Sweden

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Sweden is a land of contrasts. It is one of the last places in Europe with large forests and unspoiled natural wilderness. Like Alabama, forestry, mining, and farming are major occupations in the society. At the same time it is the country in Europe with the highest saturation of cell phones in the market. Computers are a staple of Swedish daily life, and access to the internet is nearly universal.
Swedes love to travel and from the age of seven learn English in school.

Students who participate in the program will have the opportunity to experience the culture from the nation's capital, Stockholm. One of the most beautiful capitals in Europe, Stockholm is a city built on islands, with large parks and narrow streets. It is a thriving metropolis with people from all over the world. Visitors are always surprised at the diversity of people who reside in the city and in Sweden generally. Stockholm is the center of Swedish commerce and its political hub. It houses the country's parliament, the royal castle, and the major museum attractions and universities.

COURSE OFFERINGSP
PSC 321 The Politics and Policy of Sweden, 3 credit hours: Dr. Terry Royed
Sweden has long been studied by social scientists throughout the world because of its famed welfare state, which provides“cradle to grave” protections for its citizens. This course will begin with a brief survey of the political history of Sweden, including addressing the question of how and why the extensive welfare state was created. To understand this, and contemporary issues, we will talk about Swedish governing institutions, social cleavages, parties, interest groups, and elections— placing all of these in a comparative perspective. Finally, we will look at developments over the last decade or so and ponder the future. What has been the impact of growing immigration? What has been the impact of EU membership, and how may this continue to evolve? Is an extensive welfare state still possible in an era of globalization? Throughout the
course, we will take advantage of being in the capital city as much as possible, by, for example, touring the Riksdag (parliament) and participating in tours and lectures provided by the city of tockholm.

PSC 321 European Liberalism, Crisis, and Scandinavian Drama in Historical Perspective, 3 credit hours: Dr. Ted Miller.
Both the US and many Western European nations are described as “liberal” nations. In the US, we are largely familiar with the liberalism of the American founders, but what were the struggles that led to the growth of liberalism in Western Europe? After the establishment of liberalism, what challenges did it face, and how is/was liberal individualism experienced in Western Europe? This course is designed to introduce students to some of the philosophical characteristics and historical events that make European liberalism unlike its counterpart in the US. We will explore these questions through selected readings from philosophical, historical, and sociological works, and though the lens of Scandinavian drama and film. Authors and filmmakers will include deTocqueville, Marx, Weber, Ibsen, and Bergman.

PSC 321 The Politics of Culture: Interpreting Daily Life in Sweden, 3 credit hours: Dr. Utz McKnight
This course provides students with knowledge of how cultural and social practices allow for specific descriptions of
political institutions. How do people in Sweden describe themselves relative to political processes, parties, and social
organizations? The course will teach students how to analyze the politics of the everyday social world. Students will
conduct field experiments, investigating aspects of everyday life around Stockholm to learn about the politics of Swedish
culture. Classroom projects and reading material will support students’ understanding of the difficulty with interpreting the
political events of other societies.

Forms on this site may require the latest version of Adobe Reader. You can download a free copy at http://www.adobe.com/.

Alabama in Sweden brochure (pdf)

Application word / pdf

Late applications will be considered.

Students planning to use financial aid to fund their overseas study should contact Vickey Phillips (vickey.phillips@ua.edu, 205-348-8760, 135 B.B. Comer Hall) for a financial aid letter which details the cost of the program and estimates expenses not included in the program. Students should take the letter to Financial Aid and meet with a counselor. If Financial Aid determines an award will be made, they will prepare an Anticipated Aid form for you. Please bring this form to CIAP. Please remember to include your CWID and name of program on the form.

Capstone International has program scholarships available based on need and merit. Click here or visit 135 B.B. Comer for an application.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Dr. Utz Lars McKnight
Program Director, AL in Sweden Program
Political Science Department
306 ten Hoor Hall
Phone: (205) 348-3803
Email: umcknigh@bama.ua.edu

Angela Channell
Director of Overseas Study
Box 870254, 135 B. B.Comer Hall
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0254
Phone 205-348-5256
Email: achannel@saalan.ua.edu

Back to top