""
Language skills
required, minimum level of B2
Programme length
2 years.
Study mode
Face-to-face learning Distance learning
Application status
International students:
Students with Icelandic or Nordic citizenship:
Overview

  • Do you want to see everyday life in a new light?
  • Do you want to learn to use ethnological methods in independent research?
  • Do you enjoy folk music and folk tales, historical and contemporary, from Norse mythology to urban legends?
  • Are you interested in people?

Students are introduced to folkloristics in an Icelandic and international context, adopt an ethnological perspective on society, and learn how to apply ethnological methods in independent research. Students will also gain a solid foundation in the history of the discipline. 

Programme structure

The programme is 120 ECTS and is organised as two years of full-time study.

As well as folkloristics courses, students may also take courses in their chosen specialisation in other subjects or at other UI faculties, in consultation with the administrative supervisor.

Specialisations

Students may choose between the following specialisations:

  • Folkloristics
  • Applied folkloristics

Course topics include:

  • Everyday life
  • Stories and legends
  • Domestic and professional life
  • Religion and music
  • Customs and traditions
  • Festivals and games
  • Clothing, fashion and food across the world

A 30 ECTS micro-credential in folkloristics is also available.

Organisation of teaching

This programme is taught in Icelandic but most textbooks are in English or other foreign languages.

Main objectives

Students should adopt an ethnological perspective on society and learn how to apply ethnological methods in independent research.

Other

Completing the programme allows you to apply for doctoral studies.

BA, BS B.Ed. degree with First Class grades or equivalent.

120 ECTS credits have to be completed for the qualification.

Students not holding a BA degree in Folkloristics are required to take at least 30 ECTS credits in undergraduate courses in Folkloristics. The student selects these courses in an agreement with his academic supervisor.

Students complete their studies with a MA thesis of 40-60 ECTS credits on a subject related to their supervisor's area of expertise. The other 60-80 ECTS credits should be made up of relevant courses (agreed in cooperation with the supervisor) taken either at the University of Iceland or in equivalent departments in other countries. It is encouraged that the student should take at least one term abroad should it be at all possible. 

The following documents must accompany an application for this programme:
  • CV
  • Statement of purpose
  • Reference 1, Name and email
  • Reference 2, Name and email
  • Certified copies of diplomas and transcripts
  • Proof of English proficiency

Further information on supporting documents can be found here

Programme structure

Check below to see how the programme is structured.

First year | Fall
Theories in Social and human Sciences (FMÞ102F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
First year | Fall
Introduction to Qualitative Research (FMÞ103F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
First year | Fall
Performance Studies (ÞJÓ107F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
First year | Fall
Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I (ÞJÓ102F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Attendance required in class
Not taught this semester
First year | Fall
Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals (ÞJÓ110F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

Aim

The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Attendance required in class
Not taught this semester
First year | Fall
Future cultures: Extreme Environments (ÞJÓ311F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
First year | Fall
Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment (MON002M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
First year | Fall
Reading Course in MA Study (ÞJÓ002F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
First year | Spring 1
Old Nordic Religion and Belief (ÞJÓ203F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching format

  • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I (ÞJÓ102F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life (ÞJÓ212F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
15 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
First year | Spring 1
Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore (ÞJÓ215F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Attendance required in class
First year | Spring 1
Cultural Heritage (ÞJÓ447M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Conference participation (ÞJÓ210M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
First year | Spring 1
Conference symposium (ÞJÓ209M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
First year | Spring 1
Food and culture (NÆR613M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Oral Tradition in Sagas and Eddas (ÞJÓ109F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Albert B Lord's theory on oral poetry from The Singer of Tales forms a basis for the course. Research that has appeared since the writing of that book will be discussed and an attempt made to evaluate the influence that the theory has had on research of medieval literature that is partly based on oral tradition. In the latter half of the course the focus will be on the Eddic Poems.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature (ÞJÓ614M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

Language of instruction: Icelandic
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
First year | Spring 1
Reading Course in MA Study (ÞJÓ002F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Second year | Fall
Performance Studies (ÞJÓ107F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Second year | Fall
MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology (ÞJÓ441L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Final Project

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Not taught this semester
Second year | Fall
Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals (ÞJÓ110F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

Aim

The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Attendance required in class
Not taught this semester
Second year | Fall
Future cultures: Extreme Environments (ÞJÓ311F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Second year | Fall
Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment (MON002M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Second year | Fall
Reading Course in MA Study (ÞJÓ002F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Second year | Fall
Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life (ÞJÓ212F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
15 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Second year | Fall
Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II (ÞJÓ310F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
2 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Second year | Fall
Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II (ÞJÓ307F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Attendance required in class
Second year | Spring 1
Old Nordic Religion and Belief (ÞJÓ203F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching format

  • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Second year | Spring 1
MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology (ÞJÓ441L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Final Project

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Second year | Spring 1
Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore (ÞJÓ215F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Attendance required in class
Second year | Spring 1
Cultural Heritage (ÞJÓ447M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Conference participation (ÞJÓ210M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Second year | Spring 1
Conference symposium (ÞJÓ209M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Second year | Spring 1
Food and culture (NÆR613M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Not taught this semester
Second year | Spring 1
Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature (ÞJÓ614M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

Language of instruction: Icelandic
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Second year | Spring 1
Reading Course in MA Study (ÞJÓ002F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Not taught this semester
Second year | Spring 1
Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II (ÞJÓ307F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Second year | Spring 1
Cultural Heritage (ÞJÓ447M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Summer
MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology (ÞJÓ441L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Final Project

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Year unspecified | Whole year courses
Mentor in Sprettur (GKY001M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

Sprettur is a project that supports foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

Students fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Attendance required in class
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Applied folklore (ÞJÓ304M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Attendance required in class
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Stuff: Material worlds and webs of meaning (MAN504M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In this course the focus will be on the diversity of human material cultures and the manifold meanings objects have in different cultural contexts. The social aspects of things, their agency and their sometimes gender will be considered. The inalienability of certain things will be discussed as will the way the meaning of objects is often altered as they move from one social context to another. The utility of things such as tools will be pondered as well as man’s varied use of animals. In short: The course combines anthropological material culture studies with symbolic anthropology and a consideration of humanimal relations.

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified | Fall
The Medieval North (SAG716M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Historical and historiographical survey of major topics in the history of the medieval North, with special emphasis on Iceland and Norway from the Viking Age into the fourteenth century. Topics include: Power, kingship and state; law and feud; kinship, gender and social ties; religious and mental outlook(s); conversion, Christianity and church; economic conditions. Prior knowledge of the “factual” narrative (textbook narrative) is helpful but not necessary.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Cultural and heritage tourism (FER110F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Introduction to quantitative research (FMÞ001F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Fall
Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects (FOR701M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
General Gender Studies (KYN101F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course addresses the main issues in gender studies through the lens of diversity in modern societies. The gender perspective is applied to provide an overview of the status and condition of men and women. The origins and development of the fight for women’s rights and gender studies as an academic field. The main concepts of gender studies are introduced, including sex, gender, essentialism and constructivism. Finally, the course looks into how gender necessarily intersects with other social factors.

Teaching Arrangement: The course is based on flipped learning, which means that all lectures will be available on Canvas. On-campus and distance students attend weekly discussion sessions at the university or on Teams, and online students participate in weekly discussions on Canvas

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Theories in Museum Studies (SAF002F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21st century. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Year unspecified | Fall
Museums as a learning environment (SAF016F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Literary tourism and writer's museums (SAF503M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Dress, Boundaries and Culture Creation in 19th Century Iceland (ÞJÓ063M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Taught in August 2022

An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

 

Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Year unspecified | Fall
Fundamentals in Web Communications (HMM120F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Fall
The Arctic Circle (UAU018M)
Free elective course within the programme
4 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The Arctic is expected to become more important in the coming decades as climate change makes natural resources and transport routes more accessible creating threats to fragile ecosystems and societies as well as economic opportunities. Satellite data collected since 1979 shows that both the thickness of the ice in the Arctic and range of sea ice have decreased substantially, especially during the summer months. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle. Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes.

The Arctic Circle Assembly is designed to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the international focus on the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle Assembly will contain sessions on a wide variety of topics, such as:

  • Sea ice melt and extreme weather
  • Polar law: treaties and agreements
  • The role and rights of indigenous peoples
  • Security in the Arctic
  • Shipping and transportation infrastructure
  • The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling
  • Clean energy achievements and sustainable development
  • Arctic resources
  • Human rights and gender equality
  • Business cooperation in the Arctic
  • The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic
  • Greenland in the new Arctic
  • Fisheries and ecosystem management
  • The science of ice: global research cooperation
  • Arctic tourism
  • Arctic identity and cultures
  • The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas
  • Politics in the Arctic

This course enables and relies on the participation of UoI graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Harpa, Reykjavik. Students are required to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly. Students have to attend one class shortly before the Assembly and one class shortly after the Assembly.

Arctic Circle Assembly,  October 17 - 19th 2024 in Harpa, Reykjavík

Students need to pay the student registration fee to the conference, but receive a discount. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified | Fall
Sexual Violence, Law and Justice (FÉL601M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Women's Day Off 1975: Myths and communication (HMM301M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

"The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Research and sources in archives (SAG206M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Students learn and are trained in the methods of archival research, finding and evaluating sources in archives.  Practical exercises will be assigned.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Globalization (MAN095F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

 The course is taught in English.

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Iceland: Anthropological Past, Present and Future (MAN0A7F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Year unspecified | Fall
The self meets society: Social psychology of everyday life (FÉL701F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified | Fall
Radio production and podcasting (HMM235F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Environmental anthropology (MAN509M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Anthropology of art (MAN0A6F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Crime and Social Deviance (FÉL0A1F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Fashion and Apparel: Theories and Analysis of Material Culture in an Industrialized Market Society (ÞJÓ606M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Fieldwork in Ethnology (ÞJÓ403F)
Free elective course within the programme
20 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Fieldwork

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Applied folklore (ÞJÓ445M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Northern tourism: Performances and Experiences (LAN214F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Teaching period: March - May

This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

Language of instruction: English
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
(In)equality and welfare in the Nordic countries (FÉL213F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The Nordic welfare model is frequently viewed as an ideal model for other welfare state, as it has achieved the greatest success in equalizing outcomes. Iceland is a part of the nordic model, but it is different in many ways, for example with more limited support to individuals and less spending on welfare. Yet, there have been great achievements regarding equality, Iceland is generally among the countries with the highest levels of gender equality and multiple indicators that measure inequality are lowest in Iceland.

 In this course, we will go over the major sociological theories on inequality and the welfare state, and the position of Iceland will be considered both compared to the other Nordic countries as well as other welfare state in advanced, industralized nations. We will focus on the organization of the welfare state, how scholars have classified welfare states, and the consequences of the welfare state for example for health, inequality, and the opportunities that individuals have in society.

Language of instruction: English
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Postmedieval archaeology (FOR702M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Living in the contemporary world it is easy to think of the past as something remote and separate from everyday life - whether it is a trip to a museum or even studying archaeology at university, history seems to always be placed at one remove from our everyday life. Something we encounter for fun or interest. The aim of this course is to look at our modern world through an archaeological and historical lens: how are the patterns of our lives today the product of things that happened in the past? This course will show how the past is alive in the present – not as a heritage site or archaeology textbook but as something which still shapes our daily routines and the material world around us. Although the roots of this go back to our biological evolution, arguably most of these effects emerged in the last 500 years.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts (MIS204F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


Course synopsis

Week 1
(1) Introduction
The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

(2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

Week 2
(3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

(4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

Week 3
(5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

(6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

Week 4
(7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

(8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

Week 5
(9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
Main characteristics and their development.

(10) One scribal hand or many?
Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

Week 6
(11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

(12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

— STUDY WEEK —

Week 7
(13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

(14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
Main characteristics and their development.

Week 8
(15) Textual criticism
On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

(16) Textual criticism
Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

Week 9
(17) Manuscript illumination
On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

(18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

Week 10
(19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
Main characteristics and their development.

(20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

Week 11
(21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

(22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

Week 12
(23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

(24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

— This synopsis may be subject to change. —

Readings

The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

(a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

(b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

(c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

Prerequisites
Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

Course format
The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

Course requirements and assessment
The final grade for the course will be based on:

(1) Transcription assignments: 30%
(2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
(3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
(4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
(5) Research paper: 30%
(6) Class participation: 10%

All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Globalization (FÉL0A5F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course revolves around the main features and the development of globalization, with special emphasis on how it changes the surroundings of people in present times in a variety of ways.

The course is divided into three themed blocks focusing on mobilities, transnationalism and inequalities. Topics discussed within these themes revolve around how micro-level social practices connect to macrostructural processes and institutions. We will discuss how individuals, groups and organizations connect transnationally; how people, knowledge, ideas and things travel on a global scale; and how these new transnational social spaces, and mobilities within them, are changing the dynamics within the social order, including stratification and differentiation along racial, class, and gender lines. The course provides the opportunity to explore how these practises and processes impact on lived realities, including health and well-being, working lives and security. The course consists of lecturers and discussion lessons in which students will take an active role.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Theories in Tourism Studies (FER210F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In the 1980s that scholars in social sciences started considering tourism as an important topic of study. Questions such as "who is the tourist?", "what are the reasons behind travelling?" and "how can tourism be defined?" became dominant at first and influenced the original theorisation. These questions are still being asked, although with an ever changing emphasis in a constantly changing social, political and economic circumstances.

This module will look at the core theories in tourism and provide insight into different approaches to the topic by different scholars. Students will have to consider the theme of the course in order to think about the relevance of different approaches and theories if they were to set upp their own project in the field of tourism.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Theories in Gender Studies (KYN211F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course discusses the philosophical and theoretical foundations of gender studies, and the critical and interdisciplinary content of the field. The representation and meaning of sex and gender in language, culture, history, science, and society is explored. The analytical perspective of the field is presented, as is its relationship with methodology. Students are trained in applying theoretical concepts and methods independently and critically.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Culture and Dissent (MFR703M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Sagas of Icelanders (ÍSB601F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This 10 credit course will present different theoretical approaches to the sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur). A selection of these sagas (Egils saga, Eyrbyggja saga and Grettis saga) will be read and analysed. Different interpretations of them will be discussed. Special attention will be given to the interaction between prose and poetry in the sagas, as well as to the production of meaning, particularly in relation to the period in which they were composed.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Global health (MAN603F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Global health priorities are in focus in this course. Global burden of disease across countries will be scrutinized as well as inequality and other important socio-economic determinants of health in a globalized world. Particular focus will be given to maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in low- and middle-income countries, health systems and care-seeking. Global nutritional challenges and mental health issues will be discussed as well as prevention and impact of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cholera, Ebola and COVID-19. Along the coursework, other subjects for discussion and analysis with importance for health include violence, environment, culture, disaster and complex emergencies, as well as ethical issues. In addition, the work and policies of international institutions and development organizations will be discussed, including the new Sustainable Development Goals.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Advanced Seminar in Qualitative Research (FMÞ201F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within  research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Professional works: Case study analysis (SAF011F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course examines professionalism, using case studies from museum work in Iceland, from a broad, interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and debates. This course should therefore appeal to students from a variety of disciplines, including museology, archaeology, art studies, cultural studies, anthropology and folklore. The case studies are related to the variable works of museums, including management, organisation, collection, conservation, research and communication.

Furthermore, methods of assessment will be considered, both from the angle of the museum visitor as well as self-appraisals of the museums themselves (approaches to - and processing of information). The subject of the case studies are variable, including administration, gender considerations, accessibility, conservation of archaeological artefacts, research into visual cultural heritage, freedom of expression, housing and building affairs, gifts to museums and more.

In this course, experts and specialists (from Iceland and abroad), working in museum sector will give talks, sharing their knowledge and their experience. Students will choose one day over the semester, for a one day career day at a museum in Reykjavík, where a member of staff will tell them about the museum‘s main activities and demonstrate basic entry input in their electronic database. Students will work with the staff for the remainder of the day.

The course is taught distance learning, with short, online lectures by teachers and guest-lecturers. It also includes three full day on-campus (or Zoom, should that be needed) lecture days, where students will visit museums around Reykjavík and listen to lectures from a variety of people. Attendance is required during the three day on-campus and Zoom days.

Final grade is based on completing written assignments during the semester, attendance for full-day on-campus/zoom days and the career day.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Museums and Society: The Circus of Death? (SAF603M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Wretched Girls and Virtuous Ladies: Women in Iceland from the late eighteenth century to the twentieth century (SAG412M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course examines the status of women in Iceland during the long nineteenth century. The aim is to explore sources that shed light on women's circumstances, opportunities, and agency, both in rural areas and villages. The period will be examined both thematically and chronologically, exploring and analysing changes in women's status and agency. The course will explore what legal rights women had – were they autonomous? Could they travel abroad for education or travel at all? Could they marry whom they wanted? Run their own business? What kind of clothes did they wear? What work did they do inside and outside of the home? The status of women in Iceland will be examined in a transnational context, both concerning legal rights and agency, as well as in relation to major theoretical frameworks about women's history in the nineteenth century (e.g., separate spheres). The period spans from the late eighteenth century, from which time sources such as private letters and biographical texts are preserved, to c. 1900 when the struggle for women's rights had begun in Iceland and new times were ahead. The course will delve into memoirs, funeral speeches, and correspondence along with other sources and scholarly works about the period to get as close as possible to women's experiences and attitudes.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Meeting their eye level: children culture design (HMM410F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

We bend our knees, literally and figuratively speaking. How do children view the world? How can we communicate cultural content at their eye level? How can we actively listen to their point of view?

The course will discuss diverse cultural activities for children; ranging from exhibition design in museums
to interactive installations, creative workshops, interdisciplinary participatory projects and radio
programming. Teaching takes place through field trips, lectures, practical workshops and group work.

The course is led by the interdisciplinary design team ÞYKJÓ, winners of the Iceland Design Award 2024
for the project "Children and City Planning”, nominated in 2023 for the international YAM award for the
project “Golden Record - Let's send music into space!”. Speakers include a children's culture designer, a
game designer, a composer and an architect.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Introduction into Curating (SAF019F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Conservation and Preventive Care of Museum Objects (SAF206F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Conservation and preventive care of museum artifacts is the subject of this course. Theories and practices of conservation and preventive care will be explored, with emphasis on practical exercises in making evaluations of the material state of artifacts and the environment that they are either stored in and/or exhibited. Course exercises are made in collaboration with the museums in the capital area. The course is taught in on-site study, daily during the week of 19-23 February, with lectures, discussions and project classes. Teaching takes place on University Main Campus and is not available for distance learning.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Gender and Folklore (ÞJÓ021M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Multicultural society and migration (MAN017F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Common Sense? - The Anthropology of Perception and the Senses (MAN0A8F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Urban Anthropology (MAN507M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Creative Documentary (HMM220F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Crime in Iceland (FÉL0A4F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Project design, monitoring and evaluation (MAN701F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Culture and Cultural Communication (HMM240F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Sagas and Places (MIS814F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

One of the distinctive features of Old Norse-Icelandic medieval literature is how connected the narratives are to distinct places. This is especially true of Sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur) and Kings’ sagas (konungasögur). In many cases, it is possible to visit the scenes where many key events of the saga take place. In the last decades there has been a “spatial turn” in Old Norse-Icelandic studies due to theoretical developments in the humanities and the social sciences during the second half of the twentieth century, but also aided by new perceptions of space made possible by geolocalisation and digital maps. Several scholars have engaged with the sagas from this perspective, f.ex. Emily Lethbridge and Eleanor Barraclough. In this course, the theoretical literature associated with the spatial turn will be explores, the sagas will be studied from this point of view and places where key events of the sagas happen will be visited. Even though the course is taught in the Spring semester, students are encouraged to participate in trips organized by the Viking and Medieval Norse Studies and Medieval Icelandic Studies MA programmes.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts (MIS204F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


Course synopsis

Week 1
(1) Introduction
The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

(2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

Week 2
(3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

(4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

Week 3
(5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

(6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

Week 4
(7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

(8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

Week 5
(9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
Main characteristics and their development.

