Course Syllabus

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Gender Equality and Sexuality in Scandinavia

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Semester & Location:

Summer 18 - STO
Type & Credits:

Core/Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:

Anthropology, Gender Studies, Sociology
Faculty Members:

Anna Cavallin
Program Director:

Iben de Neergaard, idn@dis.dk 
Time & Place:
Study Tour: Berlin

Description of course:

Sweden is one of the most gender equal countries in the world and is well-known for its progressive culture supported by forward-thinking laws and legislations. Legalized prostitution (but illegal to purchase sexual services), paid parental leave for all parents, a very strong representation of women in leadership positions, progressive sex education, and equal rights for homosexuals are among the hallmarks of all Scandinavian societies. However, Sweden also has one of the most gender-divided workplaces in the Western world and gender equal policies do not automatically lead to gender equal behaviors.

This course explores how concepts of gender, body, sexuality and race intersect in current debates about changing family structures, children’s rights, and new ethical dilemmas in a changing Scandinavia. For example, some of the recent initiatives discussed in Swedish media and worldwide – a gender neutral approach to children and the recognition of a gender-neutral pronoun “hen” in the new Swedish dictionary, Sweden’s first LGBT pool, implementation of a norm-critical approach to teaching and learning, just to mention a few. We will follow public debates on various burning issues and compare and reflect on the differences observed between the United States, Sweden, and Scandinavia, as well as question norms and traditional ways of thinking about gender and sexuality.

By the end of the semester, you will be able to:

  • Employ methodologies from critical gender and sexuality studies to analyze the assumptions about gender and sexuality, which inform studies about us as individuals, societies, cultures, etc.
  • Focusing on Scandinavia and the US, examine how societies’ construction of gender and sexuality intersects with ethnicity, race, class, age, dis/ability, etc.
  • Be familiar with the most “burning issues” in Scandinavian debates about gender and sexuality.

Faculty: Anna Cavallin

B.A. (Comparative Literature and French Literature, Stockholm University). M.A. (Comparative Literature, Stockholm University). PhD on Sweden in the late 19th century: gender, consumption and power in 2017 (Department of Literature, Stockholm University). Current instructor and lecturer at the Department of Gender Studies, Stockholm University. Taught several courses on Swedish culture, literature, and gender for The Swedish Program Study Abroad Program located in Stockholm. Fields of research include a special focus on literary analysis contextualizing gender perspective.

Guest lecturers:

  • PhD Karin Milles, researcher and lecturer specialized in language from different aspects of gender perspective, and language activism, on new Swedish words.
  • PhD Anne Bachmann, researcher and lecturer, specialized in Swedish and Scandinavian film and television, on Sex in Swedish film 1950-1970.
  • PhD Vendela Grundell, photographer and art historian, on visual stereotypes.

Field Studies:

RFSU: workshop on sex ed with the national organisation for sexual education.

Hallwylska palatset: The private palace of a most eccentric, enormously wealthy and strong minded woman. A presentation of history, nation, gender and class, all included in one building.

Movies:

  • Something has to break/Nånting måste gå sönder, 2014, Sweden.
  • Sex on the map, 2012, RFSU & UR, Sweden.
  • Don’t Ever Wipe Tears Without Gloves/Torka aldrig tårar utan handskar (mini series, 2013)(optional)
  • Fucking Åmål/Show me Love (1999)(optional)

 

Course Spirit and Policies:

Mutual learning atmosphere: The course is based on a student-centered approach with a strong emphasis on class discussions. My role as instructor is to facilitate the course and learning process during, but all of us are responsible for creating the most beneficial atmosphere and environment for creation of knowledge. Different learning activities will occur during the course, such as group work, workshops, reflection tasks, field studies, movie- and text analysis and more. In addition to this, you will also be given the opportunity to add your own research and to get insights into the contemporary public debate.

Everyone’s opinion counts: Some of the topics covered in this course could be seen as controversial and sensitive. You should feel comfortable in expressing your personal opinions regarding issues discussed in class, and we are all responsible for creating the discussion climate where this is felt by all participants. In order to attain this, also be prepared to be open to other points of view than your own, and always express disagreement in a respectful and constructive way. See this as an opportunity to broaden your perspective by listening to other opinions. The concept of safe space will be addressed and rules concerning this will be talked through during our first class session.

