Course Syllabus
| Danish Politics & Society |  |
| Semester & Location: |
Fall 2025 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
Political science, International Relations, Sociology |
| Prerequisite: |
None |
| Faculty Members: |
Brendan Sweeney - brendan.sweeney@dis.dk |
| Time & Place: |
Tuesdays & Fridays, 10.05 - 11.25 Classroom: V10-A22 |
| Volunteer Opportunities That Align With This Course: |
Students often want to volunteer as part of their time in Copenhagen. Below are some opportunities that might align with your course content. These are curated by the Academics Department, and not your faculty, so please reach out to mne@dis.dk if you have questions. YouPeople Cafe About the organization & opportunity: “YouPeople is a morning café for homeless and socially vulnerable people in Nørrebro. We offer a warm breakfast, coffee, tea, and pastries to anyone who needs it. We also offer showers, clothes, laundry service, and beds to rest in. Everyone is welcome.” The shifts run from 07:10-10:30 on weekdays and 08:30-11:45 on weekends, and consist of preparing breakfast, coffee and tea for the visitors. You sign up on facebook, and please remember to show up if you commit. Contact Information: If interested please see the facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/www.kirkenskorshaer.dk |
Description of Course
“Getting to Denmark” were the words used by American political scientist Francis Fukuyama to describe the quest of human civilization to build “prosperous, democratic, secure and well-governed” societies. Can Denmark really live up to these credentials and if so, how did we get here?
This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of Danish history, culture, politics and economy – including a number of contemporary case studies from a Danish perspective; the surge of right wing politics, sustainability in the face of climate change, the European migration crisis and Danish aspirations in the Arctic.
Learning Objectives
The objectives of this course are to primarily provide students with a broad-ranging and systematic knowledge of Danish politics and society. Furthermore, the course will not only give students knowledge about Denmark and the ability to understand the Danish case, the course will also enable students to compare and analyze other countries, political systems, and societal phenomena. Through the use of discussions and simulation games, this course will also provide the students with a number of tools to sharpen their analytical skills and their understandings of the dilemmas facing the modern political decision maker.
Content:
The course is structured into 5 blocks reflecting the main themes that are treated throughout the course:
I. Intro & history – How we got here.
II. Danish Culture & Politics – the Spirit of Consensus?
III. Political Economy - Financing the Welfare State.
IV. Denmark in a European context
V. Denmark in a global context - From Afghanistan to the Arctic.
Readings
Study questions are assigned for each class. They are meant as a guide while reading the assigned texts – thus enabling students to focus on the essential issues that will be covered in each class.
Note: Some of the readings might be subject to change during the course, but students will receive any new readings in due time to prepare for class.
Please find the following ebook under Modules on our Canvas:
Knud J.V. Jespersen (2018): A History of Denmark. Palgrave Macmillan.
In addition to this textbook, the reading materials will consist of academic articles, newspaper articles/opinion pieces, blogposts as well as feature films/documentaries - all of which will be made available on Canvas.
Field Studies
- Wednesday, 1 October, 08.30-12.30
- Wednesday, 12 November, 13.00-17.00
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
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