrars on campus, HECUA has compiled information on how recent participants of SUST worked to receive credit from their respective schools. The following examples of credit earned are solely those that students have reported to HECUA.

Please contact HECUA's Director of Programs, Sarah Pradt, for more information on credit approval and for help with your individual situation.

Major and/or Minor Credits Students Have Received

Geography
Global Politics
History
International Relations
Justice and Peace Studies
Norwegian
Political Science
Scandinavian Studies
Sociology

Keep in mind that credit approval may be possible in other Major or Minor areas that HECUA is not yet aware of.

Previouse Students' Methods for Credit Approval

Spoke with Study Abroad Office
Provided coursework (syllabus, papers, projects) to my Academic Advisor for approval
Spoke with Academic Advisor and Office of the Registrar about credit transfer process
Got credits transferred as general credits, filled out paper work to petition Major/Minor credit
Spoke with the Chair of Major/Minor department
Spoke with school's HECUA board representative about credit approval process

Student Reflections

Tong Thao, a Geography major in his final year at Gustavus Adolphus College, is currently participating in the fall 2011 Scandinavian Urban Studies Term (SUST) program and is blogging about his experience somewhat regularly. Read more about his personal experience in Oslo, Tong Thao in Norway, hosted by the Center for International and Cultural Education pages on the Gustavus website.

“HECUA pedagogy encourages you to think critically and learn from every experience. Because you have a lot of control over your learning, the experience is definitely what you make it, but it can be challenging, fun, and life changing if you invest in it.”
Megan, Carleton College, fall 2010

“This is by far the best education I’ve received thus far in my college career. The HECUA model differs from my previous classroom experiences in that is it a constant process of integration that brings together diverse text, fieldwork, and discussion in a way that encourages far greater student participation than I’ve ever experienced.”
Aaron, University of St. Thomas, fall 2010

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