Academic Regulations  

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:

 

 

Assignments and Evaluation

FORMAT

EVAL.

CRITERIA

DEADLINES

Participation

50%

Includes attendance and in-class participation: engaged listening, speaking up in productive ways, participating actively in the learning activities, small group discussions, group work etc.

The grade will include the following parameters:

Active and verbal participation in class discussions and field studies. This includes an in-class presentation of a burning issue or a dilemma, a theme or readings from the course curriculum and participation in discussions during the course, or a written paper equivalent to the oral presentation.

Throughout the course

 

Reflection paper

 

10%

 

Personally based, 1-2 page reflection paper, where you respond to a class activity (reading, guest lecture, field trip etc) and communicate your own thoughts and opinions as you reveal the thought process which led you to these conclusions. To be handed in during the course.

 June 21

Final project: Study Tour Poster

40%

 

 

Identify and present a concept, a problem or an issue you have come across during the course, in the format of a poster where the visual presentation as well as the written, theoretical outline carries equal weight. Further instructions will be handed out from professor.

 June 28

 

 

Guidelines for the written assignments: All assignments must be double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font, 1-inch margins. At DIS, one page equals 300 words.

You are expected to use correct citing formats (either APA or MLA) on all assignments.

Readings:

Maia Booker, One Photographer Documents Sweden's Amazing Leave Policies, New Republic, May 30, 2015; http://www.newrepublic.com/article/121928/johan-bavmans-photo-series-swedish-dads-parental-leave

April S. Callis, Playing with Butler and Foucault: Bisexuality and Queer Theory (Journal of Bisexuality, 9: 3-4, 2009)

Kajsa Ekis Ekman, Buying and Being Bought

"Nordic men on parental leave: Can the welfare state change gender relations?" (Lammi-Taskula, J. in Politicizing Parenthood in Scandinavia) 2006 Nordic Men on Parental Leave.pdf

Ruth Lister, A Nordic Nirvana? Gender, Citizenship, and Social Justice in the Nordic Welfare States

Jay Levy and Pye Jakobsson, Sweden's abolitionist discourse and law: Effects on the dynamics of Swedish sex work and on the lives of Sweden's sex workers.

‘Let’s talk about Porn! On youth, gender and pornography in Sweden’ (Sven-Axel Månesson, Lotte Löfgren Mårtenson in Generation P? – Youth Gender and Pornography) 2007 Let's Talk About Porn!.pdf

Joanne Nagel, Ethnicity and Sexuality. (Annual Review of Sociology, vol 26 (2000)

Sex sells, but what else does it do? The American porn industry’ (Chris Pappas, in Introducing the New Sexualities Studies 2nd edition) 2011 Sex sells- but what else does it do__xid-777803_1.pdf

Reiko, Laura, (2014) Gender Matters? Swedish picture books and gender ambiguity, The Open Book: A blog on race, diversity, education, and children's books, September 30, 2014. http://blog.leeandlow.com/2014/09/30/swedish-picture-books-and-gender-ambiguity/

Ellen Ross & Rayna Rapp, Sex and Society. A research note from Social History and Anthropology

Steven Seidman, Theoretical Perspectives

Birthe Siim, Migration, Multiculturalism, and Gender – a Nordic perspective

‘Porno-chic – Sex and mainstreaming of pornography in mass culture’ (Anette Dina Sørensen, in Generation P? – Youth Gender and Pornography) 2007  Porno-chic__xid-777700_1.pdf

Michael B. Wells, Anna Sarkadi (2012) Do Father-Friendly Policies Promote Father-Friendly Child-Rearing Practices? A Review of Swedish Parental Leave and Child Health Centers, J Child Fam Stud (2012) 21: 25–31. Wells and Sarkadi - Do Father Friendly Policies Promote Father Friendly Child Rearing Practices.pdf

 

Course Summary:

Date Details Due