(10) One scribal hand or many?
Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

Week 6
(11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

(12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

— STUDY WEEK —

Week 7
(13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

(14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
Main characteristics and their development.

Week 8
(15) Textual criticism
On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

(16) Textual criticism
Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

Week 9
(17) Manuscript illumination
On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

(18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

Week 10
(19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
Main characteristics and their development.

(20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

Week 11
(21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

(22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

Week 12
(23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

(24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

— This synopsis may be subject to change. —

Readings

The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

(a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

(b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

(c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

Prerequisites
Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

Course format
The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

Course requirements and assessment
The final grade for the course will be based on:

(1) Transcription assignments: 30%
(2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
(3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
(4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
(5) Research paper: 30%
(6) Class participation: 10%

All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Year unspecified
The Icelandic Household in the 18th Century (SAG414M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course offers an in-depth study of the Icelandic 18th Century household. What different types of households were there and what was the difference between the households of peasants, fishermen, pastors, lodgers or paupers? How did young people move out of their parents’ households and start their own? How did households provide for their members and what additional expenses such as rent, taxes and dues did they need to pay? How did subsistence farming work and did the households engage in any trading? The course introduces the rich sources of the time period to students, which provide us with insights into daily life in the period, from the census of 1703 to travel journals and magazine articles of Enlightment writers of the late 18th century. Among other exercises, students practice methods of digital data entry for quantitative study.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Course taught second half of the semester
First year | Fall
Introduction to Qualitative Research (FMÞ103F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
First year | Fall
Applied folklore (ÞJÓ304M)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
First year | Fall
Reading Course in Public Folklore (ÞJÓ049F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
First year | Fall
Performance Studies (ÞJÓ107F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
First year | Fall
Theories in Social and human Sciences (FMÞ102F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
First year | Fall
Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I (ÞJÓ102F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Attendance required in class
Not taught this semester
First year | Fall
Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals (ÞJÓ110F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

Aim

The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Attendance required in class
Not taught this semester
First year | Fall
Future cultures: Extreme Environments (ÞJÓ311F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
First year | Fall
Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment (MON002M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
First year | Fall
Reading Course in MA Study (ÞJÓ002F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
First year | Spring 1
Applied folklore (ÞJÓ445M)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Old Nordic Religion and Belief (ÞJÓ203F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching format

  • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Fieldwork in Ethnology (ÞJÓ403F)
Free elective course within the programme
20 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Fieldwork

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I (ÞJÓ102F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life (ÞJÓ212F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
15 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
First year | Spring 1
Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore (ÞJÓ215F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Attendance required in class
First year | Spring 1
Cultural Heritage (ÞJÓ447M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
First year | Spring 1
Conference participation (ÞJÓ210M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
First year | Spring 1
Conference symposium (ÞJÓ209M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
First year | Spring 1
Food and culture (NÆR613M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Oral Tradition in Sagas and Eddas (ÞJÓ109F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Albert B Lord's theory on oral poetry from The Singer of Tales forms a basis for the course. Research that has appeared since the writing of that book will be discussed and an attempt made to evaluate the influence that the theory has had on research of medieval literature that is partly based on oral tradition. In the latter half of the course the focus will be on the Eddic Poems.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Not taught this semester
First year | Spring 1
Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature (ÞJÓ614M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

Language of instruction: Icelandic
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
First year | Spring 1
Reading Course in MA Study (ÞJÓ002F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Not taught this semester
Second year | Fall
Reading Course in Public Folklore (ÞJÓ049F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Second year | Fall
Performance Studies (ÞJÓ107F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Second year | Fall
MA Thesis in Applied Folkloristics (ÞJÓ431L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Final Project

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Not taught this semester
Second year | Fall
Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals (ÞJÓ110F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

Aim

The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Attendance required in class
Not taught this semester
Second year | Fall
Future cultures: Extreme Environments (ÞJÓ311F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Second year | Fall
Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment (MON002M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Course Description

What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Second year | Fall
Reading Course in MA Study (ÞJÓ002F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Second year | Fall
Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life (ÞJÓ212F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
15 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Second year | Fall
Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II (ÞJÓ310F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
2 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Second year | Fall
Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II (ÞJÓ307F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Attendance required in class
Second year | Spring 1
Applied folklore (ÞJÓ445M)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Old Nordic Religion and Belief (ÞJÓ203F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

Teaching format

  • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Not taught this semester
Second year | Spring 1
Fieldwork in Ethnology (ÞJÓ403F)
Free elective course within the programme
20 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Fieldwork

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Second year | Spring 1
MA Thesis in Applied Folkloristics (ÞJÓ431L)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
0 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Final Project

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Part of the total project/thesis credits
Second year | Spring 1
Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore (ÞJÓ215F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Attendance required in class
Second year | Spring 1
Cultural Heritage (ÞJÓ447M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Second year | Spring 1
Conference participation (ÞJÓ210M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Second year | Spring 1
Conference symposium (ÞJÓ209M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Second year | Spring 1
Food and culture (NÆR613M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Not taught this semester
Second year | Spring 1
Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature (ÞJÓ614M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

Language of instruction: Icelandic
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Second year | Spring 1
Reading Course in MA Study (ÞJÓ002F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Not taught this semester
Second year | Spring 1
Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II (ÞJÓ307F)
A mandatory (required) course for the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Self-study
Second year | Spring 1
Cultural Heritage (ÞJÓ447M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Whole year courses
Mentor in Sprettur (GKY001M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

Sprettur is a project that supports foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

Students fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified | Fall
Tourism Planning and Policy (FER111F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course deals with tourism planning and policy in the context of environment, society and economy. Broadly speaking planning issues touch on every aspect of tourism. Students will learn about the ideological premises of tourism planning and policy, historical development of policy making in Iceland and internationally with a special emphasis put on sustainable development and UN Sustainable Development Goals. The course will give students tools to describe, analyse and evaluate the premises, development and deployment of planning and policy work in tourism. The aim is to bridge between conceputal discussion and practical application.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Fall
Innovation - from idea to product (HMM121F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course covers innovation and entrepreneurship broadly; discovering and assessing ideas and opportunities, project management, business development, financing and marketing. The teaching focuses on the entrepreneurial process from idea to market. Innovation is introduced as a process that starts with business idea development and assessing market needs. Next, the focus is on project management and business planning. In the end, financing and other means of resources are presented as the entrepreneurial environment is discussed.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Fall
Fundamentals in Web Communications (HMM120F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Fall
Cultural and heritage tourism (FER110F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Theories in Museum Studies (SAF002F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21st century. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Museums as a learning environment (SAF016F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Literary tourism and writer's museums (SAF503M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Dress, Boundaries and Culture Creation in 19th Century Iceland (ÞJÓ063M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Taught in August 2022

An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

 

Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Year unspecified | Fall
Fundamentals in Web Communications (HMM120F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Fall
The Arctic Circle (UAU018M)
Free elective course within the programme
4 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The Arctic is expected to become more important in the coming decades as climate change makes natural resources and transport routes more accessible creating threats to fragile ecosystems and societies as well as economic opportunities. Satellite data collected since 1979 shows that both the thickness of the ice in the Arctic and range of sea ice have decreased substantially, especially during the summer months. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle. Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes.

The Arctic Circle Assembly is designed to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the international focus on the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle Assembly will contain sessions on a wide variety of topics, such as:

  • Sea ice melt and extreme weather
  • Polar law: treaties and agreements
  • The role and rights of indigenous peoples
  • Security in the Arctic
  • Shipping and transportation infrastructure
  • The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling
  • Clean energy achievements and sustainable development
  • Arctic resources
  • Human rights and gender equality
  • Business cooperation in the Arctic
  • The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic
  • Greenland in the new Arctic
  • Fisheries and ecosystem management
  • The science of ice: global research cooperation
  • Arctic tourism
  • Arctic identity and cultures
  • The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas
  • Politics in the Arctic

This course enables and relies on the participation of UoI graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Harpa, Reykjavik. Students are required to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly. Students have to attend one class shortly before the Assembly and one class shortly after the Assembly.

Arctic Circle Assembly,  October 17 - 19th 2024 in Harpa, Reykjavík

Students need to pay the student registration fee to the conference, but receive a discount. 

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified | Fall
Sexual Violence, Law and Justice (FÉL601M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Women's Day Off 1975: Myths and communication (HMM301M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

"The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Research and sources in archives (SAG206M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Students learn and are trained in the methods of archival research, finding and evaluating sources in archives.  Practical exercises will be assigned.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Globalization (MAN095F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

 The course is taught in English.

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Iceland: Anthropological Past, Present and Future (MAN0A7F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Year unspecified | Fall
The self meets society: Social psychology of everyday life (FÉL701F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified | Fall
Radio production and podcasting (HMM235F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Environmental anthropology (MAN509M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Fall
Anthropology of art (MAN0A6F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Online learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Fall
Crime and Social Deviance (FÉL0A1F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Fashion and Apparel: Theories and Analysis of Material Culture in an Industrialized Market Society (ÞJÓ606M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Northern tourism: Performances and Experiences (LAN214F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Teaching period: March - May

This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

Language of instruction: English
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Innovation in Tourism (FER213F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Tourism and innovation are often related in discussions on economic development and diversification. In Iceland, tourism in itself is regarded as innovative but interest is also growing in entrepreneurship and innovation within the tourism sector.

The course deals with innovation and tourism from a broad perspective. Theoretical discussion on innovation in general is presented with an emphasis on tourism, taking into account diverse conceptualisations of tourism. Innovation in service and service related industries will especially be dealt with as well as the preconditions and objectives of entrepreneurship in different subsectors of tourism. Students will work on assignments that aim at linking academic discourse to real cases from the tourism sector in Iceland.

Language of instruction: English
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Museums and Society: The Circus of Death? (SAF603M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

Work format

Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

Language of instruction: English
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Advanced Seminar in Qualitative Research (FMÞ201F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within  research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Professional works: Case study analysis (SAF011F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course examines professionalism, using case studies from museum work in Iceland, from a broad, interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and debates. This course should therefore appeal to students from a variety of disciplines, including museology, archaeology, art studies, cultural studies, anthropology and folklore. The case studies are related to the variable works of museums, including management, organisation, collection, conservation, research and communication.

Furthermore, methods of assessment will be considered, both from the angle of the museum visitor as well as self-appraisals of the museums themselves (approaches to - and processing of information). The subject of the case studies are variable, including administration, gender considerations, accessibility, conservation of archaeological artefacts, research into visual cultural heritage, freedom of expression, housing and building affairs, gifts to museums and more.

In this course, experts and specialists (from Iceland and abroad), working in museum sector will give talks, sharing their knowledge and their experience. Students will choose one day over the semester, for a one day career day at a museum in Reykjavík, where a member of staff will tell them about the museum‘s main activities and demonstrate basic entry input in their electronic database. Students will work with the staff for the remainder of the day.

The course is taught distance learning, with short, online lectures by teachers and guest-lecturers. It also includes three full day on-campus (or Zoom, should that be needed) lecture days, where students will visit museums around Reykjavík and listen to lectures from a variety of people. Attendance is required during the three day on-campus and Zoom days.

Final grade is based on completing written assignments during the semester, attendance for full-day on-campus/zoom days and the career day.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Wretched Girls and Virtuous Ladies: Women in Iceland from the late eighteenth century to the twentieth century (SAG412M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course examines the status of women in Iceland during the long nineteenth century. The aim is to explore sources that shed light on women's circumstances, opportunities, and agency, both in rural areas and villages. The period will be examined both thematically and chronologically, exploring and analysing changes in women's status and agency. The course will explore what legal rights women had – were they autonomous? Could they travel abroad for education or travel at all? Could they marry whom they wanted? Run their own business? What kind of clothes did they wear? What work did they do inside and outside of the home? The status of women in Iceland will be examined in a transnational context, both concerning legal rights and agency, as well as in relation to major theoretical frameworks about women's history in the nineteenth century (e.g., separate spheres). The period spans from the late eighteenth century, from which time sources such as private letters and biographical texts are preserved, to c. 1900 when the struggle for women's rights had begun in Iceland and new times were ahead. The course will delve into memoirs, funeral speeches, and correspondence along with other sources and scholarly works about the period to get as close as possible to women's experiences and attitudes.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Meeting their eye level: children culture design (HMM410F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

We bend our knees, literally and figuratively speaking. How do children view the world? How can we communicate cultural content at their eye level? How can we actively listen to their point of view?

The course will discuss diverse cultural activities for children; ranging from exhibition design in museums
to interactive installations, creative workshops, interdisciplinary participatory projects and radio
programming. Teaching takes place through field trips, lectures, practical workshops and group work.

The course is led by the interdisciplinary design team ÞYKJÓ, winners of the Iceland Design Award 2024
for the project "Children and City Planning”, nominated in 2023 for the international YAM award for the
project “Golden Record - Let's send music into space!”. Speakers include a children's culture designer, a
game designer, a composer and an architect.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Introduction into Curating (SAF019F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Conservation and Preventive Care of Museum Objects (SAF206F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Conservation and preventive care of museum artifacts is the subject of this course. Theories and practices of conservation and preventive care will be explored, with emphasis on practical exercises in making evaluations of the material state of artifacts and the environment that they are either stored in and/or exhibited. Course exercises are made in collaboration with the museums in the capital area. The course is taught in on-site study, daily during the week of 19-23 February, with lectures, discussions and project classes. Teaching takes place on University Main Campus and is not available for distance learning.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Gender and Folklore (ÞJÓ021M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Multicultural society and migration (MAN017F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Common Sense? - The Anthropology of Perception and the Senses (MAN0A8F)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

Language of instruction: Icelandic/English
Face-to-face learning
Distance learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Urban Anthropology (MAN507M)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Online learning
Prerequisites
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Creative Documentary (HMM220F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Crime in Iceland (FÉL0A4F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Not taught this semester
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Project design, monitoring and evaluation (MAN701F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Culture and Cultural Communication (HMM240F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Sagas and Places (MIS814F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

One of the distinctive features of Old Norse-Icelandic medieval literature is how connected the narratives are to distinct places. This is especially true of Sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur) and Kings’ sagas (konungasögur). In many cases, it is possible to visit the scenes where many key events of the saga take place. In the last decades there has been a “spatial turn” in Old Norse-Icelandic studies due to theoretical developments in the humanities and the social sciences during the second half of the twentieth century, but also aided by new perceptions of space made possible by geolocalisation and digital maps. Several scholars have engaged with the sagas from this perspective, f.ex. Emily Lethbridge and Eleanor Barraclough. In this course, the theoretical literature associated with the spatial turn will be explores, the sagas will be studied from this point of view and places where key events of the sagas happen will be visited. Even though the course is taught in the Spring semester, students are encouraged to participate in trips organized by the Viking and Medieval Norse Studies and Medieval Icelandic Studies MA programmes.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Spring 1
Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts (MIS204F)
Free elective course within the programme
10 ECTS, credits
Course Description

This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


Course synopsis

Week 1
(1) Introduction
The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

(2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

Week 2
(3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

(4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

Week 3
(5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

(6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

Week 4
(7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

(8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

Week 5
(9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
Main characteristics and their development.

(10) One scribal hand or many?
Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

Week 6
(11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

(12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

— STUDY WEEK —

Week 7
(13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

(14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
Main characteristics and their development.

Week 8
(15) Textual criticism
On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

(16) Textual criticism
Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

Week 9
(17) Manuscript illumination
On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

(18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

Week 10
(19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
Main characteristics and their development.

(20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

Week 11
(21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

(22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

Week 12
(23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

(24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

— This synopsis may be subject to change. —

Readings

The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

(a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

(b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

(c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

Prerequisites
Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

Course format
The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

Course requirements and assessment
The final grade for the course will be based on:

(1) Transcription assignments: 30%
(2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
(3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
(4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
(5) Research paper: 30%
(6) Class participation: 10%

All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

Language of instruction: English
Face-to-face learning
Year unspecified | Summer
Radio programming and broadcasting (BLF201M)
Free elective course within the programme
6 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The goal of this course is to give students an opportunity to present their theoretical knowledge and research to listeners of the Icelandic Public Broadcasting Service (Ríkisútvarpið). Students will be introduced to public radio as a medium and trained in radio programming and in presenting theoretical material in simple manners suitable for broadcasting in public radio.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Attendance required in class
Year unspecified | Year unspecified
The Icelandic Household in the 18th Century (SAG414M)
Free elective course within the programme
5 ECTS, credits
Course Description

The course offers an in-depth study of the Icelandic 18th Century household. What different types of households were there and what was the difference between the households of peasants, fishermen, pastors, lodgers or paupers? How did young people move out of their parents’ households and start their own? How did households provide for their members and what additional expenses such as rent, taxes and dues did they need to pay? How did subsistence farming work and did the households engage in any trading? The course introduces the rich sources of the time period to students, which provide us with insights into daily life in the period, from the census of 1703 to travel journals and magazine articles of Enlightment writers of the late 18th century. Among other exercises, students practice methods of digital data entry for quantitative study.

Language of instruction: Icelandic
Face-to-face learning
Prerequisites
Course taught second half of the semester
First year
  • Fall
  • FMÞ102F
    Theories in Social and human Sciences
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ103F
    Introduction to Qualitative Research
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ109F
    Oral Tradition in Sagas and Eddas
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Albert B Lord's theory on oral poetry from The Singer of Tales forms a basis for the course. Research that has appeared since the writing of that book will be discussed and an attempt made to evaluate the influence that the theory has had on research of medieval literature that is partly based on oral tradition. In the latter half of the course the focus will be on the Eddic Poems.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ441L
    MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ310F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II
    Mandatory (required) course
    2
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    2 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ441L
    MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Summer
  • ÞJÓ441L
    MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Whole year courses
  • GKY001M
    Mentor in Sprettur
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

    Sprettur is a project that supports foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

    Students fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

    More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Fall
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ304M
    Applied folklore
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN504M
    Stuff: Material worlds and webs of meaning
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course the focus will be on the diversity of human material cultures and the manifold meanings objects have in different cultural contexts. The social aspects of things, their agency and their sometimes gender will be considered. The inalienability of certain things will be discussed as will the way the meaning of objects is often altered as they move from one social context to another. The utility of things such as tools will be pondered as well as man’s varied use of animals. In short: The course combines anthropological material culture studies with symbolic anthropology and a consideration of humanimal relations.

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • SAG716M
    The Medieval North
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Historical and historiographical survey of major topics in the history of the medieval North, with special emphasis on Iceland and Norway from the Viking Age into the fourteenth century. Topics include: Power, kingship and state; law and feud; kinship, gender and social ties; religious and mental outlook(s); conversion, Christianity and church; economic conditions. Prior knowledge of the “factual” narrative (textbook narrative) is helpful but not necessary.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FER110F
    Cultural and heritage tourism
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ001F
    Introduction to quantitative research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • KYN101F
    General Gender Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course addresses the main issues in gender studies through the lens of diversity in modern societies. The gender perspective is applied to provide an overview of the status and condition of men and women. The origins and development of the fight for women’s rights and gender studies as an academic field. The main concepts of gender studies are introduced, including sex, gender, essentialism and constructivism. Finally, the course looks into how gender necessarily intersects with other social factors.

    Teaching Arrangement: The course is based on flipped learning, which means that all lectures will be available on Canvas. On-campus and distance students attend weekly discussion sessions at the university or on Teams, and online students participate in weekly discussions on Canvas

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF002F
    Theories in Museum Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21st century. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF016F
    Museums as a learning environment
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

    Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

    This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF503M
    Literary tourism and writer's museums
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ063M
    Dress, Boundaries and Culture Creation in 19th Century Iceland
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Taught in August 2022

    An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

     

    Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM120F
    Fundamentals in Web Communications
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

    The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

    Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • UAU018M
    The Arctic Circle
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The Arctic is expected to become more important in the coming decades as climate change makes natural resources and transport routes more accessible creating threats to fragile ecosystems and societies as well as economic opportunities. Satellite data collected since 1979 shows that both the thickness of the ice in the Arctic and range of sea ice have decreased substantially, especially during the summer months. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle. Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes.

