Course content

Norwegian society has become more socially and culturally diverse. What diversity entails and how we can build a sustainable society characterized by trust and belonging are therefore fundamental questions. The course will provide an introduction to diversity in a Norwegian context and explore how notions of diversity come into play in for example literature, music and religion. In debates about how to deal with diversity; integration and inclusion have often been presented as aims. The course will provide knowledge about various aspects regarding diversity, including ethnicity, race, gender and sexuality, and study diversity and integration as historical and cultural phenomena and as transcultural dynamics. Humanistic perspectives on equality and difference provide the basis for raising new issues and ways of exploring cultural and societal understandings. In this course, this is done through thematically organized project work.

This is a subject area course (områdeemne) within the humanities and arts. The generic theme is citizenship and politics.

Learning outcome

Learning outcomes

Candidates who have completed this course will have knowledge of:

• central aspects regarding social and cultural diversity in a Norwegian context
• various perspectives on integration and diversity
• important concepts such as integration, diversity, culture, 'Norwegianness', equality and difference, sexuality and gender equality
• how the humanities can contribute to our understanding of diversity and integration as cultural phenomena and ideals

Candidates who have completed this course will have the skills to:

• define and use central concepts regarding diversity, integration, culture, 'Nowegianness', equality, inequality, sameness and difference
• apply theoretical concepts and analytical tools to reflect upon widespread ideas and pre regarding ethnicity/nationality, gender, sexuality, religion, language and other ways of categorizing people and groups
• formulate a research question related to a given topic and answer it by taking part in a project

General competencies

Students who complete this course have cooperation skills through project work in groups.

Learning methods and activities

The first half of the semester is based on lectures followed by a period of seminar training, where the students work on a project in groups. The project is presented in the end of the semester.

The first half of the semester is based on lectures followed by a period of seminar training, where the students work on a project in interdisciplinary groups. The project is presented in the end of the semester.

Compulsory activities:

• Project outline / project plan (group submission)
• Weekly logs during the project period (group submission)
• Presentation of the project (in groups)
• Seminar work is organized and distributed within individual groups. The equivalent of 80 % participation in project group work is required.

Compulsory activities during the seminar training are conducted in groups. In order to take the exam, approval of compulsory activities and the equivalent of 80 % participation in group work is required. Compulsory activity is only valid in the semester the subject is taken and the following semester.

The course is taught in Norwegian or English.

Compulsory assignments

• Several compulsory activities