Learning outcome

After successfully completing the course, the candidate will have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence.

Knowledge

The candidate has knowledge of:

• Nordic political culture and nationalism in the period from about 1740 to 1914
• The characteristics of Nordic political culture and nationalism, and how and why these characteristics have evolved
• Positive and negative factors that have influenced Nordic community during this period
• History methodology and the relationship between source material and historical representations and hypotheses; knowledge of comparative methodology
• Historical research debates.

Skills

The candidate has the ability to/knowledge of:

• Criticize, comment, and edit texts and documents in accordance with the general rules of criticism used in historical studies
• Communicate orally on the subject using the correct terminology and techniques of the subject
• Formulate academic questions on the subject of history
• Critically analyse historical data, sources and literature, and draw independent conclusions on the basis of such materials
• Organize complex historical information in a logically consistent manner
• Information retrieval and search tools and how to use these in relation to bibliographic and archival material, and electronic references.

General competence

The candidate can/has:

• Communicate advanced academic content, both orally and in writing
• Work independently with a given question, or one which he/she has formulated
• Familiarize himself/herself with new problem areas and analyse a topic from several angles
• Exchange views on historical topics and justify his/her academic viewpoint
• A critical awareness of the relations between past and contemporary events and processes.

Course Description

Course topics:

• Political culture and nationalism in a European context
• The monarchy’s crisis and renewal
• The transformation of the political debate
• Female and male political dimensions
• Political participation - changes in form and scope
• The development of national identities and nationalism in the Nordic region
• Scandinavianism and Scandinavian cooperation.

The course is research-based in that the teaching staff normally consists of active researchers, who use their own material where applicable.

Teaching and Learning Methods

Instruction will be given as seminars or lectures, and will be partly based on workshops. E-tools will also be used. Recordings of the instruction will be made, so that students who cannot attend the teaching will be able to listen to the instruction in their own time. Teaching that is given in the seminars requires active participation from the students. In order to attain the learning outcomes, it is necessary that students have prepared thoroughly for the teaching.

In addition to the teaching at the college, students taking courses in Nordic history will have the opportunity during the course of the academic year to participate in a 4-7-day excursion to one of the Nordic countries other than Norway (usually in October). The excursion is usually heavily subsidized, but students will still have to cover part of their own expenses.

The students have to do an obligatory exercise.

Assessment Methods

The assessment comprises a six-hour written examination at the end of the autumn semester. The examination will assess the students' knowledge and understanding of historical development, and their skills in analytical and critical thinking, cf. the points mentioned above under ‘learning outcomes’.
The grade given will be on a letter scale from A to E, where F represents a failing grade.

Minor adjustments may occur during the academic year, subject to the decision of the Dean