    The Arctic Circle Assembly is designed to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the international focus on the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle Assembly will contain sessions on a wide variety of topics, such as:

    • Sea ice melt and extreme weather
    • Polar law: treaties and agreements
    • The role and rights of indigenous peoples
    • Security in the Arctic
    • Shipping and transportation infrastructure
    • The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling
    • Clean energy achievements and sustainable development
    • Arctic resources
    • Human rights and gender equality
    • Business cooperation in the Arctic
    • The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic
    • Greenland in the new Arctic
    • Fisheries and ecosystem management
    • The science of ice: global research cooperation
    • Arctic tourism
    • Arctic identity and cultures
    • The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas
    • Politics in the Arctic

    This course enables and relies on the participation of UoI graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Harpa, Reykjavik. Students are required to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly. Students have to attend one class shortly before the Assembly and one class shortly after the Assembly.

    Arctic Circle Assembly,  October 17 - 19th 2024 in Harpa, Reykjavík

    Students need to pay the student registration fee to the conference, but receive a discount. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • FÉL601M
    Sexual Violence, Law and Justice
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

    In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

    The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM301M
    Women's Day Off 1975: Myths and communication
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    "The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

    The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG206M
    Research and sources in archives
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students learn and are trained in the methods of archival research, finding and evaluating sources in archives.  Practical exercises will be assigned.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MAN095F
    Globalization
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

    The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

     The course is taught in English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A7F
    Iceland: Anthropological Past, Present and Future
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL701F
    The self meets society: Social psychology of everyday life
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

    Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • HMM235F
    Radio production and podcasting
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN509M
    Environmental anthropology
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

    The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

    A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

    Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

    Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A6F
    Anthropology of art
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL0A1F
    Crime and Social Deviance
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

    Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

    Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ606M
    Fashion and Apparel: Theories and Analysis of Material Culture in an Industrialized Market Society
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ403F
    Fieldwork in Ethnology
    Elective course
    20
    Free elective course within the programme
    20 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fieldwork

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ445M
    Applied folklore
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • LAN214F
    Northern tourism: Performances and Experiences
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Teaching period: March - May

    This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

    Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL213F
    (In)equality and welfare in the Nordic countries
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The Nordic welfare model is frequently viewed as an ideal model for other welfare state, as it has achieved the greatest success in equalizing outcomes. Iceland is a part of the nordic model, but it is different in many ways, for example with more limited support to individuals and less spending on welfare. Yet, there have been great achievements regarding equality, Iceland is generally among the countries with the highest levels of gender equality and multiple indicators that measure inequality are lowest in Iceland.

     In this course, we will go over the major sociological theories on inequality and the welfare state, and the position of Iceland will be considered both compared to the other Nordic countries as well as other welfare state in advanced, industralized nations. We will focus on the organization of the welfare state, how scholars have classified welfare states, and the consequences of the welfare state for example for health, inequality, and the opportunities that individuals have in society.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FOR702M
    Postmedieval archaeology
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Living in the contemporary world it is easy to think of the past as something remote and separate from everyday life - whether it is a trip to a museum or even studying archaeology at university, history seems to always be placed at one remove from our everyday life. Something we encounter for fun or interest. The aim of this course is to look at our modern world through an archaeological and historical lens: how are the patterns of our lives today the product of things that happened in the past? This course will show how the past is alive in the present – not as a heritage site or archaeology textbook but as something which still shapes our daily routines and the material world around us. Although the roots of this go back to our biological evolution, arguably most of these effects emerged in the last 500 years.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS204F
    Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

    Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

    The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


    Course synopsis

    Week 1
    (1) Introduction
    The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
    The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

    (2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
    A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

    Week 2
    (3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
    How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

    (4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
    The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

    Week 3
    (5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
    The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

    (6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
    How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

    Week 4
    (7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
    What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

    (8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
    How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

    Week 5
    (9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (10) One scribal hand or many?
    Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

    Week 6
    (11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

    (12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

    — STUDY WEEK —

    Week 7
    (13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
    On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

    (14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    Week 8
    (15) Textual criticism
    On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

    (16) Textual criticism
    Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

    Week 9
    (17) Manuscript illumination
    On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

    (18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
    We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

    Week 10
    (19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
    How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

    Week 11
    (21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
    The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

    (22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
    How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

    Week 12
    (23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
    The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

    (24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
    The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

    — This synopsis may be subject to change. —

    Readings

    The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

    (a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

    (b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

    (c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

    Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

    Prerequisites
    Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

    Course format
    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

    Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

    Course requirements and assessment
    The final grade for the course will be based on:

    (1) Transcription assignments: 30%
    (2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
    (3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
    (4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
    (5) Research paper: 30%
    (6) Class participation: 10%

    All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL0A5F
    Globalization
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course revolves around the main features and the development of globalization, with special emphasis on how it changes the surroundings of people in present times in a variety of ways.

    The course is divided into three themed blocks focusing on mobilities, transnationalism and inequalities. Topics discussed within these themes revolve around how micro-level social practices connect to macrostructural processes and institutions. We will discuss how individuals, groups and organizations connect transnationally; how people, knowledge, ideas and things travel on a global scale; and how these new transnational social spaces, and mobilities within them, are changing the dynamics within the social order, including stratification and differentiation along racial, class, and gender lines. The course provides the opportunity to explore how these practises and processes impact on lived realities, including health and well-being, working lives and security. The course consists of lecturers and discussion lessons in which students will take an active role.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FER210F
    Theories in Tourism Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In the 1980s that scholars in social sciences started considering tourism as an important topic of study. Questions such as "who is the tourist?", "what are the reasons behind travelling?" and "how can tourism be defined?" became dominant at first and influenced the original theorisation. These questions are still being asked, although with an ever changing emphasis in a constantly changing social, political and economic circumstances.

    This module will look at the core theories in tourism and provide insight into different approaches to the topic by different scholars. Students will have to consider the theme of the course in order to think about the relevance of different approaches and theories if they were to set upp their own project in the field of tourism.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • KYN211F
    Theories in Gender Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course discusses the philosophical and theoretical foundations of gender studies, and the critical and interdisciplinary content of the field. The representation and meaning of sex and gender in language, culture, history, science, and society is explored. The analytical perspective of the field is presented, as is its relationship with methodology. Students are trained in applying theoretical concepts and methods independently and critically.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÍSB601F
    Sagas of Icelanders
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This 10 credit course will present different theoretical approaches to the sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur). A selection of these sagas (Egils saga, Eyrbyggja saga and Grettis saga) will be read and analysed. Different interpretations of them will be discussed. Special attention will be given to the interaction between prose and poetry in the sagas, as well as to the production of meaning, particularly in relation to the period in which they were composed.

    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN603F
    Global health
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Global health priorities are in focus in this course. Global burden of disease across countries will be scrutinized as well as inequality and other important socio-economic determinants of health in a globalized world. Particular focus will be given to maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in low- and middle-income countries, health systems and care-seeking. Global nutritional challenges and mental health issues will be discussed as well as prevention and impact of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cholera, Ebola and COVID-19. Along the coursework, other subjects for discussion and analysis with importance for health include violence, environment, culture, disaster and complex emergencies, as well as ethical issues. In addition, the work and policies of international institutions and development organizations will be discussed, including the new Sustainable Development Goals.

    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ201F
    Advanced Seminar in Qualitative Research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within  research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF011F
    Professional works: Case study analysis
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines professionalism, using case studies from museum work in Iceland, from a broad, interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and debates. This course should therefore appeal to students from a variety of disciplines, including museology, archaeology, art studies, cultural studies, anthropology and folklore. The case studies are related to the variable works of museums, including management, organisation, collection, conservation, research and communication.

    Furthermore, methods of assessment will be considered, both from the angle of the museum visitor as well as self-appraisals of the museums themselves (approaches to - and processing of information). The subject of the case studies are variable, including administration, gender considerations, accessibility, conservation of archaeological artefacts, research into visual cultural heritage, freedom of expression, housing and building affairs, gifts to museums and more.

    In this course, experts and specialists (from Iceland and abroad), working in museum sector will give talks, sharing their knowledge and their experience. Students will choose one day over the semester, for a one day career day at a museum in Reykjavík, where a member of staff will tell them about the museum‘s main activities and demonstrate basic entry input in their electronic database. Students will work with the staff for the remainder of the day.

    The course is taught distance learning, with short, online lectures by teachers and guest-lecturers. It also includes three full day on-campus (or Zoom, should that be needed) lecture days, where students will visit museums around Reykjavík and listen to lectures from a variety of people. Attendance is required during the three day on-campus and Zoom days.

    Final grade is based on completing written assignments during the semester, attendance for full-day on-campus/zoom days and the career day.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF603M
    Museums and Society: The Circus of Death?
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG412M
    Wretched Girls and Virtuous Ladies: Women in Iceland from the late eighteenth century to the twentieth century
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the status of women in Iceland during the long nineteenth century. The aim is to explore sources that shed light on women's circumstances, opportunities, and agency, both in rural areas and villages. The period will be examined both thematically and chronologically, exploring and analysing changes in women's status and agency. The course will explore what legal rights women had – were they autonomous? Could they travel abroad for education or travel at all? Could they marry whom they wanted? Run their own business? What kind of clothes did they wear? What work did they do inside and outside of the home? The status of women in Iceland will be examined in a transnational context, both concerning legal rights and agency, as well as in relation to major theoretical frameworks about women's history in the nineteenth century (e.g., separate spheres). The period spans from the late eighteenth century, from which time sources such as private letters and biographical texts are preserved, to c. 1900 when the struggle for women's rights had begun in Iceland and new times were ahead. The course will delve into memoirs, funeral speeches, and correspondence along with other sources and scholarly works about the period to get as close as possible to women's experiences and attitudes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM410F
    Meeting their eye level: children culture design
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    We bend our knees, literally and figuratively speaking. How do children view the world? How can we communicate cultural content at their eye level? How can we actively listen to their point of view?

    The course will discuss diverse cultural activities for children; ranging from exhibition design in museums
    to interactive installations, creative workshops, interdisciplinary participatory projects and radio
    programming. Teaching takes place through field trips, lectures, practical workshops and group work.

    The course is led by the interdisciplinary design team ÞYKJÓ, winners of the Iceland Design Award 2024
    for the project "Children and City Planning”, nominated in 2023 for the international YAM award for the
    project “Golden Record - Let's send music into space!”. Speakers include a children's culture designer, a
    game designer, a composer and an architect.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF019F
    Introduction into Curating
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF206F
    Conservation and Preventive Care of Museum Objects
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conservation and preventive care of museum artifacts is the subject of this course. Theories and practices of conservation and preventive care will be explored, with emphasis on practical exercises in making evaluations of the material state of artifacts and the environment that they are either stored in and/or exhibited. Course exercises are made in collaboration with the museums in the capital area. The course is taught in on-site study, daily during the week of 19-23 February, with lectures, discussions and project classes. Teaching takes place on University Main Campus and is not available for distance learning.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ021M
    Gender and Folklore
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

    Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN017F
    Multicultural society and migration
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

    The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A8F
    Common Sense? - The Anthropology of Perception and the Senses
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

    Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN507M
    Urban Anthropology
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

    Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM220F
    Creative Documentary
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL0A4F
    Crime in Iceland
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

    Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

    Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

    Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN701F
    Project design, monitoring and evaluation
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM240F
    Culture and Cultural Communication
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS814F
    Sagas and Places
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the distinctive features of Old Norse-Icelandic medieval literature is how connected the narratives are to distinct places. This is especially true of Sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur) and Kings’ sagas (konungasögur). In many cases, it is possible to visit the scenes where many key events of the saga take place. In the last decades there has been a “spatial turn” in Old Norse-Icelandic studies due to theoretical developments in the humanities and the social sciences during the second half of the twentieth century, but also aided by new perceptions of space made possible by geolocalisation and digital maps. Several scholars have engaged with the sagas from this perspective, f.ex. Emily Lethbridge and Eleanor Barraclough. In this course, the theoretical literature associated with the spatial turn will be explores, the sagas will be studied from this point of view and places where key events of the sagas happen will be visited. Even though the course is taught in the Spring semester, students are encouraged to participate in trips organized by the Viking and Medieval Norse Studies and Medieval Icelandic Studies MA programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS204F
    Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

    Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

    The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


    Course synopsis

    Week 1
    (1) Introduction
    The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
    The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

    (2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
    A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

    Week 2
    (3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
    How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

    (4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
    The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

    Week 3
    (5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
    The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

    (6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
    How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

    Week 4
    (7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
    What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

    (8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
    How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

    Week 5
    (9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (10) One scribal hand or many?
    Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

    Week 6
    (11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

    (12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

    — STUDY WEEK —

    Week 7
    (13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
    On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

    (14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    Week 8
    (15) Textual criticism
    On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

    (16) Textual criticism
    Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

    Week 9
    (17) Manuscript illumination
    On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

    (18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
    We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

    Week 10
    (19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
    How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

    Week 11
    (21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
    The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

    (22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
    How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

    Week 12
    (23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
    The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

    (24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
    The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

    — This synopsis may be subject to change. —

    Readings

    The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

    (a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

    (b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

    (c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

    Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

    Prerequisites
    Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

    Course format
    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

    Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

    Course requirements and assessment
    The final grade for the course will be based on:

    (1) Transcription assignments: 30%
    (2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
    (3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
    (4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
    (5) Research paper: 30%
    (6) Class participation: 10%

    All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Year unspecified
  • SAG414M
    The Icelandic Household in the 18th Century
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course offers an in-depth study of the Icelandic 18th Century household. What different types of households were there and what was the difference between the households of peasants, fishermen, pastors, lodgers or paupers? How did young people move out of their parents’ households and start their own? How did households provide for their members and what additional expenses such as rent, taxes and dues did they need to pay? How did subsistence farming work and did the households engage in any trading? The course introduces the rich sources of the time period to students, which provide us with insights into daily life in the period, from the census of 1703 to travel journals and magazine articles of Enlightment writers of the late 18th century. Among other exercises, students practice methods of digital data entry for quantitative study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
Second year
  • Fall
  • FMÞ102F
    Theories in Social and human Sciences
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ103F
    Introduction to Qualitative Research
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ109F
    Oral Tradition in Sagas and Eddas
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Albert B Lord's theory on oral poetry from The Singer of Tales forms a basis for the course. Research that has appeared since the writing of that book will be discussed and an attempt made to evaluate the influence that the theory has had on research of medieval literature that is partly based on oral tradition. In the latter half of the course the focus will be on the Eddic Poems.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ441L
    MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ310F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II
    Mandatory (required) course
    2
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    2 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ441L
    MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Summer
  • ÞJÓ441L
    MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Whole year courses
  • GKY001M
    Mentor in Sprettur
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

    Sprettur is a project that supports foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

    Students fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

    More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Fall
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ304M
    Applied folklore
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN504M
    Stuff: Material worlds and webs of meaning
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course the focus will be on the diversity of human material cultures and the manifold meanings objects have in different cultural contexts. The social aspects of things, their agency and their sometimes gender will be considered. The inalienability of certain things will be discussed as will the way the meaning of objects is often altered as they move from one social context to another. The utility of things such as tools will be pondered as well as man’s varied use of animals. In short: The course combines anthropological material culture studies with symbolic anthropology and a consideration of humanimal relations.

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • SAG716M
    The Medieval North
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Historical and historiographical survey of major topics in the history of the medieval North, with special emphasis on Iceland and Norway from the Viking Age into the fourteenth century. Topics include: Power, kingship and state; law and feud; kinship, gender and social ties; religious and mental outlook(s); conversion, Christianity and church; economic conditions. Prior knowledge of the “factual” narrative (textbook narrative) is helpful but not necessary.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FER110F
    Cultural and heritage tourism
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ001F
    Introduction to quantitative research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • KYN101F
    General Gender Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course addresses the main issues in gender studies through the lens of diversity in modern societies. The gender perspective is applied to provide an overview of the status and condition of men and women. The origins and development of the fight for women’s rights and gender studies as an academic field. The main concepts of gender studies are introduced, including sex, gender, essentialism and constructivism. Finally, the course looks into how gender necessarily intersects with other social factors.

    Teaching Arrangement: The course is based on flipped learning, which means that all lectures will be available on Canvas. On-campus and distance students attend weekly discussion sessions at the university or on Teams, and online students participate in weekly discussions on Canvas

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF002F
    Theories in Museum Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21st century. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF016F
    Museums as a learning environment
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

    Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

    This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF503M
    Literary tourism and writer's museums
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ063M
    Dress, Boundaries and Culture Creation in 19th Century Iceland
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Taught in August 2022

    An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

     

    Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM120F
    Fundamentals in Web Communications
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

    The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

    Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • UAU018M
    The Arctic Circle
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The Arctic is expected to become more important in the coming decades as climate change makes natural resources and transport routes more accessible creating threats to fragile ecosystems and societies as well as economic opportunities. Satellite data collected since 1979 shows that both the thickness of the ice in the Arctic and range of sea ice have decreased substantially, especially during the summer months. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle. Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes.

    The Arctic Circle Assembly is designed to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the international focus on the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle Assembly will contain sessions on a wide variety of topics, such as:

    • Sea ice melt and extreme weather
    • Polar law: treaties and agreements
    • The role and rights of indigenous peoples
    • Security in the Arctic
    • Shipping and transportation infrastructure
    • The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling
    • Clean energy achievements and sustainable development
    • Arctic resources
    • Human rights and gender equality
    • Business cooperation in the Arctic
    • The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic
    • Greenland in the new Arctic
    • Fisheries and ecosystem management
    • The science of ice: global research cooperation
    • Arctic tourism
    • Arctic identity and cultures
    • The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas
    • Politics in the Arctic

    This course enables and relies on the participation of UoI graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Harpa, Reykjavik. Students are required to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly. Students have to attend one class shortly before the Assembly and one class shortly after the Assembly.

    Arctic Circle Assembly,  October 17 - 19th 2024 in Harpa, Reykjavík

    Students need to pay the student registration fee to the conference, but receive a discount. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • FÉL601M
    Sexual Violence, Law and Justice
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

    In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

    The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM301M
    Women's Day Off 1975: Myths and communication
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    "The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

    The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG206M
    Research and sources in archives
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students learn and are trained in the methods of archival research, finding and evaluating sources in archives.  Practical exercises will be assigned.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MAN095F
    Globalization
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

    The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

     The course is taught in English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A7F
    Iceland: Anthropological Past, Present and Future
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL701F
    The self meets society: Social psychology of everyday life
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

    Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • HMM235F
    Radio production and podcasting
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN509M
    Environmental anthropology
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

    The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

    A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

    Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

    Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A6F
    Anthropology of art
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL0A1F
    Crime and Social Deviance
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

    Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

    Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ606M
    Fashion and Apparel: Theories and Analysis of Material Culture in an Industrialized Market Society
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ403F
    Fieldwork in Ethnology
    Elective course
    20
    Free elective course within the programme
    20 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fieldwork

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ445M
    Applied folklore
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • LAN214F
    Northern tourism: Performances and Experiences
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Teaching period: March - May

    This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

    Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL213F
    (In)equality and welfare in the Nordic countries
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The Nordic welfare model is frequently viewed as an ideal model for other welfare state, as it has achieved the greatest success in equalizing outcomes. Iceland is a part of the nordic model, but it is different in many ways, for example with more limited support to individuals and less spending on welfare. Yet, there have been great achievements regarding equality, Iceland is generally among the countries with the highest levels of gender equality and multiple indicators that measure inequality are lowest in Iceland.

