Perspectives on Norway with Melissa Gjellstad

Details:

This is a 5-week virtual class using the Zoom platform.

Mondays February 26, March 4, 18, 25 and April 1

5:30-7:30pm CT

About this class:

This course offers a glimpse of Norway, past and present, in a five-week series on Norwegian life and society. Weekly topics explore contemporary culture as informed by historical developments. As we look at questions of what it means to be "Norwegian" today, we contextualize some of the key traits and characteristics for which the nation of Norway is internationally known today. 

The proposed course schedule will be: 

•        Week 1 – People & Values 

•        Week 2 – History & Geography 

•        Week 3 – Gender & Family 

•        Week 4 – Literature & Film

•        Week 5 – Music & Art  

Course participants will be able to discuss questions and share opinions and experiences. This course is an intended companion/sequel to Steve Finney's Introduction to the Norwegian langauge class.

Instructor bio:

Born on the prairie, professor Melissa Gjellstad finds inspiration in international education, the humanities, and the weather of the north. Melissa works at the University of North Dakota as department chair and Norwegian program director; she earned a Ph.D. in Scandinavian Languages & Literatures from the University of Washington. Melissa’s research delves into contemporary Scandinavian literature and gender studies, centering on mothers and fathers in fiction from the millennium shift; she has translated works of non-fiction and poetry.

Humanities North Dakota classes and events are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

HND VALUE STATEMENT

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities North Dakota. However, in an increasingly polarized world, we at Humanities North Dakota believe that being open-minded is necessary to thinking critically and rationally. Therefore our programs and classes reflect our own open-mindedness in the inquiry, seeking, and acquiring of scholars to speak at our events and teach classes for our Public University. To that end, we encourage our participants to join us in stepping outside our comfort zones and considering other perspectives and ideas by being open-minded while attending HND events featuring scholars who hold a variety of opinions, some being opposite of our own held beliefs.