SOA-1006 Arctic Norway - Aspects of Culture - 10 stp

This course is compulsory for students in the Social Anthropology bachelor's programme.

The course can be taken as a singular course.

The anthropological perspective in the course focuses on cultural and political dynamics in the region as they unfold between people of Saami, Norwegian and Finnish origins with main focus on the Saami situation. Historical processes of dialogic transformation, and changing public policies, are related to contemporary manifestations of cultural variations and ethnic revitalisation.

After a period of Norwegian enforcement of Saami assimilation, the cultural and ethnic revitalisation now taking place signifies a major change in ethnic relationships in the North. Different aspects of this general political development will be debated.

The course considers social, cultural and religious characteristics that may impact minority, economic and political position, complexities in identity formation and different types of representation.

Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse) or prior learning and work experience (realkompetanse).

Application code: 9199 - Enkeltemner (ikke realfag), lavere grad (Nordic applicants).

Students who complete the course have the following learning outcome:

Knowledge

• have basic knowledge about the cultural complexity of Northern Norway with special focus on the historical and contemporary situation of the minorities of the region
• have basic knowledge of the main ecological adaptive strategies over time, and some basic knowledge of the complexity and varying challenges in economics, cultural expressions and rights issues in a global context

Skills

• have skills in reading ethnographic texts and other scientific papers and relating them analytically to each other
• have skills in analysing different types of representations with special focus on museum exhibitions

Competences

• improved analytical competence and particularly analytically understanding of processes related to cultural similarities and differences in the area of focus
• have competence in communicating and discussing different explanations of social phenomena
• be able to use concepts and theories related to ethnicity in their analysis in further study