     In this course, we will go over the major sociological theories on inequality and the welfare state, and the position of Iceland will be considered both compared to the other Nordic countries as well as other welfare state in advanced, industralized nations. We will focus on the organization of the welfare state, how scholars have classified welfare states, and the consequences of the welfare state for example for health, inequality, and the opportunities that individuals have in society.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FOR702M
    Postmedieval archaeology
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Living in the contemporary world it is easy to think of the past as something remote and separate from everyday life - whether it is a trip to a museum or even studying archaeology at university, history seems to always be placed at one remove from our everyday life. Something we encounter for fun or interest. The aim of this course is to look at our modern world through an archaeological and historical lens: how are the patterns of our lives today the product of things that happened in the past? This course will show how the past is alive in the present – not as a heritage site or archaeology textbook but as something which still shapes our daily routines and the material world around us. Although the roots of this go back to our biological evolution, arguably most of these effects emerged in the last 500 years.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS204F
    Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

    Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

    The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


    Course synopsis

    Week 1
    (1) Introduction
    The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
    The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

    (2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
    A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

    Week 2
    (3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
    How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

    (4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
    The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

    Week 3
    (5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
    The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

    (6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
    How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

    Week 4
    (7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
    What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

    (8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
    How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

    Week 5
    (9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (10) One scribal hand or many?
    Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

    Week 6
    (11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

    (12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

    — STUDY WEEK —

    Week 7
    (13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
    On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

    (14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    Week 8
    (15) Textual criticism
    On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

    (16) Textual criticism
    Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

    Week 9
    (17) Manuscript illumination
    On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

    (18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
    We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

    Week 10
    (19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
    How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

    Week 11
    (21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
    The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

    (22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
    How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

    Week 12
    (23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
    The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

    (24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
    The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

    — This synopsis may be subject to change. —

    Readings

    The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

    (a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

    (b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

    (c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

    Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

    Prerequisites
    Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

    Course format
    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

    Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

    Course requirements and assessment
    The final grade for the course will be based on:

    (1) Transcription assignments: 30%
    (2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
    (3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
    (4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
    (5) Research paper: 30%
    (6) Class participation: 10%

    All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL0A5F
    Globalization
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course revolves around the main features and the development of globalization, with special emphasis on how it changes the surroundings of people in present times in a variety of ways.

    The course is divided into three themed blocks focusing on mobilities, transnationalism and inequalities. Topics discussed within these themes revolve around how micro-level social practices connect to macrostructural processes and institutions. We will discuss how individuals, groups and organizations connect transnationally; how people, knowledge, ideas and things travel on a global scale; and how these new transnational social spaces, and mobilities within them, are changing the dynamics within the social order, including stratification and differentiation along racial, class, and gender lines. The course provides the opportunity to explore how these practises and processes impact on lived realities, including health and well-being, working lives and security. The course consists of lecturers and discussion lessons in which students will take an active role.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FER210F
    Theories in Tourism Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In the 1980s that scholars in social sciences started considering tourism as an important topic of study. Questions such as "who is the tourist?", "what are the reasons behind travelling?" and "how can tourism be defined?" became dominant at first and influenced the original theorisation. These questions are still being asked, although with an ever changing emphasis in a constantly changing social, political and economic circumstances.

    This module will look at the core theories in tourism and provide insight into different approaches to the topic by different scholars. Students will have to consider the theme of the course in order to think about the relevance of different approaches and theories if they were to set upp their own project in the field of tourism.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • KYN211F
    Theories in Gender Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course discusses the philosophical and theoretical foundations of gender studies, and the critical and interdisciplinary content of the field. The representation and meaning of sex and gender in language, culture, history, science, and society is explored. The analytical perspective of the field is presented, as is its relationship with methodology. Students are trained in applying theoretical concepts and methods independently and critically.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÍSB601F
    Sagas of Icelanders
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This 10 credit course will present different theoretical approaches to the sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur). A selection of these sagas (Egils saga, Eyrbyggja saga and Grettis saga) will be read and analysed. Different interpretations of them will be discussed. Special attention will be given to the interaction between prose and poetry in the sagas, as well as to the production of meaning, particularly in relation to the period in which they were composed.

    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN603F
    Global health
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Global health priorities are in focus in this course. Global burden of disease across countries will be scrutinized as well as inequality and other important socio-economic determinants of health in a globalized world. Particular focus will be given to maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in low- and middle-income countries, health systems and care-seeking. Global nutritional challenges and mental health issues will be discussed as well as prevention and impact of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cholera, Ebola and COVID-19. Along the coursework, other subjects for discussion and analysis with importance for health include violence, environment, culture, disaster and complex emergencies, as well as ethical issues. In addition, the work and policies of international institutions and development organizations will be discussed, including the new Sustainable Development Goals.

    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ201F
    Advanced Seminar in Qualitative Research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within  research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF011F
    Professional works: Case study analysis
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines professionalism, using case studies from museum work in Iceland, from a broad, interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and debates. This course should therefore appeal to students from a variety of disciplines, including museology, archaeology, art studies, cultural studies, anthropology and folklore. The case studies are related to the variable works of museums, including management, organisation, collection, conservation, research and communication.

    Furthermore, methods of assessment will be considered, both from the angle of the museum visitor as well as self-appraisals of the museums themselves (approaches to - and processing of information). The subject of the case studies are variable, including administration, gender considerations, accessibility, conservation of archaeological artefacts, research into visual cultural heritage, freedom of expression, housing and building affairs, gifts to museums and more.

    In this course, experts and specialists (from Iceland and abroad), working in museum sector will give talks, sharing their knowledge and their experience. Students will choose one day over the semester, for a one day career day at a museum in Reykjavík, where a member of staff will tell them about the museum‘s main activities and demonstrate basic entry input in their electronic database. Students will work with the staff for the remainder of the day.

    The course is taught distance learning, with short, online lectures by teachers and guest-lecturers. It also includes three full day on-campus (or Zoom, should that be needed) lecture days, where students will visit museums around Reykjavík and listen to lectures from a variety of people. Attendance is required during the three day on-campus and Zoom days.

    Final grade is based on completing written assignments during the semester, attendance for full-day on-campus/zoom days and the career day.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF603M
    Museums and Society: The Circus of Death?
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG412M
    Wretched Girls and Virtuous Ladies: Women in Iceland from the late eighteenth century to the twentieth century
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the status of women in Iceland during the long nineteenth century. The aim is to explore sources that shed light on women's circumstances, opportunities, and agency, both in rural areas and villages. The period will be examined both thematically and chronologically, exploring and analysing changes in women's status and agency. The course will explore what legal rights women had – were they autonomous? Could they travel abroad for education or travel at all? Could they marry whom they wanted? Run their own business? What kind of clothes did they wear? What work did they do inside and outside of the home? The status of women in Iceland will be examined in a transnational context, both concerning legal rights and agency, as well as in relation to major theoretical frameworks about women's history in the nineteenth century (e.g., separate spheres). The period spans from the late eighteenth century, from which time sources such as private letters and biographical texts are preserved, to c. 1900 when the struggle for women's rights had begun in Iceland and new times were ahead. The course will delve into memoirs, funeral speeches, and correspondence along with other sources and scholarly works about the period to get as close as possible to women's experiences and attitudes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM410F
    Meeting their eye level: children culture design
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    We bend our knees, literally and figuratively speaking. How do children view the world? How can we communicate cultural content at their eye level? How can we actively listen to their point of view?

    The course will discuss diverse cultural activities for children; ranging from exhibition design in museums
    to interactive installations, creative workshops, interdisciplinary participatory projects and radio
    programming. Teaching takes place through field trips, lectures, practical workshops and group work.

    The course is led by the interdisciplinary design team ÞYKJÓ, winners of the Iceland Design Award 2024
    for the project "Children and City Planning”, nominated in 2023 for the international YAM award for the
    project “Golden Record - Let's send music into space!”. Speakers include a children's culture designer, a
    game designer, a composer and an architect.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF019F
    Introduction into Curating
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF206F
    Conservation and Preventive Care of Museum Objects
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conservation and preventive care of museum artifacts is the subject of this course. Theories and practices of conservation and preventive care will be explored, with emphasis on practical exercises in making evaluations of the material state of artifacts and the environment that they are either stored in and/or exhibited. Course exercises are made in collaboration with the museums in the capital area. The course is taught in on-site study, daily during the week of 19-23 February, with lectures, discussions and project classes. Teaching takes place on University Main Campus and is not available for distance learning.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ021M
    Gender and Folklore
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

    Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN017F
    Multicultural society and migration
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

    The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A8F
    Common Sense? - The Anthropology of Perception and the Senses
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

    Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN507M
    Urban Anthropology
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

    Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM220F
    Creative Documentary
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL0A4F
    Crime in Iceland
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

    Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

    Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

    Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN701F
    Project design, monitoring and evaluation
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM240F
    Culture and Cultural Communication
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS814F
    Sagas and Places
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the distinctive features of Old Norse-Icelandic medieval literature is how connected the narratives are to distinct places. This is especially true of Sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur) and Kings’ sagas (konungasögur). In many cases, it is possible to visit the scenes where many key events of the saga take place. In the last decades there has been a “spatial turn” in Old Norse-Icelandic studies due to theoretical developments in the humanities and the social sciences during the second half of the twentieth century, but also aided by new perceptions of space made possible by geolocalisation and digital maps. Several scholars have engaged with the sagas from this perspective, f.ex. Emily Lethbridge and Eleanor Barraclough. In this course, the theoretical literature associated with the spatial turn will be explores, the sagas will be studied from this point of view and places where key events of the sagas happen will be visited. Even though the course is taught in the Spring semester, students are encouraged to participate in trips organized by the Viking and Medieval Norse Studies and Medieval Icelandic Studies MA programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS204F
    Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

    Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

    The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


    Course synopsis

    Week 1
    (1) Introduction
    The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
    The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

    (2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
    A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

    Week 2
    (3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
    How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

    (4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
    The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

    Week 3
    (5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
    The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

    (6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
    How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

    Week 4
    (7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
    What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

    (8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
    How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

    Week 5
    (9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (10) One scribal hand or many?
    Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

    Week 6
    (11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

    (12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

    — STUDY WEEK —

    Week 7
    (13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
    On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

    (14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    Week 8
    (15) Textual criticism
    On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

    (16) Textual criticism
    Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

    Week 9
    (17) Manuscript illumination
    On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

    (18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
    We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

    Week 10
    (19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
    How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

    Week 11
    (21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
    The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

    (22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
    How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

    Week 12
    (23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
    The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

    (24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
    The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

    — This synopsis may be subject to change. —

    Readings

    The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

    (a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

    (b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

    (c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

    Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

    Prerequisites
    Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

    Course format
    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

    Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

    Course requirements and assessment
    The final grade for the course will be based on:

    (1) Transcription assignments: 30%
    (2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
    (3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
    (4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
    (5) Research paper: 30%
    (6) Class participation: 10%

    All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Year unspecified
  • SAG414M
    The Icelandic Household in the 18th Century
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course offers an in-depth study of the Icelandic 18th Century household. What different types of households were there and what was the difference between the households of peasants, fishermen, pastors, lodgers or paupers? How did young people move out of their parents’ households and start their own? How did households provide for their members and what additional expenses such as rent, taxes and dues did they need to pay? How did subsistence farming work and did the households engage in any trading? The course introduces the rich sources of the time period to students, which provide us with insights into daily life in the period, from the census of 1703 to travel journals and magazine articles of Enlightment writers of the late 18th century. Among other exercises, students practice methods of digital data entry for quantitative study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
Year unspecified
  • Fall
  • FMÞ102F
    Theories in Social and human Sciences
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ103F
    Introduction to Qualitative Research
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ109F
    Oral Tradition in Sagas and Eddas
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Albert B Lord's theory on oral poetry from The Singer of Tales forms a basis for the course. Research that has appeared since the writing of that book will be discussed and an attempt made to evaluate the influence that the theory has had on research of medieval literature that is partly based on oral tradition. In the latter half of the course the focus will be on the Eddic Poems.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ441L
    MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ310F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II
    Mandatory (required) course
    2
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    2 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ441L
    MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Summer
  • ÞJÓ441L
    MA Thesis in Folkloristics/Ethnology
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Whole year courses
  • GKY001M
    Mentor in Sprettur
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

    Sprettur is a project that supports foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

    Students fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

    More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Fall
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ304M
    Applied folklore
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN504M
    Stuff: Material worlds and webs of meaning
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course the focus will be on the diversity of human material cultures and the manifold meanings objects have in different cultural contexts. The social aspects of things, their agency and their sometimes gender will be considered. The inalienability of certain things will be discussed as will the way the meaning of objects is often altered as they move from one social context to another. The utility of things such as tools will be pondered as well as man’s varied use of animals. In short: The course combines anthropological material culture studies with symbolic anthropology and a consideration of humanimal relations.

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • SAG716M
    The Medieval North
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Historical and historiographical survey of major topics in the history of the medieval North, with special emphasis on Iceland and Norway from the Viking Age into the fourteenth century. Topics include: Power, kingship and state; law and feud; kinship, gender and social ties; religious and mental outlook(s); conversion, Christianity and church; economic conditions. Prior knowledge of the “factual” narrative (textbook narrative) is helpful but not necessary.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FER110F
    Cultural and heritage tourism
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ001F
    Introduction to quantitative research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FOR701M
    Thirteen Things. Historical and Contemporary Approaches to Everyday Objects
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conventional sociological or historical accounts tend to portray human life as if objects either are irrelevant or at best, passive and inert. This course follows the ‘material turn’ that has occurred in the social sciences and the humanities in the past 20 years and explores the importance of things for understanding human society and history. Drawing on examples from a wide range of disciplines from design history to archaeology, each week a different object is taken for study, illustrating the various disciplinary and theoretical approaches that have been taken to material culture in recent years. The course will be organized around weekly lectures, reading and discussion. The course will be taught in english.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • KYN101F
    General Gender Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course addresses the main issues in gender studies through the lens of diversity in modern societies. The gender perspective is applied to provide an overview of the status and condition of men and women. The origins and development of the fight for women’s rights and gender studies as an academic field. The main concepts of gender studies are introduced, including sex, gender, essentialism and constructivism. Finally, the course looks into how gender necessarily intersects with other social factors.

    Teaching Arrangement: The course is based on flipped learning, which means that all lectures will be available on Canvas. On-campus and distance students attend weekly discussion sessions at the university or on Teams, and online students participate in weekly discussions on Canvas

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF002F
    Theories in Museum Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21st century. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF016F
    Museums as a learning environment
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

    Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

    This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF503M
    Literary tourism and writer's museums
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ063M
    Dress, Boundaries and Culture Creation in 19th Century Iceland
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Taught in August 2022

    An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

     

    Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM120F
    Fundamentals in Web Communications
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

    The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

    Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • UAU018M
    The Arctic Circle
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The Arctic is expected to become more important in the coming decades as climate change makes natural resources and transport routes more accessible creating threats to fragile ecosystems and societies as well as economic opportunities. Satellite data collected since 1979 shows that both the thickness of the ice in the Arctic and range of sea ice have decreased substantially, especially during the summer months. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle. Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes.

    The Arctic Circle Assembly is designed to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the international focus on the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle Assembly will contain sessions on a wide variety of topics, such as:

    • Sea ice melt and extreme weather
    • Polar law: treaties and agreements
    • The role and rights of indigenous peoples
    • Security in the Arctic
    • Shipping and transportation infrastructure
    • The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling
    • Clean energy achievements and sustainable development
    • Arctic resources
    • Human rights and gender equality
    • Business cooperation in the Arctic
    • The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic
    • Greenland in the new Arctic
    • Fisheries and ecosystem management
    • The science of ice: global research cooperation
    • Arctic tourism
    • Arctic identity and cultures
    • The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas
    • Politics in the Arctic

    This course enables and relies on the participation of UoI graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Harpa, Reykjavik. Students are required to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly. Students have to attend one class shortly before the Assembly and one class shortly after the Assembly.

    Arctic Circle Assembly,  October 17 - 19th 2024 in Harpa, Reykjavík

    Students need to pay the student registration fee to the conference, but receive a discount. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • FÉL601M
    Sexual Violence, Law and Justice
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

    In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

    The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM301M
    Women's Day Off 1975: Myths and communication
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    "The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

    The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG206M
    Research and sources in archives
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students learn and are trained in the methods of archival research, finding and evaluating sources in archives.  Practical exercises will be assigned.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MAN095F
    Globalization
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

    The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

     The course is taught in English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A7F
    Iceland: Anthropological Past, Present and Future
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL701F
    The self meets society: Social psychology of everyday life
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

    Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • HMM235F
    Radio production and podcasting
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN509M
    Environmental anthropology
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

    The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

    A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

    Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

    Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A6F
    Anthropology of art
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL0A1F
    Crime and Social Deviance
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

    Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

    Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ606M
    Fashion and Apparel: Theories and Analysis of Material Culture in an Industrialized Market Society
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ403F
    Fieldwork in Ethnology
    Elective course
    20
    Free elective course within the programme
    20 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fieldwork

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ445M
    Applied folklore
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • LAN214F
    Northern tourism: Performances and Experiences
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Teaching period: March - May

    This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

    Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL213F
    (In)equality and welfare in the Nordic countries
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The Nordic welfare model is frequently viewed as an ideal model for other welfare state, as it has achieved the greatest success in equalizing outcomes. Iceland is a part of the nordic model, but it is different in many ways, for example with more limited support to individuals and less spending on welfare. Yet, there have been great achievements regarding equality, Iceland is generally among the countries with the highest levels of gender equality and multiple indicators that measure inequality are lowest in Iceland.

     In this course, we will go over the major sociological theories on inequality and the welfare state, and the position of Iceland will be considered both compared to the other Nordic countries as well as other welfare state in advanced, industralized nations. We will focus on the organization of the welfare state, how scholars have classified welfare states, and the consequences of the welfare state for example for health, inequality, and the opportunities that individuals have in society.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FOR702M
    Postmedieval archaeology
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Living in the contemporary world it is easy to think of the past as something remote and separate from everyday life - whether it is a trip to a museum or even studying archaeology at university, history seems to always be placed at one remove from our everyday life. Something we encounter for fun or interest. The aim of this course is to look at our modern world through an archaeological and historical lens: how are the patterns of our lives today the product of things that happened in the past? This course will show how the past is alive in the present – not as a heritage site or archaeology textbook but as something which still shapes our daily routines and the material world around us. Although the roots of this go back to our biological evolution, arguably most of these effects emerged in the last 500 years.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS204F
    Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

    Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

    The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


    Course synopsis

    Week 1
    (1) Introduction
    The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
    The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

    (2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
    A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

    Week 2
    (3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
    How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

    (4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
    The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

    Week 3
    (5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
    The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

    (6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
    How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

    Week 4
    (7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
    What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

    (8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
    How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

    Week 5
    (9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (10) One scribal hand or many?
    Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

    Week 6
    (11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

    (12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

    — STUDY WEEK —

    Week 7
    (13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
    On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

    (14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    Week 8
    (15) Textual criticism
    On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

    (16) Textual criticism
    Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

    Week 9
    (17) Manuscript illumination
    On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

    (18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
    We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

    Week 10
    (19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
    How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

    Week 11
    (21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
    The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

    (22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
    How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

    Week 12
    (23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
    The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

    (24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
    The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

    — This synopsis may be subject to change. —

    Readings

    The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

    (a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

    (b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

    (c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

    Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

    Prerequisites
    Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

    Course format
    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

    Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

    Course requirements and assessment
    The final grade for the course will be based on:

    (1) Transcription assignments: 30%
    (2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
    (3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
    (4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
    (5) Research paper: 30%
    (6) Class participation: 10%

    All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL0A5F
    Globalization
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course revolves around the main features and the development of globalization, with special emphasis on how it changes the surroundings of people in present times in a variety of ways.

    The course is divided into three themed blocks focusing on mobilities, transnationalism and inequalities. Topics discussed within these themes revolve around how micro-level social practices connect to macrostructural processes and institutions. We will discuss how individuals, groups and organizations connect transnationally; how people, knowledge, ideas and things travel on a global scale; and how these new transnational social spaces, and mobilities within them, are changing the dynamics within the social order, including stratification and differentiation along racial, class, and gender lines. The course provides the opportunity to explore how these practises and processes impact on lived realities, including health and well-being, working lives and security. The course consists of lecturers and discussion lessons in which students will take an active role.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FER210F
    Theories in Tourism Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In the 1980s that scholars in social sciences started considering tourism as an important topic of study. Questions such as "who is the tourist?", "what are the reasons behind travelling?" and "how can tourism be defined?" became dominant at first and influenced the original theorisation. These questions are still being asked, although with an ever changing emphasis in a constantly changing social, political and economic circumstances.

