The Swedish Model

Aim

After completion of the course the student should be able to:

• account for the origins and foundations of the Swedish political system and the Swedish welfare system,
• describe the history of Swedish industrialism and its social and political consequences,
• describe the historical background of the Swedish social movements,
• account for and analyse the Swedish foreign policy andSweden’s position in the international community,
• account for and analyse the Swedish migration politics and integration policy,
• describe and analyse the Swedish identity in relation to the present ethnic diversity and ethnic relations in the Swedish society,
• use various theoretical and methodological tools for describing, analysing and comparing above-mentioned political, economic, institutional and social issues in their historical and contemporary contexts.

Content

The course consists of two parts:

The roots of the Swedish model, 7,5 credits This section of the course deals with historical, ideological, and political origins of modern Sweden essential to understanding the Sweden of today. The origins of the Swedish political system and the Swedish welfare system as well as the historical processes of the Swedish industrialisation and related economic models are discussed. The historical background of Swedish foreign politics and the Swedish migration policy are also discussed in this part..

The contemporary aspects of the Swedish model, 7,5 credits This section of the course focuses on aspects of the political structures and institutional life of Sweden. The functioning of the welfare system in health care and social welfare. Moreover, the position of Sweden (both at EU: level and in the international community), the Swedish foreign policy and the Swedish migration politics and integration model as well as the Swedish identity in relation to the existing ethnic relations will be the discussed and analysed by various theoretical perspectives and comparative methods.