This course deals with gender equality as political ideal and practice in the Nordic region. Taking a historical departure the course will address questions such as: How and when was the issue of gender equality put on the political agenda in the Nordic countries? How is gender equality understood and practised today? Are Nordic countries still to be conceived as egalitarian? Drawing on various research fields such as post-structuralist feminist theory, postcolonial theory as well as critical perspectives on violence, class and sexuality the course will explore the ideal of gender equality from different angles. Special emphasis is put on examining the ways in which present day Nordic societies in general and gender equality in particular are marked by processes of postcoloniality, heteronormativity and neoliberalism. This is a cross-disciplinary course and will be able to enrich and complement courses in many different programmes. The course is organized around active student participation and consists of lectures, learning activities and written examinations.