    This module will look at the core theories in tourism and provide insight into different approaches to the topic by different scholars. Students will have to consider the theme of the course in order to think about the relevance of different approaches and theories if they were to set upp their own project in the field of tourism.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • KYN211F
    Theories in Gender Studies
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course discusses the philosophical and theoretical foundations of gender studies, and the critical and interdisciplinary content of the field. The representation and meaning of sex and gender in language, culture, history, science, and society is explored. The analytical perspective of the field is presented, as is its relationship with methodology. Students are trained in applying theoretical concepts and methods independently and critically.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MFR703M
    Culture and Dissent
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÍSB601F
    Sagas of Icelanders
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This 10 credit course will present different theoretical approaches to the sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur). A selection of these sagas (Egils saga, Eyrbyggja saga and Grettis saga) will be read and analysed. Different interpretations of them will be discussed. Special attention will be given to the interaction between prose and poetry in the sagas, as well as to the production of meaning, particularly in relation to the period in which they were composed.

    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN603F
    Global health
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Global health priorities are in focus in this course. Global burden of disease across countries will be scrutinized as well as inequality and other important socio-economic determinants of health in a globalized world. Particular focus will be given to maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health in low- and middle-income countries, health systems and care-seeking. Global nutritional challenges and mental health issues will be discussed as well as prevention and impact of infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cholera, Ebola and COVID-19. Along the coursework, other subjects for discussion and analysis with importance for health include violence, environment, culture, disaster and complex emergencies, as well as ethical issues. In addition, the work and policies of international institutions and development organizations will be discussed, including the new Sustainable Development Goals.

    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ201F
    Advanced Seminar in Qualitative Research
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within  research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF011F
    Professional works: Case study analysis
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines professionalism, using case studies from museum work in Iceland, from a broad, interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and debates. This course should therefore appeal to students from a variety of disciplines, including museology, archaeology, art studies, cultural studies, anthropology and folklore. The case studies are related to the variable works of museums, including management, organisation, collection, conservation, research and communication.

    Furthermore, methods of assessment will be considered, both from the angle of the museum visitor as well as self-appraisals of the museums themselves (approaches to - and processing of information). The subject of the case studies are variable, including administration, gender considerations, accessibility, conservation of archaeological artefacts, research into visual cultural heritage, freedom of expression, housing and building affairs, gifts to museums and more.

    In this course, experts and specialists (from Iceland and abroad), working in museum sector will give talks, sharing their knowledge and their experience. Students will choose one day over the semester, for a one day career day at a museum in Reykjavík, where a member of staff will tell them about the museum‘s main activities and demonstrate basic entry input in their electronic database. Students will work with the staff for the remainder of the day.

    The course is taught distance learning, with short, online lectures by teachers and guest-lecturers. It also includes three full day on-campus (or Zoom, should that be needed) lecture days, where students will visit museums around Reykjavík and listen to lectures from a variety of people. Attendance is required during the three day on-campus and Zoom days.

    Final grade is based on completing written assignments during the semester, attendance for full-day on-campus/zoom days and the career day.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF603M
    Museums and Society: The Circus of Death?
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG412M
    Wretched Girls and Virtuous Ladies: Women in Iceland from the late eighteenth century to the twentieth century
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the status of women in Iceland during the long nineteenth century. The aim is to explore sources that shed light on women's circumstances, opportunities, and agency, both in rural areas and villages. The period will be examined both thematically and chronologically, exploring and analysing changes in women's status and agency. The course will explore what legal rights women had – were they autonomous? Could they travel abroad for education or travel at all? Could they marry whom they wanted? Run their own business? What kind of clothes did they wear? What work did they do inside and outside of the home? The status of women in Iceland will be examined in a transnational context, both concerning legal rights and agency, as well as in relation to major theoretical frameworks about women's history in the nineteenth century (e.g., separate spheres). The period spans from the late eighteenth century, from which time sources such as private letters and biographical texts are preserved, to c. 1900 when the struggle for women's rights had begun in Iceland and new times were ahead. The course will delve into memoirs, funeral speeches, and correspondence along with other sources and scholarly works about the period to get as close as possible to women's experiences and attitudes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM410F
    Meeting their eye level: children culture design
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    We bend our knees, literally and figuratively speaking. How do children view the world? How can we communicate cultural content at their eye level? How can we actively listen to their point of view?

    The course will discuss diverse cultural activities for children; ranging from exhibition design in museums
    to interactive installations, creative workshops, interdisciplinary participatory projects and radio
    programming. Teaching takes place through field trips, lectures, practical workshops and group work.

    The course is led by the interdisciplinary design team ÞYKJÓ, winners of the Iceland Design Award 2024
    for the project "Children and City Planning”, nominated in 2023 for the international YAM award for the
    project “Golden Record - Let's send music into space!”. Speakers include a children's culture designer, a
    game designer, a composer and an architect.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF019F
    Introduction into Curating
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF206F
    Conservation and Preventive Care of Museum Objects
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conservation and preventive care of museum artifacts is the subject of this course. Theories and practices of conservation and preventive care will be explored, with emphasis on practical exercises in making evaluations of the material state of artifacts and the environment that they are either stored in and/or exhibited. Course exercises are made in collaboration with the museums in the capital area. The course is taught in on-site study, daily during the week of 19-23 February, with lectures, discussions and project classes. Teaching takes place on University Main Campus and is not available for distance learning.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ021M
    Gender and Folklore
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

    Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN017F
    Multicultural society and migration
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

    The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A8F
    Common Sense? - The Anthropology of Perception and the Senses
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

    Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN507M
    Urban Anthropology
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

    Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM220F
    Creative Documentary
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL0A4F
    Crime in Iceland
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

    Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

    Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

    Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN701F
    Project design, monitoring and evaluation
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM240F
    Culture and Cultural Communication
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS814F
    Sagas and Places
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the distinctive features of Old Norse-Icelandic medieval literature is how connected the narratives are to distinct places. This is especially true of Sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur) and Kings’ sagas (konungasögur). In many cases, it is possible to visit the scenes where many key events of the saga take place. In the last decades there has been a “spatial turn” in Old Norse-Icelandic studies due to theoretical developments in the humanities and the social sciences during the second half of the twentieth century, but also aided by new perceptions of space made possible by geolocalisation and digital maps. Several scholars have engaged with the sagas from this perspective, f.ex. Emily Lethbridge and Eleanor Barraclough. In this course, the theoretical literature associated with the spatial turn will be explores, the sagas will be studied from this point of view and places where key events of the sagas happen will be visited. Even though the course is taught in the Spring semester, students are encouraged to participate in trips organized by the Viking and Medieval Norse Studies and Medieval Icelandic Studies MA programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS204F
    Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

    Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

    The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


    Course synopsis

    Week 1
    (1) Introduction
    The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
    The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

    (2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
    A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

    Week 2
    (3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
    How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

    (4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
    The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

    Week 3
    (5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
    The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

    (6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
    How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

    Week 4
    (7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
    What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

    (8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
    How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

    Week 5
    (9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (10) One scribal hand or many?
    Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

    Week 6
    (11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

    (12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

    — STUDY WEEK —

    Week 7
    (13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
    On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

    (14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    Week 8
    (15) Textual criticism
    On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

    (16) Textual criticism
    Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

    Week 9
    (17) Manuscript illumination
    On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

    (18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
    We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

    Week 10
    (19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
    How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

    Week 11
    (21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
    The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

    (22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
    How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

    Week 12
    (23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
    The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

    (24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
    The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

    — This synopsis may be subject to change. —

    Readings

    The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

    (a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

    (b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

    (c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

    Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

    Prerequisites
    Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

    Course format
    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

    Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

    Course requirements and assessment
    The final grade for the course will be based on:

    (1) Transcription assignments: 30%
    (2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
    (3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
    (4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
    (5) Research paper: 30%
    (6) Class participation: 10%

    All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Year unspecified
  • SAG414M
    The Icelandic Household in the 18th Century
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course offers an in-depth study of the Icelandic 18th Century household. What different types of households were there and what was the difference between the households of peasants, fishermen, pastors, lodgers or paupers? How did young people move out of their parents’ households and start their own? How did households provide for their members and what additional expenses such as rent, taxes and dues did they need to pay? How did subsistence farming work and did the households engage in any trading? The course introduces the rich sources of the time period to students, which provide us with insights into daily life in the period, from the census of 1703 to travel journals and magazine articles of Enlightment writers of the late 18th century. Among other exercises, students practice methods of digital data entry for quantitative study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
First year
  • Fall
  • FMÞ103F
    Introduction to Qualitative Research hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ304M
    Applied folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ049F
    Reading Course in Public Folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ102F
    Theories in Social and human Sciences hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ445M
    Applied folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ403F
    Fieldwork in Ethnology hide
    Elective course
    20
    Free elective course within the programme
    20 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fieldwork

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ109F
    Oral Tradition in Sagas and Eddas hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Albert B Lord's theory on oral poetry from The Singer of Tales forms a basis for the course. Research that has appeared since the writing of that book will be discussed and an attempt made to evaluate the influence that the theory has had on research of medieval literature that is partly based on oral tradition. In the latter half of the course the focus will be on the Eddic Poems.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ049F
    Reading Course in Public Folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ431L
    MA Thesis in Applied Folkloristics hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ310F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    2
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    2 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ445M
    Applied folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ403F
    Fieldwork in Ethnology hide
    Elective course
    20
    Free elective course within the programme
    20 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fieldwork

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ431L
    MA Thesis in Applied Folkloristics hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Whole year courses
  • GKY001M
    Mentor in Sprettur hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

    Sprettur is a project that supports foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

    Students fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

    More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Fall
  • FER111F
    Tourism Planning and Policy hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with tourism planning and policy in the context of environment, society and economy. Broadly speaking planning issues touch on every aspect of tourism. Students will learn about the ideological premises of tourism planning and policy, historical development of policy making in Iceland and internationally with a special emphasis put on sustainable development and UN Sustainable Development Goals. The course will give students tools to describe, analyse and evaluate the premises, development and deployment of planning and policy work in tourism. The aim is to bridge between conceputal discussion and practical application.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM121F
    Innovation - from idea to product hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers innovation and entrepreneurship broadly; discovering and assessing ideas and opportunities, project management, business development, financing and marketing. The teaching focuses on the entrepreneurial process from idea to market. Innovation is introduced as a process that starts with business idea development and assessing market needs. Next, the focus is on project management and business planning. In the end, financing and other means of resources are presented as the entrepreneurial environment is discussed.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM120F
    Fundamentals in Web Communications hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

    The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

    Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FER110F
    Cultural and heritage tourism hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF002F
    Theories in Museum Studies hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21st century. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF016F
    Museums as a learning environment hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

    Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

    This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF503M
    Literary tourism and writer's museums hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ063M
    Dress, Boundaries and Culture Creation in 19th Century Iceland hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Taught in August 2022

    An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

     

    Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM120F
    Fundamentals in Web Communications hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

    The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

    Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • UAU018M
    The Arctic Circle hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The Arctic is expected to become more important in the coming decades as climate change makes natural resources and transport routes more accessible creating threats to fragile ecosystems and societies as well as economic opportunities. Satellite data collected since 1979 shows that both the thickness of the ice in the Arctic and range of sea ice have decreased substantially, especially during the summer months. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle. Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes.

    The Arctic Circle Assembly is designed to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the international focus on the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle Assembly will contain sessions on a wide variety of topics, such as:

    • Sea ice melt and extreme weather
    • Polar law: treaties and agreements
    • The role and rights of indigenous peoples
    • Security in the Arctic
    • Shipping and transportation infrastructure
    • The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling
    • Clean energy achievements and sustainable development
    • Arctic resources
    • Human rights and gender equality
    • Business cooperation in the Arctic
    • The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic
    • Greenland in the new Arctic
    • Fisheries and ecosystem management
    • The science of ice: global research cooperation
    • Arctic tourism
    • Arctic identity and cultures
    • The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas
    • Politics in the Arctic

    This course enables and relies on the participation of UoI graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Harpa, Reykjavik. Students are required to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly. Students have to attend one class shortly before the Assembly and one class shortly after the Assembly.

    Arctic Circle Assembly,  October 17 - 19th 2024 in Harpa, Reykjavík

    Students need to pay the student registration fee to the conference, but receive a discount. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • FÉL601M
    Sexual Violence, Law and Justice hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

    In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

    The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM301M
    Women's Day Off 1975: Myths and communication hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    "The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

    The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG206M
    Research and sources in archives hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students learn and are trained in the methods of archival research, finding and evaluating sources in archives.  Practical exercises will be assigned.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MAN095F
    Globalization hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

    The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

     The course is taught in English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A7F
    Iceland: Anthropological Past, Present and Future hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL701F
    The self meets society: Social psychology of everyday life hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

    Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • HMM235F
    Radio production and podcasting hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN509M
    Environmental anthropology hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

    The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

    A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

    Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

    Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A6F
    Anthropology of art hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL0A1F
    Crime and Social Deviance hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

    Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

    Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ606M
    Fashion and Apparel: Theories and Analysis of Material Culture in an Industrialized Market Society hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • LAN214F
    Northern tourism: Performances and Experiences hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Teaching period: March - May

    This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

    Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FER213F
    Innovation in Tourism hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Tourism and innovation are often related in discussions on economic development and diversification. In Iceland, tourism in itself is regarded as innovative but interest is also growing in entrepreneurship and innovation within the tourism sector.

    The course deals with innovation and tourism from a broad perspective. Theoretical discussion on innovation in general is presented with an emphasis on tourism, taking into account diverse conceptualisations of tourism. Innovation in service and service related industries will especially be dealt with as well as the preconditions and objectives of entrepreneurship in different subsectors of tourism. Students will work on assignments that aim at linking academic discourse to real cases from the tourism sector in Iceland.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF603M
    Museums and Society: The Circus of Death? hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ201F
    Advanced Seminar in Qualitative Research hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within  research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF011F
    Professional works: Case study analysis hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines professionalism, using case studies from museum work in Iceland, from a broad, interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and debates. This course should therefore appeal to students from a variety of disciplines, including museology, archaeology, art studies, cultural studies, anthropology and folklore. The case studies are related to the variable works of museums, including management, organisation, collection, conservation, research and communication.

    Furthermore, methods of assessment will be considered, both from the angle of the museum visitor as well as self-appraisals of the museums themselves (approaches to - and processing of information). The subject of the case studies are variable, including administration, gender considerations, accessibility, conservation of archaeological artefacts, research into visual cultural heritage, freedom of expression, housing and building affairs, gifts to museums and more.

    In this course, experts and specialists (from Iceland and abroad), working in museum sector will give talks, sharing their knowledge and their experience. Students will choose one day over the semester, for a one day career day at a museum in Reykjavík, where a member of staff will tell them about the museum‘s main activities and demonstrate basic entry input in their electronic database. Students will work with the staff for the remainder of the day.

    The course is taught distance learning, with short, online lectures by teachers and guest-lecturers. It also includes three full day on-campus (or Zoom, should that be needed) lecture days, where students will visit museums around Reykjavík and listen to lectures from a variety of people. Attendance is required during the three day on-campus and Zoom days.

    Final grade is based on completing written assignments during the semester, attendance for full-day on-campus/zoom days and the career day.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG412M
    Wretched Girls and Virtuous Ladies: Women in Iceland from the late eighteenth century to the twentieth century hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the status of women in Iceland during the long nineteenth century. The aim is to explore sources that shed light on women's circumstances, opportunities, and agency, both in rural areas and villages. The period will be examined both thematically and chronologically, exploring and analysing changes in women's status and agency. The course will explore what legal rights women had – were they autonomous? Could they travel abroad for education or travel at all? Could they marry whom they wanted? Run their own business? What kind of clothes did they wear? What work did they do inside and outside of the home? The status of women in Iceland will be examined in a transnational context, both concerning legal rights and agency, as well as in relation to major theoretical frameworks about women's history in the nineteenth century (e.g., separate spheres). The period spans from the late eighteenth century, from which time sources such as private letters and biographical texts are preserved, to c. 1900 when the struggle for women's rights had begun in Iceland and new times were ahead. The course will delve into memoirs, funeral speeches, and correspondence along with other sources and scholarly works about the period to get as close as possible to women's experiences and attitudes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM410F
    Meeting their eye level: children culture design hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    We bend our knees, literally and figuratively speaking. How do children view the world? How can we communicate cultural content at their eye level? How can we actively listen to their point of view?

    The course will discuss diverse cultural activities for children; ranging from exhibition design in museums
    to interactive installations, creative workshops, interdisciplinary participatory projects and radio
    programming. Teaching takes place through field trips, lectures, practical workshops and group work.

    The course is led by the interdisciplinary design team ÞYKJÓ, winners of the Iceland Design Award 2024
    for the project "Children and City Planning”, nominated in 2023 for the international YAM award for the
    project “Golden Record - Let's send music into space!”. Speakers include a children's culture designer, a
    game designer, a composer and an architect.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF019F
    Introduction into Curating hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF206F
    Conservation and Preventive Care of Museum Objects hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conservation and preventive care of museum artifacts is the subject of this course. Theories and practices of conservation and preventive care will be explored, with emphasis on practical exercises in making evaluations of the material state of artifacts and the environment that they are either stored in and/or exhibited. Course exercises are made in collaboration with the museums in the capital area. The course is taught in on-site study, daily during the week of 19-23 February, with lectures, discussions and project classes. Teaching takes place on University Main Campus and is not available for distance learning.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ021M
    Gender and Folklore hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

    Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN017F
    Multicultural society and migration hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

    The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A8F
    Common Sense? - The Anthropology of Perception and the Senses hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

    Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN507M
    Urban Anthropology hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

    Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM220F
    Creative Documentary hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL0A4F
    Crime in Iceland hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

    Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

    Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

    Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN701F
    Project design, monitoring and evaluation hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM240F
    Culture and Cultural Communication hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS814F
    Sagas and Places hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the distinctive features of Old Norse-Icelandic medieval literature is how connected the narratives are to distinct places. This is especially true of Sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur) and Kings’ sagas (konungasögur). In many cases, it is possible to visit the scenes where many key events of the saga take place. In the last decades there has been a “spatial turn” in Old Norse-Icelandic studies due to theoretical developments in the humanities and the social sciences during the second half of the twentieth century, but also aided by new perceptions of space made possible by geolocalisation and digital maps. Several scholars have engaged with the sagas from this perspective, f.ex. Emily Lethbridge and Eleanor Barraclough. In this course, the theoretical literature associated with the spatial turn will be explores, the sagas will be studied from this point of view and places where key events of the sagas happen will be visited. Even though the course is taught in the Spring semester, students are encouraged to participate in trips organized by the Viking and Medieval Norse Studies and Medieval Icelandic Studies MA programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS204F
    Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

    Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

    The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


    Course synopsis

    Week 1
    (1) Introduction
    The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
    The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

    (2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
    A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

    Week 2
    (3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
    How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

    (4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
    The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

    Week 3
    (5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
    The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

    (6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
    How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

    Week 4
    (7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
    What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

    (8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
    How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

    Week 5
    (9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (10) One scribal hand or many?
    Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

    Week 6
    (11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

    (12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

    — STUDY WEEK —

    Week 7
    (13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
    On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

    (14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    Week 8
    (15) Textual criticism
    On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

    (16) Textual criticism
    Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

    Week 9
    (17) Manuscript illumination
    On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

    (18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
    We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

    Week 10
    (19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
    How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

    Week 11
    (21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
    The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

    (22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
    How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

    Week 12
    (23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
    The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

    (24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
    The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

    — This synopsis may be subject to change. —

    Readings

    The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

    (a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

    (b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

    (c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

    Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

    Prerequisites
    Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

    Course format
    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

    Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

    Course requirements and assessment
    The final grade for the course will be based on:

    (1) Transcription assignments: 30%
    (2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
    (3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
    (4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
    (5) Research paper: 30%
    (6) Class participation: 10%

    All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Summer
  • BLF201M
    Radio programming and broadcasting hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The goal of this course is to give students an opportunity to present their theoretical knowledge and research to listeners of the Icelandic Public Broadcasting Service (Ríkisútvarpið). Students will be introduced to public radio as a medium and trained in radio programming and in presenting theoretical material in simple manners suitable for broadcasting in public radio.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Year unspecified
  • SAG414M
    The Icelandic Household in the 18th Century hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course offers an in-depth study of the Icelandic 18th Century household. What different types of households were there and what was the difference between the households of peasants, fishermen, pastors, lodgers or paupers? How did young people move out of their parents’ households and start their own? How did households provide for their members and what additional expenses such as rent, taxes and dues did they need to pay? How did subsistence farming work and did the households engage in any trading? The course introduces the rich sources of the time period to students, which provide us with insights into daily life in the period, from the census of 1703 to travel journals and magazine articles of Enlightment writers of the late 18th century. Among other exercises, students practice methods of digital data entry for quantitative study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
Second year
  • Fall
  • FMÞ103F
    Introduction to Qualitative Research hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ304M
    Applied folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ049F
    Reading Course in Public Folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ102F
    Theories in Social and human Sciences hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ445M
    Applied folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ403F
    Fieldwork in Ethnology hide
    Elective course
    20
    Free elective course within the programme
    20 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fieldwork

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ109F
    Oral Tradition in Sagas and Eddas hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Albert B Lord's theory on oral poetry from The Singer of Tales forms a basis for the course. Research that has appeared since the writing of that book will be discussed and an attempt made to evaluate the influence that the theory has had on research of medieval literature that is partly based on oral tradition. In the latter half of the course the focus will be on the Eddic Poems.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ049F
    Reading Course in Public Folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ431L
    MA Thesis in Applied Folkloristics hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ310F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    2
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    2 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ445M
    Applied folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ403F
    Fieldwork in Ethnology hide
    Elective course
    20
    Free elective course within the programme
    20 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fieldwork

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ431L
    MA Thesis in Applied Folkloristics hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Whole year courses
  • GKY001M
    Mentor in Sprettur hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

    Sprettur is a project that supports foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

    Students fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

    More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Fall
  • FER111F
    Tourism Planning and Policy hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with tourism planning and policy in the context of environment, society and economy. Broadly speaking planning issues touch on every aspect of tourism. Students will learn about the ideological premises of tourism planning and policy, historical development of policy making in Iceland and internationally with a special emphasis put on sustainable development and UN Sustainable Development Goals. The course will give students tools to describe, analyse and evaluate the premises, development and deployment of planning and policy work in tourism. The aim is to bridge between conceputal discussion and practical application.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM121F
    Innovation - from idea to product hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers innovation and entrepreneurship broadly; discovering and assessing ideas and opportunities, project management, business development, financing and marketing. The teaching focuses on the entrepreneurial process from idea to market. Innovation is introduced as a process that starts with business idea development and assessing market needs. Next, the focus is on project management and business planning. In the end, financing and other means of resources are presented as the entrepreneurial environment is discussed.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM120F
    Fundamentals in Web Communications hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

    The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

    Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FER110F
    Cultural and heritage tourism hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF002F
    Theories in Museum Studies hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21st century. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF016F
    Museums as a learning environment hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

    Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

    This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF503M
    Literary tourism and writer's museums hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ063M
    Dress, Boundaries and Culture Creation in 19th Century Iceland hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Taught in August 2022

    An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

     

    Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM120F
    Fundamentals in Web Communications hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

    The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

    Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • UAU018M
    The Arctic Circle hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The Arctic is expected to become more important in the coming decades as climate change makes natural resources and transport routes more accessible creating threats to fragile ecosystems and societies as well as economic opportunities. Satellite data collected since 1979 shows that both the thickness of the ice in the Arctic and range of sea ice have decreased substantially, especially during the summer months. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle. Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes.

    The Arctic Circle Assembly is designed to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the international focus on the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle Assembly will contain sessions on a wide variety of topics, such as:

    • Sea ice melt and extreme weather
    • Polar law: treaties and agreements
    • The role and rights of indigenous peoples
    • Security in the Arctic
    • Shipping and transportation infrastructure
    • The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling
    • Clean energy achievements and sustainable development
    • Arctic resources
    • Human rights and gender equality
    • Business cooperation in the Arctic
    • The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic
    • Greenland in the new Arctic
    • Fisheries and ecosystem management
    • The science of ice: global research cooperation
    • Arctic tourism
    • Arctic identity and cultures
    • The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas
    • Politics in the Arctic

    This course enables and relies on the participation of UoI graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Harpa, Reykjavik. Students are required to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly. Students have to attend one class shortly before the Assembly and one class shortly after the Assembly.

    Arctic Circle Assembly,  October 17 - 19th 2024 in Harpa, Reykjavík

    Students need to pay the student registration fee to the conference, but receive a discount. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • FÉL601M
    Sexual Violence, Law and Justice hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

    In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

    The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM301M
    Women's Day Off 1975: Myths and communication hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    "The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

    The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG206M
    Research and sources in archives hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students learn and are trained in the methods of archival research, finding and evaluating sources in archives.  Practical exercises will be assigned.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MAN095F
    Globalization hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

    The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

     The course is taught in English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A7F
    Iceland: Anthropological Past, Present and Future hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL701F
    The self meets society: Social psychology of everyday life hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

    Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • HMM235F
    Radio production and podcasting hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN509M
    Environmental anthropology hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

    The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

    A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

    Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

    Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A6F
    Anthropology of art hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL0A1F
    Crime and Social Deviance hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

    Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

    Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ606M
    Fashion and Apparel: Theories and Analysis of Material Culture in an Industrialized Market Society hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • LAN214F
    Northern tourism: Performances and Experiences hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Teaching period: March - May

    This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

    Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FER213F
    Innovation in Tourism hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Tourism and innovation are often related in discussions on economic development and diversification. In Iceland, tourism in itself is regarded as innovative but interest is also growing in entrepreneurship and innovation within the tourism sector.

    The course deals with innovation and tourism from a broad perspective. Theoretical discussion on innovation in general is presented with an emphasis on tourism, taking into account diverse conceptualisations of tourism. Innovation in service and service related industries will especially be dealt with as well as the preconditions and objectives of entrepreneurship in different subsectors of tourism. Students will work on assignments that aim at linking academic discourse to real cases from the tourism sector in Iceland.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF603M
    Museums and Society: The Circus of Death? hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ201F
    Advanced Seminar in Qualitative Research hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within  research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF011F
    Professional works: Case study analysis hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines professionalism, using case studies from museum work in Iceland, from a broad, interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and debates. This course should therefore appeal to students from a variety of disciplines, including museology, archaeology, art studies, cultural studies, anthropology and folklore. The case studies are related to the variable works of museums, including management, organisation, collection, conservation, research and communication.

    Furthermore, methods of assessment will be considered, both from the angle of the museum visitor as well as self-appraisals of the museums themselves (approaches to - and processing of information). The subject of the case studies are variable, including administration, gender considerations, accessibility, conservation of archaeological artefacts, research into visual cultural heritage, freedom of expression, housing and building affairs, gifts to museums and more.

    In this course, experts and specialists (from Iceland and abroad), working in museum sector will give talks, sharing their knowledge and their experience. Students will choose one day over the semester, for a one day career day at a museum in Reykjavík, where a member of staff will tell them about the museum‘s main activities and demonstrate basic entry input in their electronic database. Students will work with the staff for the remainder of the day.

    The course is taught distance learning, with short, online lectures by teachers and guest-lecturers. It also includes three full day on-campus (or Zoom, should that be needed) lecture days, where students will visit museums around Reykjavík and listen to lectures from a variety of people. Attendance is required during the three day on-campus and Zoom days.

    Final grade is based on completing written assignments during the semester, attendance for full-day on-campus/zoom days and the career day.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG412M
    Wretched Girls and Virtuous Ladies: Women in Iceland from the late eighteenth century to the twentieth century hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the status of women in Iceland during the long nineteenth century. The aim is to explore sources that shed light on women's circumstances, opportunities, and agency, both in rural areas and villages. The period will be examined both thematically and chronologically, exploring and analysing changes in women's status and agency. The course will explore what legal rights women had – were they autonomous? Could they travel abroad for education or travel at all? Could they marry whom they wanted? Run their own business? What kind of clothes did they wear? What work did they do inside and outside of the home? The status of women in Iceland will be examined in a transnational context, both concerning legal rights and agency, as well as in relation to major theoretical frameworks about women's history in the nineteenth century (e.g., separate spheres). The period spans from the late eighteenth century, from which time sources such as private letters and biographical texts are preserved, to c. 1900 when the struggle for women's rights had begun in Iceland and new times were ahead. The course will delve into memoirs, funeral speeches, and correspondence along with other sources and scholarly works about the period to get as close as possible to women's experiences and attitudes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM410F
    Meeting their eye level: children culture design hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    We bend our knees, literally and figuratively speaking. How do children view the world? How can we communicate cultural content at their eye level? How can we actively listen to their point of view?

    The course will discuss diverse cultural activities for children; ranging from exhibition design in museums
    to interactive installations, creative workshops, interdisciplinary participatory projects and radio
    programming. Teaching takes place through field trips, lectures, practical workshops and group work.

    The course is led by the interdisciplinary design team ÞYKJÓ, winners of the Iceland Design Award 2024
    for the project "Children and City Planning”, nominated in 2023 for the international YAM award for the
    project “Golden Record - Let's send music into space!”. Speakers include a children's culture designer, a
    game designer, a composer and an architect.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF019F
    Introduction into Curating hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF206F
    Conservation and Preventive Care of Museum Objects hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conservation and preventive care of museum artifacts is the subject of this course. Theories and practices of conservation and preventive care will be explored, with emphasis on practical exercises in making evaluations of the material state of artifacts and the environment that they are either stored in and/or exhibited. Course exercises are made in collaboration with the museums in the capital area. The course is taught in on-site study, daily during the week of 19-23 February, with lectures, discussions and project classes. Teaching takes place on University Main Campus and is not available for distance learning.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ021M
    Gender and Folklore hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

    Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN017F
    Multicultural society and migration hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

    The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A8F
    Common Sense? - The Anthropology of Perception and the Senses hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

    Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN507M
    Urban Anthropology hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

    Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM220F
    Creative Documentary hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL0A4F
    Crime in Iceland hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

    Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

    Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

    Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN701F
    Project design, monitoring and evaluation hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM240F
    Culture and Cultural Communication hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS814F
    Sagas and Places hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the distinctive features of Old Norse-Icelandic medieval literature is how connected the narratives are to distinct places. This is especially true of Sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur) and Kings’ sagas (konungasögur). In many cases, it is possible to visit the scenes where many key events of the saga take place. In the last decades there has been a “spatial turn” in Old Norse-Icelandic studies due to theoretical developments in the humanities and the social sciences during the second half of the twentieth century, but also aided by new perceptions of space made possible by geolocalisation and digital maps. Several scholars have engaged with the sagas from this perspective, f.ex. Emily Lethbridge and Eleanor Barraclough. In this course, the theoretical literature associated with the spatial turn will be explores, the sagas will be studied from this point of view and places where key events of the sagas happen will be visited. Even though the course is taught in the Spring semester, students are encouraged to participate in trips organized by the Viking and Medieval Norse Studies and Medieval Icelandic Studies MA programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS204F
    Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

    Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

    The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


    Course synopsis

    Week 1
    (1) Introduction
    The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
    The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

    (2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
    A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

    Week 2
    (3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
    How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

    (4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
    The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

    Week 3
    (5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
    The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

    (6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
    How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

    Week 4
    (7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
    What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

    (8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
    How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

    Week 5
    (9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (10) One scribal hand or many?
    Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

    Week 6
    (11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

    (12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

    — STUDY WEEK —

    Week 7
    (13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
    On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

    (14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    Week 8
    (15) Textual criticism
    On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

    (16) Textual criticism
    Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

    Week 9
    (17) Manuscript illumination
    On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

    (18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
    We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

    Week 10
    (19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
    How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

    Week 11
    (21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
    The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

    (22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
    How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

    Week 12
    (23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
    The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

    (24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
    The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

    — This synopsis may be subject to change. —

    Readings

    The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

    (a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

    (b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

    (c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

    Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

    Prerequisites
    Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

    Course format
    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

    Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

    Course requirements and assessment
    The final grade for the course will be based on:

    (1) Transcription assignments: 30%
    (2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
    (3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
    (4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
    (5) Research paper: 30%
    (6) Class participation: 10%

    All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Summer
  • BLF201M
    Radio programming and broadcasting hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The goal of this course is to give students an opportunity to present their theoretical knowledge and research to listeners of the Icelandic Public Broadcasting Service (Ríkisútvarpið). Students will be introduced to public radio as a medium and trained in radio programming and in presenting theoretical material in simple manners suitable for broadcasting in public radio.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Year unspecified
  • SAG414M
    The Icelandic Household in the 18th Century hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course offers an in-depth study of the Icelandic 18th Century household. What different types of households were there and what was the difference between the households of peasants, fishermen, pastors, lodgers or paupers? How did young people move out of their parents’ households and start their own? How did households provide for their members and what additional expenses such as rent, taxes and dues did they need to pay? How did subsistence farming work and did the households engage in any trading? The course introduces the rich sources of the time period to students, which provide us with insights into daily life in the period, from the census of 1703 to travel journals and magazine articles of Enlightment writers of the late 18th century. Among other exercises, students practice methods of digital data entry for quantitative study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester
Year unspecified
  • Fall
  • FMÞ103F
    Introduction to Qualitative Research hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ304M
    Applied folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ049F
    Reading Course in Public Folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ102F
    Theories in Social and human Sciences hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course covers recent writings and currents of thought that mark, or are likely to mark, turning points in social and cultural theory. Particular care will be taken to situate theories in their historical and social contexts. Attendance to weekly 40 min. discussion classes throughout the course is compulsory. Distance learning students attend in person or via the Internet (with Zoom).

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ445M
    Applied folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ403F
    Fieldwork in Ethnology hide
    Elective course
    20
    Free elective course within the programme
    20 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fieldwork

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ102F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology I hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ109F
    Oral Tradition in Sagas and Eddas hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Albert B Lord's theory on oral poetry from The Singer of Tales forms a basis for the course. Research that has appeared since the writing of that book will be discussed and an attempt made to evaluate the influence that the theory has had on research of medieval literature that is partly based on oral tradition. In the latter half of the course the focus will be on the Eddic Poems.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Fall
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ049F
    Reading Course in Public Folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ107F
    Performance Studies hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Performance Studies is the study of how humans create meaning and identity through shared activities ranging from traditional ritual and religion to storytelling and the arts as well as sports, stand-up comedy, festivals, masking traditions, civic ceremonies, political action and protest, dinner parties, and the virtual world. The course introduces students to theories about the wide range of semiotics involved in performance, from spoken text, to costume and appearance, expression and gesture, gender, social contexts, timing and use of space, as well as audience reception.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ431L
    MA Thesis in Applied Folkloristics hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ110F
    Humanimals: Relations between humans and animals hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Relations between humans and animals are the focus of this course, which will be approached from both an academic and an artistic standpoint. Students will complete independent projects on an animal of their choice and attend field trips in nature and museums. The lectures will focus on diverse animals, such as polar bears, whales, great auks and puffins and recent scholarship on them. We will dig into visual and material representations of these, and other, animals in varied cultural contexts, including medieval literature, folktales, oral tradition, film, news reports, material culture and tourism. Consideration will be given to the idea of an “afterlife” of animals in the form of artworks, museum artefacts and souvenirs. We will examine artefacts in both private and public collections and pose the questions of what happens when a living animal is turned into a museum object, and how the meaning that we bestow upon an animal can be subject to development and change under different circumstances. The role of animals in the creation of knowledge and formation of discourse surrounding climate change and issues of the Arctic regions will also be addressed, in addition to animals’ connections to specific places and cultural groups and their role in identity formations of past and present. An attempt will be made to step outside of “traditional” dualism in which an emphasis is placed on distinctions between humans and animals as we acquaint ourselves with the ways in which human/animal (ecological, social and cultural) habitats are intertwined.

    Aim

    The aim is to explore urgent questions and topical issues regarding human/animal co-existence, climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental sustainability. We will consider how artists, researchers, activists and museums have been engaging with these questions and how they can further contribute to the discussion. We will examine how diverse museums convey their ideas and information on human/animal relations through their collections. Students will be encouraged to critically engage with visual material, objects and texts, both online and through visits to museums and exhibitions. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ311F
    Future cultures: Extreme Environments hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the physical, cultural and environmental interactions, solutions, innovations, and adaptations of humans living in extreme environments on the Earth’s surface, under its oceans, and in outer space. We will explore the challenges, responses, strategies, and solutions that have emerged, and consider their implications for humanity’s future in a rapidly changing climate on a warming planet.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • MON002M
    Of Microbes and Men: Microbes, Culture, Health, and Environment hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Course Description

    What can the making of the old Icelandic dairy product “skyr” tell us about how Icelandic society has developed for more than a thousand years? How does the microbiome affect health? How do we dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly way within an urban context and what silent majority of earthlings makes it happen? Microbial communities have shaped the earth and its inhabitants for eons, from the dawn of life on earth. To better understand and deal with the environmental, health, and social challenges of the 21st century, we need to better understand these first organisms and the symbiosis between them and other species, including humans. Recent studies reveal that more than half of the cells in our bodies belong to a variety of microbial species. Does that mean humans are microbes, or “merely” that our relationship with microbes is the strongest and most intimate relationship we have with others? The course invites students to explore the symbiotic practices of microbes and humans from various angles, from microbiology and ethnology, food and nutrition sciences and anthropology. Special attention will be given to the role of microbes in developing and preserving food in human societies, as well as their role in digestion, and how these roles are connected to human mental and physical health. The course also explores how microbes sustain vital nutrient cycles and their ability to transform garbage and waste into healthy soil.

    The course works with the concept of „One Health“ which has been in development for the past couple of decades. One Health is a transdisciplinary and collaborative paradigm that recognizes the shared environment and interconnection between people, animals, plants and microbes. The approach promotes health and wellbeing for humans, animals and the environment, emphasizing coordination, communication, and joint efforts across disciplines. The topic will be explored through different examples of microbial-human relations such as how microbes affect the taste of food  and its composition, how diets affect gut microbiota, the role of fermentation in shaping microbial-human relations and how urban waste management disrupts nutrition cycles in the human environment. 

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ212F
    Vernacular Culture and the Aesthetics of Everyday Life hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    15
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    15 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course examines the folkloristic/ethnological perspective on culture and society with an emphasis on everyday life - the prose of the world. The history of the discipline is engaged with in a critical fashion in the context of neighboring fields and together students and teacher will examine where the field is headed in the 21st century. Central concepts will be investigated, including cultural difference and diversity, nationality, gender, the popular, tradition, group, authorship, globalization, pluralism, the eleventh hour, hegemony, heritage, and cultural ownership.

    The goal is to understand how people create their everyday lives and how they invest their daily environs with meaning, how people make their own history under circumstances not of their own choosing, whether in the peasant society of previous centuries or in contemporary urban society. This course is for graduate students, but it is also open to advanced undergraduates in their last year of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ310F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    2
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    2 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Spring 2
  • ÞJÓ445M
    Applied folklore hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    10
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course introduces the ways in which the fields and methods of folklore/ethnology are and may be put to use, how their application may help broaden and deepen public debates and positively affect society's self-understanding and self-fashioning. We discuss how folklore/ethnology may be put to use in tourism, museums, arts and various media. One area of focus is also the accessibility and uses of folklore collections. We explore, moreover, various scholarly and popular genres in which the conclusions of ethnological research (based on historical sources, interviews and other fieldwork methods) may be disseminated: exhibitions, festivals, events, articles, books, websites, radioshows or documentaries. Different means of reaching different groups of people will be discussed and moral, financial and political issues will be addressed.

    The course will partly be taught in intensive workshops, 3 days at the beginning of the semester in Reykjavík and 4 days during project week in Hólmavík in the Westfjords. Students will work on projects in applied ethnology/public folklore. There will be no final exam.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ203F
    Old Nordic Religion and Belief hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    An examination will be made of the religious beliefs and practices of people in Scandinavia from the earliest of times until the conversion, material ranging from burial practices to rock carvings, to the written evidence given in the works of Tacitus, Adam of Bremen and Saxo Grammaticus, as well as in early Icelandic works like the Eddic poems and the Kings' sagas. Alongside this discussion of the development and key features of Old Norse religion, some attention will be paid to the concepts of seid and shamanism, especially in connection to their role in early religions. Finally, an examination will be made of the conversion of Scandinavia and how Christian concepts and practices both fitted and contrasted with the previously dominant Old Norse worldview.

    Teaching format

    • The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.
    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ403F
    Fieldwork in Ethnology hide
    Elective course
    20
    Free elective course within the programme
    20 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Fieldwork

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ431L
    MA Thesis in Applied Folkloristics hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    0
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    0 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Final Project

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
    Part of the total project/thesis credits
  • ÞJÓ215F
    Sowing seeds: Dissemination of Folklore hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course is a continuation of the undargraduate course ÞJÓ605G Sowing seeds: Dissemination and career development. The focus here is on the dissemination of folkloristic knowledge. Students learn to present both themselves and their field in public contexts, in written and spoken forms both in person and online. The course is project-based, with students working on small projects consistently throughout the semester.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ210M
    Conference participation hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. Following a seminar course, where the ins and outs of international academic conferences are presented, students have the opportunity to participate in this conference and turn in a report (5 ECTS). 
    Students will need to finance their participation in the congress, but we point out that the Icelandic Society of Ethnology and Folklore sometimes advertises a travel fund in connection with conferences of this type. It is often possible to get reimbursement from the union, and doctoral students can apply for a doctoral student travel fund.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ209M
    Conference symposium hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    International conferences focusing on ethnology and folklore, where the latest research in the field is presented are held regularly. Scholars from all over the world come together to talk about their own projects, discuss ideas, broaden their horizons, enjoy the company of people in the same field, and outline possible collaborations.

    In June 2026 The International Society for Folk Narrative Research will hold an international conference in Reykjavík. In this seminar, we will delve into the ins and outs of international academic conferences, with a focus on these two conferences. We will introduce key speakers, delve into individual seminars according to the participants' areas of interest, examine themes, reflect on the organizations behind them, map different traditions and emphases in ethnography in European countries, and take the pulse of what is happening in the field right now. At the same time, the seminar prepares participants to participate in such a conference. The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time.

    Students are encouraged to participate in the conference and in return gain 5 ECTS credits; see ÞJÓ210M Conference participation.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • NÆR613M
    Food and culture hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Everybody need to eat; food connects nature to culture, culture to industry, the public to the private, the local to the global, the home to the workplace, the past to the present and one person to another in relationships that organize and transcend the axes of class, gender, ethnicity, race and age. The study of food demonstrates that food is always laden with meaning that exceeds its nutritional value and that this meaning is central to understanding the relationship between food and people, one of the more important relationships we have with the world. Food habits thus reveal our views, values and aestethics, and food shapes our existence, bodies, memories, society, economy and ethics.

    In the course we will explore what people eat, how, when, with whom and why. Doing so provides us with valuable insights regarding gender and generations, food safety and health, sustainability and human rights, class and cultural diversity, sense and sensibility, technology and food production, food and diet trends, food traditions and cultural heritage, emotions and microbes, friendship and family dynamics.

    In the course we explore the relationship between food production and consumption in the 21st century with specific emphasis on public health, ethical consumption and sustainability.

    Food and culture is an interdisciplinary course taught in cooperation between the Department of Folkloristics/Ethnology and Museum Studies and the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ614M
    Nature stories: the (super)natural in legends and literature hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    By focusing on folk tales, literature and other relevant sources, the course discusses the manifestations of nature and the supernatural in Icelandic narrative culture throughout the centuries. Students will learn about the significance, interface, and unclear boundaries of these phenomena and how they have shaped society and the environment as well. Students will thus get to know different ideas about the position of people and (other) animals within, above or "outside" of nature. Through diverse lectures and assignments, topics such as humanity vs. animality, the known world vs. other worlds, and materiality vs. the supernatural, will be discussed from critical points of view. The roles and forms of landscape, organisms, bodies, weather, and natural phenomena in the narrative culture will be explored. The latest research in this broad field will be presented, such as on the representation of earthquakes and celestial bodies, bears, whales, seals, and domestic animals, and on the supernatural creatures of nature and other mythological creatures such as fairies, ghosts, trolls, and berserks. Students will learn how story worlds and folklore have left their mark on the perception of nature, folk traditions, folk customs, and social spaces such as enchanted spots, sacred places and hunted places. We also ask how these narratives appear in folk art and visual art, from previous centuries to the present. Finally, we will explore the significance of nature narratives and the supernatural in the context of the Anthropocene, human perspectives, climate change, and the different statuses of social groups and species

    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ002F
    Reading Course in MA Study hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The student contacts a full-time teacher in a folkloristics program and requests guidance in an independent reading course. 

    Reading courses are designed to allow students to obtain a more specialized knowledge in the various areas of Folkloristics. Students and the teacher jointly pick readings and students give a written account of their knowledge at the end of the course. It is most desirable for two or more students to take one reading course together. Examples of topics that a reading course might cover include: the history of the discipline; folk belief and world view; cultural heritage, cultural diversity and the politics of culture; Nordic religion and myths; drama and folklore; and public folklore.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ307F
    Seminar for MA students in Folkloristics/Ethnology II hide
    Mandatory (required) course
    5
    A mandatory (required) course for the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The seminar is a community of graduate students in folklore studies, where students are supported and guided in their master's research work. Students are encouraged to participate in the seminar during their studies. It is mandatory to complete both Seminar I and II as part of the master's program in folklore studies.

    Self-study
    Prerequisites
  • ÞJÓ447M
    Cultural Heritage hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is cultural heritage and what purpose does it serve? Why does it always seem to be endangered? How does it tie together the past and the present? What's it got to do with the nation and the state? Historical consciousness? Globalization? Capitalism? Politics? The course will seek to answer these questions with reference to new research in folklore, ethnology, anthropology, art history, sociology, museology, history and archaeology and with a view to understanding what is going on in this expanding field of study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Whole year courses
  • GKY001M
    Mentor in Sprettur hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In the course, the student's task consists in being a mentor for participants that are upper secondary school students and university students in the project "Sprettur". Mentors' main role is to support and encourage participants in their studies and social life. As well as creating a constructive relationship with the participants, being a positive role model, and participating in events organized in Sprettur. The mentor role centers around building relationships and spending meaningful time together with the commitment to support participants. 

    Sprettur is a project that supports foreign students that would like to receive extra support to improve their performance and sustainability in their studies. The students in this course are mentors of the participants and are paired together based on a common field of interest. Mentors work in groups to support participants. Mentors plan activities with participants and spend three hours a month (from August to May) with Sprettur’s participants, three hours a month in a study group and attend five seminars that are spread over the school year. Students submit journal entries on Canvas once per semester and have to design and implement a learning experience for participants in Sprettur once in the course. Diary entries are based on reading material and students' reflections on the mentorship. Compulsory attendance in events, study groups, and seminars. The course is taught in Icelandic and English. 

    Students fill out a digital application form and the teacher will contact them. 

    More information about Sprettur can be found here: www.hi.is/sprettur  

    Face-to-face learning
    The course is taught if the specified conditions are met
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Fall
  • FER111F
    Tourism Planning and Policy hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course deals with tourism planning and policy in the context of environment, society and economy. Broadly speaking planning issues touch on every aspect of tourism. Students will learn about the ideological premises of tourism planning and policy, historical development of policy making in Iceland and internationally with a special emphasis put on sustainable development and UN Sustainable Development Goals. The course will give students tools to describe, analyse and evaluate the premises, development and deployment of planning and policy work in tourism. The aim is to bridge between conceputal discussion and practical application.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM121F
    Innovation - from idea to product hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers innovation and entrepreneurship broadly; discovering and assessing ideas and opportunities, project management, business development, financing and marketing. The teaching focuses on the entrepreneurial process from idea to market. Innovation is introduced as a process that starts with business idea development and assessing market needs. Next, the focus is on project management and business planning. In the end, financing and other means of resources are presented as the entrepreneurial environment is discussed.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM120F
    Fundamentals in Web Communications hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

    The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

    Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • FER110F
    Cultural and heritage tourism hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The module looks at meanings and definitons of the concept of culture in cultural tourism especially regarding presentation and mediation of cultural heritage in museums as well as in other types of surroundings. Questions concerning political and ethical issues of collections and presentation of artefacts will be discussed and thoughts will be given to different ways in which people read and perceive of history and heritage, their own as well as others. The relations between cultural tourism and creative tourism will also be explored. Questions regarding appropriation of cultural heritage will be explored as well as who have the power to define cultural heritage. Emphasis will be put on Icelandic heritage and museums and a visit will be made to at least one museum.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF002F
    Theories in Museum Studies hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The reading material be based on on essential theoretical works as well as recent research. The history of the field will be critically examined in light of trends at the beginning of the 21st century. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF016F
    Museums as a learning environment hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the main purposes of Icelandic museums is to preserve the country's cultural and natural heritage for future generations. Furthermore, to encourage increased knowledge of this heritage and understanding of its connections to the outside world. According to Icelandic museum laws, museums are expected to "enhance people's quality of life" by fostering an understanding of the development and status of culture, art, nature, and/or science. Therefore, museums and museum education can impact society, groups, and individuals. Museology plays a key role in this context and is the main subject of this course.

    Students will be introduced to theoretical approaches aimed at supporting diverse and impactful educational practices related to archaeology, art, natural sciences, cultural heritage, and other museum subjects. Attention will be given to the different target audiences of museum education, the role of visitors within museums, spatial considerations, text production, multimedia, interactivity, and more.

    This is a distance-learning course divided into three modules. Each module includes short lectures by the instructor reflecting on the course material, guest lectures (delivered digitally), and supplementary materials. Over the semester, three in-person and/or Zoom sessions will be held, where students will receive lectures from museum professionals and work on an educational project in collaboration with a museum in Reykjavík. The project will be developed based on students’ academic interests, under the supervision of the instructor and with support from museum staff.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF503M
    Literary tourism and writer's museums hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course we will examine three main areas in relation to literary tourism and writer's museums. First, we will examine how writers have used museums as sites for their storytelling. Second, we will examine the field of literary tourism in Iceland and in particular, the ways in which writer's museums are addressing the lives and times of literary authors like the Nobel Prize winner Halldór Laxness. And third, we will examine the wider social and cultural significance of literary tourism and writer's museums in Iceland. Attention will also be made to museums and exhibitions that represent Icelandic (oral) literary heritage. The course will in particular examine writer's museums like Gljúfrasteinn, Þórbergssetur, Davíðshús, Nonnahús, Reykholt and Skriðuklaustur.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ063M
    Dress, Boundaries and Culture Creation in 19th Century Iceland hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Taught in August 2022

    An investigation into the role of apparel in the formation of cultural boundaries and national identity in Iceland during the long 19th century (c.1790-1920). Clothing-practices, male and female, are considered in terms of defining a visible Icelandic identity in response to international fashions and style-trends. Special emphasis is placed on female costume. Theories on the development of cultural boundaries are introduced, as well as an approach toward investigating and interpreting primary sources in a cultural investigation. Travelogues and correspondences as well as historical journals and newspapers will be looked at to consider the dialogue across –and the development of— cultural boundaries in the conscious establishment of a national identity. Students will utilize the sources presented in a final written exam to illustrate evaluate and explain the effect and use of apparel by groups and individuals in the formation and establishment of cultural boundaries.

     

    Instructor:  Dr. Karl Aspelund, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM120F
    Fundamentals in Web Communications hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Constant technological development and emphasis on digital solutions has brought about frequent and numerous changes in the role of the webmaster. In this course, Efforts will be made to provide students with good insight into the main aspects of the webmaster's work. The writings of experts and scholars will be examined, and students will be introduced to the necessary tools and equipment. Professionals in the field will visit and share their experience with students.

    The job of a web editor is often integrated with general web management. Students get a good insight into web editing and writing for digital media. The main aspects that a webmaster / web editor needs to be able to master will be discussed, such as information architecture, writing for the web, presentation of images, fundamentals in web design, accessibility, usability, security, analytics, content management systems (CMS), and basic web interface technology.

    Students set up their own websites and use a CMS of their choice, e.g., WordPress or Wix, which are both available in free versions, and some of the assignments are submitted on there. In this way, students gain training in setting up a simple website. Particular attention is drawn to the fact that instruction in the use of the CMS is not part of the course. Those who have no or limited experience, in the use of CMS, are advised that YouTube has numerous videos where you can learn about the systems, from the basics to much more complex aspects that are expected in this course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • UAU018M
    The Arctic Circle hide
    Elective course
    4
    Free elective course within the programme
    4 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The Arctic is expected to become more important in the coming decades as climate change makes natural resources and transport routes more accessible creating threats to fragile ecosystems and societies as well as economic opportunities. Satellite data collected since 1979 shows that both the thickness of the ice in the Arctic and range of sea ice have decreased substantially, especially during the summer months. The melting of the ice facilitates natural resource exploration in the high north. U.S. Geological Survey estimates from 2008 suggest that 13 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and 30 percent of undiscovered natural gas reserves are located in the Arctic Circle. Moreover, the retreating and thinning of the ice opens up new trade routes.

    The Arctic Circle Assembly is designed to increase participation in Arctic dialogue and strengthen the international focus on the future of the Arctic. The Arctic Circle Assembly will contain sessions on a wide variety of topics, such as:

    • Sea ice melt and extreme weather
    • Polar law: treaties and agreements
    • The role and rights of indigenous peoples
    • Security in the Arctic
    • Shipping and transportation infrastructure
    • The prospects and risks of oil and gas drilling
    • Clean energy achievements and sustainable development
    • Arctic resources
    • Human rights and gender equality
    • Business cooperation in the Arctic
    • The role of Asian and European countries in the Arctic
    • Greenland in the new Arctic
    • Fisheries and ecosystem management
    • The science of ice: global research cooperation
    • Arctic tourism
    • Arctic identity and cultures
    • The ice-dependent world: the Arctic and the Himalayas
    • Politics in the Arctic

    This course enables and relies on the participation of UoI graduate and advanced undergraduate students in the Arctic Circle Assembly conference in Harpa, Reykjavik. Students are required to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly. Students have to attend one class shortly before the Assembly and one class shortly after the Assembly.

    Arctic Circle Assembly,  October 17 - 19th 2024 in Harpa, Reykjavík

    Students need to pay the student registration fee to the conference, but receive a discount. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • FÉL601M
    Sexual Violence, Law and Justice hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Over the past years, public discussion on how to address cases of sexual violence has been heated, particularly in the aftermath of the #MeToo Movement. Research shows that only a small percentage of such cases are reported to the police and only a small number of those cases lead to a conviction. This has been called a justice gap. Increasingly, we see victim-survivors of sexual violence tell their stories on social media, or in the media, and in some cases alleged offenders are named publicly which has evoked different responses amongst the public and had various consequences.

    In this course, these societal developments will be explored from the perspective of sociology of law. Sociology of law uses theories and methods from the social sciences to examine the law, legal institutions, and legal behaviours, in the effort to analyse legal phenomena in their social, cultural, and historical contexts. To shed further light on the treatment of sexual violence cases, this course will also include readings from criminology, victimology, gender studies and the health sciences.

    The course will seek answers to the following questions and more: Who commits sexual violence and why? How are men’s experiences of being subjected to sexual violence different from women’s experiences? Why is the legal status and rights of defendants different from that of victims? How is law in the books different from law in practice? How has the criminal justice system developed historically? What characterises legal education and the legal profession? What is the difference between legal consciousness and legal culture? How does legal justice differ from social justice? What are the advantages and disadvantages to non-traditional justice systems in comparison to traditional justice systems?

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM301M
    Women's Day Off 1975: Myths and communication hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    "The struggle does not end today," was written on a banner held by one of the 25,000 women who rallied in downtown Reykjavík on the 24th of October 1975. The Women's Day Off, as the organizers ironically called it, was essentially a strike to protest gender-based discrimination and wage differentials. The banner mentioned above is only one example of many of how the women communicated their views and demands through different media such as music, print, public speeches, and mass media. The Women's Day Off was the result of a collective agency of Icelandic actors, but their initiative should still be regarded in an international context as the women were urged to unite under the theme of the International Women's Year: "EQUALITY - DEVELOPMENT - PEACE. "

    The course is built around the Women's Day Off in 1975, but as teachers and students research its historical legacy in Icelandic and international context, they will explore and implement new ways of communicating history with younger generations. The course is organized in collaboration with Rúv and The Women's History Archives, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary with an exhibition at the National Library.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG206M
    Research and sources in archives hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Students learn and are trained in the methods of archival research, finding and evaluating sources in archives.  Practical exercises will be assigned.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • MAN095F
    Globalization hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    New theories and studies on globalization and global processes are presented in the class. The course aims at giving a general overview of important themes related to globalization processes. Studies that shed light on the diverse economic, social and political aspects of global processes are furthermore examined. A critical examination of main concepts is an important aspect of the course but studies that show how people are agents/victims in globalized world are also presented.

    The teaching consists of lecture and class discussions. 

     The course is taught in English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A7F
    Iceland: Anthropological Past, Present and Future hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on a number of key areas of Icelandic society and culture from an anthropological perspective. The course will build upon a set of themes that have a long tradition within the anthropology of Iceland, but a particular emphasis will be placed upon the contemporary context and emergent issues that are confronting Icelandic society.  The instruction will be in English in order to make the course accessible to non-Icelandic speaking students, but also to strengthen the English academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL701F
    The self meets society: Social psychology of everyday life hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Our daily life may seem boringly traditional and predictable. Social psychology shows that it is an exciting and multifaceted phenomenon resting on a complicated interplay of individual factors and social structures. In this course we will use theories and findings by social psychologists to shed light on what is behind the glitter of the obvious. We will go from what is public to the aspects that we conceal and hide, study what advertisers, salespeople and influencers do to bend us and turn and look at the degree to which variables like gender, class and ethnicity influence and control what we see, how we see and how we respond to the stimulus of everyday life.

    Students will work on diverse small assignments connected to the main thrust of the course, individually or in groups. Even though social psychology relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods the emphasis in the assignments will be on qualitative methods such as visual analysis, conversation analysis and participatory observations.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • HMM235F
    Radio production and podcasting hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course is run in cooperation with the state radio station: RÚV - Rás 1. Discussion will take place into the presentation of radio/audio material, various examples being examined. Attention will be given to the nature of audio communication and the possibilities of audio communication in the present media environment. Attention is also paid to concept development, interview techniques, recording techniques, dramaturgy and editing, accentuating sustainability and self-reliance. All students will complete a final project involving the making of radio programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN509M
    Environmental anthropology hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on anthropological research on nature and the environment, as well as ideas from other human and social sciences, on the relationship between people and their environment. Various basic terms and theories central to environmental anthropology and related fields will be introduced and discussed.

    The course explores several attempts to throw light on the emergence and characteristics of various cultural and social institutions and practices by reference to ecological systems and material relations as their foundation. It will also address critique of such attempts. 

    A particular emphasis will be placed on changing views on the environment that have emerged in recent years, including ideas of resource extraction and management and several forms of environmentalisms.

    Last but not least the many interactions of climate change causes and effects and societies will be explored as they are materialising all over the globe. Climate, climate change and society and culture, and their mutual influences, will also be investigated as a historical theoretical issue, from various points of view.

    Several ethnographic examples of human-environment interaction will be examined throughout the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A6F
    Anthropology of art hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course the focus is upon anthropologists' discussion of art. Different definitions of the concept will be considered and, in that context, the relation of art to aesthetics and ethics. Answers will be sought to the question of whether all work that appears artistic to westernized perception is indeed so to those who produce this work. Authorship, authenticity and problems arising from the interaction between different cultural traditions will be considered. In order to shed light on these issues various ethnographic studies throughout the world will be studied.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • FÉL0A1F
    Crime and Social Deviance hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course covers a detailed overview of theories in criminology and sociology of deviance. Students will read empirical research testing these theories in Iceland and elsewhere.

    Different types of crimes and topics will be discussed in criminological/sociological light, such as gender and crime, immigration and crime.

    Emphasis is placed on linking theoretical discussion with empirical research.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Spring 2
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ606M
    Fashion and Apparel: Theories and Analysis of Material Culture in an Industrialized Market Society hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course focuses on fashion as a manifestation of material culture resulting from the behavior of individuals in society. Students investigate theories on fashion in industrialized market-economies, while considering various theories in philosophy, sociology, ethnology and anthropology. Concepts of influential factors in the development of apparel fashions will be critically reviewed and analyzed with a view toward students’ local community. The relationship of fashion development to different demographics, specifically in terms of gender, class, sexuality, age, and other significant demographics of social differentiation will be especially noted. An investigation into the “spirit of our time” (the “Zeitgeist”), and a field-study on the fashions of specific groups or locations will be conducted. These lead to a consideration of findings in the light of the theories presented. The investigations and discussions all lead to a final project resulting in a definition and analysis of the development and nature of current fashions as well as a formal forecast of future fashions and fashion–culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • LAN214F
    Northern tourism: Performances and Experiences hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Teaching period: March - May

    This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

    Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FER213F
    Innovation in Tourism hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Tourism and innovation are often related in discussions on economic development and diversification. In Iceland, tourism in itself is regarded as innovative but interest is also growing in entrepreneurship and innovation within the tourism sector.

    The course deals with innovation and tourism from a broad perspective. Theoretical discussion on innovation in general is presented with an emphasis on tourism, taking into account diverse conceptualisations of tourism. Innovation in service and service related industries will especially be dealt with as well as the preconditions and objectives of entrepreneurship in different subsectors of tourism. Students will work on assignments that aim at linking academic discourse to real cases from the tourism sector in Iceland.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF603M
    Museums and Society: The Circus of Death? hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The societal role of museums will be discussed from several angles: economic, political, cultural, social and last but not least in an international context. Examples of topics that will be discussed in the course are the role of museums in building the concept of the nation; the legal environment of museums; how museums are run; the status and role of the main museums; museums owned and run by local authorities and other museums; the financing of museums, and the policies of authorities regarding museums. Both national and foreign examples will be taken. 

    Work format

    Teaching will take the form of lectures and discussions.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • FMÞ201F
    Advanced Seminar in Qualitative Research hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course focuses on the variety of approaches and methods found within  research. Five qualitative approaches to inquiry are mainly in focus, namely; case study, narrative research, ethnography, phenomenology and grounded theory. Students gain a deeper experiences in data collection and in use of different methods for analyzing their qualitative data. They also gain experience in presenting their findings in written form. Additionally, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own research practices and on themselves as qualitative researchers.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF011F
    Professional works: Case study analysis hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines professionalism, using case studies from museum work in Iceland, from a broad, interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives and debates. This course should therefore appeal to students from a variety of disciplines, including museology, archaeology, art studies, cultural studies, anthropology and folklore. The case studies are related to the variable works of museums, including management, organisation, collection, conservation, research and communication.

    Furthermore, methods of assessment will be considered, both from the angle of the museum visitor as well as self-appraisals of the museums themselves (approaches to - and processing of information). The subject of the case studies are variable, including administration, gender considerations, accessibility, conservation of archaeological artefacts, research into visual cultural heritage, freedom of expression, housing and building affairs, gifts to museums and more.

    In this course, experts and specialists (from Iceland and abroad), working in museum sector will give talks, sharing their knowledge and their experience. Students will choose one day over the semester, for a one day career day at a museum in Reykjavík, where a member of staff will tell them about the museum‘s main activities and demonstrate basic entry input in their electronic database. Students will work with the staff for the remainder of the day.

    The course is taught distance learning, with short, online lectures by teachers and guest-lecturers. It also includes three full day on-campus (or Zoom, should that be needed) lecture days, where students will visit museums around Reykjavík and listen to lectures from a variety of people. Attendance is required during the three day on-campus and Zoom days.

    Final grade is based on completing written assignments during the semester, attendance for full-day on-campus/zoom days and the career day.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAG412M
    Wretched Girls and Virtuous Ladies: Women in Iceland from the late eighteenth century to the twentieth century hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course examines the status of women in Iceland during the long nineteenth century. The aim is to explore sources that shed light on women's circumstances, opportunities, and agency, both in rural areas and villages. The period will be examined both thematically and chronologically, exploring and analysing changes in women's status and agency. The course will explore what legal rights women had – were they autonomous? Could they travel abroad for education or travel at all? Could they marry whom they wanted? Run their own business? What kind of clothes did they wear? What work did they do inside and outside of the home? The status of women in Iceland will be examined in a transnational context, both concerning legal rights and agency, as well as in relation to major theoretical frameworks about women's history in the nineteenth century (e.g., separate spheres). The period spans from the late eighteenth century, from which time sources such as private letters and biographical texts are preserved, to c. 1900 when the struggle for women's rights had begun in Iceland and new times were ahead. The course will delve into memoirs, funeral speeches, and correspondence along with other sources and scholarly works about the period to get as close as possible to women's experiences and attitudes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM410F
    Meeting their eye level: children culture design hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    We bend our knees, literally and figuratively speaking. How do children view the world? How can we communicate cultural content at their eye level? How can we actively listen to their point of view?

    The course will discuss diverse cultural activities for children; ranging from exhibition design in museums
    to interactive installations, creative workshops, interdisciplinary participatory projects and radio
    programming. Teaching takes place through field trips, lectures, practical workshops and group work.

    The course is led by the interdisciplinary design team ÞYKJÓ, winners of the Iceland Design Award 2024
    for the project "Children and City Planning”, nominated in 2023 for the international YAM award for the
    project “Golden Record - Let's send music into space!”. Speakers include a children's culture designer, a
    game designer, a composer and an architect.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • SAF019F
    Introduction into Curating hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Curating is a fast growing discipline within various types of museums, like art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums. In this course different approches to curating, exhibition making and exhibition design in such museums will be examined from critical perspectives, with emphasis on management, different narrative strategies, scripting and mediation. Past and present exhibitions of art museums, natural history museums and cultural history museums, in Iceland and abroad, will be critically addressed and analyzed.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    SAF206F
    Conservation and Preventive Care of Museum Objects hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Conservation and preventive care of museum artifacts is the subject of this course. Theories and practices of conservation and preventive care will be explored, with emphasis on practical exercises in making evaluations of the material state of artifacts and the environment that they are either stored in and/or exhibited. Course exercises are made in collaboration with the museums in the capital area. The course is taught in on-site study, daily during the week of 19-23 February, with lectures, discussions and project classes. Teaching takes place on University Main Campus and is not available for distance learning.

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    ÞJÓ021M
    Gender and Folklore hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The field of Folklore, emerging out of the phenomena collectively referred to as  Modernity, has a complicated and problematic relationship with gender, both in the material that circulates and the subsequent academic treatment of that material. This seminar combines theoretical perspectives from Gender Studies and Folkloristics to better understand the interconnectedness of popular cultural forms, analyses, and the operations of power, specifically gender relations. Beginning with a feminist critique of Folkloristics from within (a historical reference point), we will examine more recent work on the relationship between gender and genre, between the empowering acts of ordinary rituals (so-called women‘s genres), and how the old, debunked Nature/Culture divide, in which women‘s genres were debased and denigrated, may, looked at from a different perspective, suggest alternate approaches to some contemporary global issues.

    Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN017F
    Multicultural society and migration hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    Human mobility and multicultural societies are often seen as the main characteristics of the contemporary world. In the course, we look at main theories approaching mobility and multicultural society, critically addressing them and analyzing their utility. The concept of multiculturalism and related concepts such as culture, assimilation and integration are critically evaluated, as well as mobility in the past and the relationship between mobility and multiculturalism. Different approaches in the social sciences are introduced and main research themes in anthropology in particular and social sciences in general will be examined.

    The teaching methods are lectures and discussions.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN0A8F
    Common Sense? - The Anthropology of Perception and the Senses hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, the focus will be on the cultural relativity of perception. A central concept here is that of the mode of perception, which refers to a particular integration of the sensorium in a certain cultural context. Visualism, aural cultures, and the multiple possibilities of smell, taste and touch for cultural expression will be among the topics of discussion. The main theories of perception that have provided anthropologists with inspiration will be introduced. There will also be an emphasis on practical experimentation with the students' perception of the various phenomena of the world.

    Aim: To make students aware of the social constitution of perception and its cross-cultural relativity.

    Face-to-face learning
    Distance learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN507M
    Urban Anthropology hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    According to the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs, slightly over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. This is projected to be 66% percent by the year 2050, with Africa and Asia accounting for 90% of this new urban growth. Urban anthropology has increasingly played a critically important role in the development of the discipline of anthropology in terms of theory, research methods and social justice movements. This course provides an historical overview of the development of urban anthropology and on through to recent developments. An emphasis will be placed on anthropological theory and research methods, but also issues such as social justice, architecture, design and urban planning. The course will cover, among others, the early Chicago ethnographers and early urban poverty research, utopian and modernist urban planning, power and built form, divisions and gated communities, crime and urban fear, urban homelessness, and the governance of built spaces. The course will conclude with a section on cities in transition, which includes a focus on the post-industrial/global city, the effects of neoliberalism on urban spaces, and a discussion of the possible future(s) of urbanism and the role of anthropology in understanding these developments.

    Students must have completed 120 ECTS in their BA study before attending this course

    Face-to-face learning
    Online learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM220F
    Creative Documentary hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The basic types of documentaries will be discussed as well as methods of documentary making, editing and cinematography. Emphasis will be put on practical projects and students will be required to make at least one documentary during the course.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    FÉL0A4F
    Crime in Iceland hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    What is criminology? Criminological data and what criminologists do.

    Crime definitions and how crime can be explained and understood. Examples of different theoretical perspectives will be covered in class: Classical Criminology and Social & Psychological Theories. What kind of criminological research and research questions are used with different theories? 

    Using this theoretical background, a number of crime types and topics within Icelandic criminology will be presented and discussed in class, including the following: Physical and sexual violence, alcohol and drugs in society, crime and punishment, public attitudes to crime and punishment, and social crisis and crime. 

    Students write a seminar paper and a diary (portfolio) of the topics presented in class. Final exam on-site.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Not taught this semester
    MAN701F
    Project design, monitoring and evaluation hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    In this course, students are introduced to concepts and methods for planning, monitoring and evaluating projects/activities. It covers developing a problem statement, mapping stakeholders, development of a project plan, design of project evaluations, introduction to data collection, and reporting on project progress. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of stakeholder participation and gender mainstreaming. Approaches taught in the course are rooted in international development but are useful in the planning, monitoring and evaluation of projects/activities across all sectors. This course is designed to be practical and develop skills that are directly applicable in many workplaces. The teaching is based on a combination of theoretical instruction, discussion of real-life applications, interactive workshops, and guided group work. 

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • HMM240F
    Culture and Cultural Communication hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course critically engages with the concept of culture, addressing predominant conceptualizations while simultaneously exploring the role, conditions and influence of culture in the present. The objective is to generate a disciplined discussion on cultural heritage, cultural politics and policy, and cultural sustainability in conjunction with questions on the practicality of presenting and communicating expressions of culture. Attention is paid to the relationship between the cultural field and other social, political and economic aspects of society and how these enable and limit the communication and dissemination of cultural resources. Questions on how cultural heritage, traditions, collective memory, ideas on authenticity and identity generate the formation and reproduction of cultural constellations are dealt with as well as how conceptualizations such as ‘cultural capital’, ‘cultural hegemony’ and ‘authorized discourse on heritage’ can be employed to understand and analyze manifestations of culture.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS814F
    Sagas and Places hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    One of the distinctive features of Old Norse-Icelandic medieval literature is how connected the narratives are to distinct places. This is especially true of Sagas about early Icelanders (Íslendingasögur) and Kings’ sagas (konungasögur). In many cases, it is possible to visit the scenes where many key events of the saga take place. In the last decades there has been a “spatial turn” in Old Norse-Icelandic studies due to theoretical developments in the humanities and the social sciences during the second half of the twentieth century, but also aided by new perceptions of space made possible by geolocalisation and digital maps. Several scholars have engaged with the sagas from this perspective, f.ex. Emily Lethbridge and Eleanor Barraclough. In this course, the theoretical literature associated with the spatial turn will be explores, the sagas will be studied from this point of view and places where key events of the sagas happen will be visited. Even though the course is taught in the Spring semester, students are encouraged to participate in trips organized by the Viking and Medieval Norse Studies and Medieval Icelandic Studies MA programmes.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • MIS204F
    Medieval Icelandic Manuscripts hide
    Elective course
    10
    Free elective course within the programme
    10 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    This course provides an overview of Icelandic manuscript culture. Students will get practical training in reading Icelandic manuscripts from different periods, from the earliest extant Icelandic vellums dating to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries down to the paper manuscripts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The origins of the Icelandic script will be discussed as well as its development over time, and students will get practical training in reading different types of script from different periods. The orthography of medieval manuscripts differs considerably from the modern orthography. It includes a system of abbreviations that is partly inherited from a much earlier Latin tradition. Students will get practical training in interpreting these abbreviations. The Icelandic language has also changed over time, and different manifestations of these language changes appear when reading and examining Icelandic texts from different periods. A selection of these changes will be discussed. Changes in script, orthography, and language provide valuable indications of the date of the manuscript, and students will get practical training in dating medieval Icelandic manuscripts based on script, orthography, and language.

    Various aspects of medieval book production will be discussed, including the making of parchment and ink, and book binding. Scribes and scribal schools will be discussed as well as probable centres of book production in medieval Iceland. The works of some prolific scribes in the fourteenth century will be examined. What did they write? How did they write? Did they change their practice over a long scribal career? The texts contained by the manuscripts will also be examined and the basics of textual criticism introduced. Njáls saga, for instance, has survived in over sixty manuscripts with considerable textual variation. Which manuscript should then constitute the basis for a printed edition of Njáls saga? Different types of printed editions will be discussed, and students try their hand at editing a medieval text. The electronic editing of pre-modern texts will be introduced, and students will get practical training in mark-up with XML according to the guidelines of the Medieval Nordic Text Archive (MENOTA) and the Medieval Unicode Font Initiative (MUFI).

    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be pre-recorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions.

    The course is run in cooperation with the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies which has the custody of the largest single collection of Icelandic medieval manuscripts. Students will visit the institute to learn about its collections and facilities and to examine manuscripts.


    Course synopsis

    Week 1
    (1) Introduction
    The course: format, readings, requirements and assessment.
    The subject matter: Medieval Icelandic manuscripts.

    (2) The earliest Icelandic manuscripts
    A sketch of the history of the Latin script and the earliest writings in Icelandic. Where did Icelanders learn to use the Latin alphabet? Which orthography did they employ? Some main characteristics of medieval orthography and the use of abbreviations.

    Week 2
    (3) Electronic editing of medieval texts
    How can medieval texts be presented electronically? The XML mark-up language, TEI, MENOTA, MU-FI, and related matters. We will try our hand at electronic editing.

    (4) The earliest Icelandic orthography and the First Grammatical Treatise
    The use of the Latin alphabet for writing Icelandic: challenges — and the solutions proposed by the author of the First Grammatical Treatise in the middle of the twelfth century.

    Week 3
    (5) Icelandic script and orthography in the thirteenth century
    The difference between Icelandic and Norwegian orthography in the twelfth century. What changed in the course of the thirteenth century?

    (6) Different types of print editions: scholarly editions
    How accurate should printed editions be? Should every little detail in the manuscript be reproduced? What is “Classical Old Icelandic Normalized Orthography”? What are the needs of the readers? What is the role of the editor?

    Week 4
    (7) Norwegian influence on script, orthography, and language in Icelandic manuscripts
    What is the manifestation of this Norwegian influence? How deep-rooted was it? How long did it last?

    (8) The dating of manuscripts: script, orthography, and language
    How can medieval Icelandic manuscripts be dated? Features of script, orthography, and language that can be helpful for dating.

    Week 5
    (9) Icelandic script and orthography in the fourteenth century
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (10) One scribal hand or many?
    Distinguishing different scribal hands: some criteria. The Icelandic Homily Book from around 1200: One scribe or fourteen?

    Week 6
    (11) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    From animal skin to parchment. How was the ink produced? Book design and book binding. The care and conservation of medieval manuscripts.

    (12) Book production: parchment, ink, binding — and conservation
    A visit to the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies.

    — STUDY WEEK —

    Week 7
    (13) Scribes, scribal milieus, the export of books
    On prolific scribes, scribal collaboration, and extensive production of books. Were books produced in Iceland for export in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?

    (14) Icelandic script and orthography in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    Week 8
    (15) Textual criticism
    On the transmission of texts through copying. Textual variation, manuscript classification, and stemmatology.

    (16) Textual criticism
    Comparing manuscripts and collecting variants.

    Week 9
    (17) Manuscript illumination
    On illuminated manuscripts, historiated initials, artists and their models.

    (18) Manuscript catalogues and cataloguing
    We will familiarize ourselves with the most important manuscript catalogues and learn about the principles of manuscript cataloguing.

    Week 10
    (19) Icelandic script and orthography in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
    Main characteristics and their development.

    (20) The transmission of the text: a relic or a living text?
    How did the language change when a scribe copied from an old exemplar? Njáls saga is believed to have been written towards the end of the thirteenth century. What is the language of Njáls saga in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century manuscripts?

    Week 11
    (21) Antiquarianism, manuscript collectors, and copyists
    The sixteenth century saw the rise of interest in antiquities, old manuscripts were collected and copied.

    (22) Different types of print editions: popular editions
    How is a pre-modern text best presented to the modern reader? Should archaic features of language and orthography be retained or should they be updated? On the allegiance to the manuscript and allegiance to the reader.

    Week 12
    (23) Manuscript collections and manuscript collectors
    The life and work of Árni Magnússon.

    (24) The manuscript dispute and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland
    The search for Codex Scardensis and a nerve-racking auction in London. The custody dispute with Denmark and the return of the manuscripts to Iceland 1971–1997.

    — This synopsis may be subject to change. —

    Readings

    The reading list is on the course website on Canvas. It consists of readings in several languages, including English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, German, and French. The reading list is (often) divided into three main sections:

    (a) Required readings: Texts that everyone is required to read. These are all in English.

    (b) Optional supplementary readings: These are optional readings for those who want a more in-depth discussion. Most of these readings are in English, but not all.

    (c) For those who still want more: A variety of optional readings in several languages, not least in Icelandic, for those who still want more. This section is mostly for reference purposes and as a tool for further research.

    Many of the required readings (and some of the optional readings) are found on the Canvas course website. Other reading materials are available in the institute library in the Árni Magnússon Institute in Edda and the University Library (Háskólabókasafn) in the Þjóðarbókhlaða.

    Prerequisites
    Some skills in Icelandic are essential to fully benefit from the course, as emphasis will be placed on practical training in reading and transcribing text from medieval Icelandic manuscripts. MIS105F Old Icelandic 1 or equivalent study of Old Icelandic is sufficient or some skills in Modern Icelandic. Please, consult the instructor if in doubt.

    Course format
    The course is taught through a combination of lectures and workshops with considerable student engagement. Many of the lectures will be prerecorded allowing more time in the classroom for discussion and student contributions (flipped classroom).

    Working language: This course is open to students with different linguistic backgrounds, and there are two working languages, English and Icelandic. Pre-recorded lectures are in both English and Icelandic (except for guest lecturers who will present in English), written assignments are in both English and Icelandic, and reading materials are in English, Icelandic and the Scandinavian languages, but for those who cannot read Icelandic or the Scan-dinavian languages, all required readings are in English. English is the main working language in the classroom, but questions and contributions to class discussion may also be in Icelandic. — See a separate note on the working languages and the classroom arrangement.

    Course requirements and assessment
    The final grade for the course will be based on:

    (1) Transcription assignments: 30%
    (2) Manuscript catalogue assignment: 10%
    (3) Manuscript dating assignment: 10%
    (4) Presentation: manuscript of the day: 10%
    (5) Research paper: 30%
    (6) Class participation: 10%

    All written assignments will be submitted through Canvas. More detailed instructions and information on deadlines is found on Canvas.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
  • Summer
  • BLF201M
    Radio programming and broadcasting hide
    Elective course
    6
    Free elective course within the programme
    6 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The goal of this course is to give students an opportunity to present their theoretical knowledge and research to listeners of the Icelandic Public Broadcasting Service (Ríkisútvarpið). Students will be introduced to public radio as a medium and trained in radio programming and in presenting theoretical material in simple manners suitable for broadcasting in public radio.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Attendance required in class
  • Year unspecified
  • SAG414M
    The Icelandic Household in the 18th Century hide
    Elective course
    5
    Free elective course within the programme
    5 ECTS, credits
    Course Description

    The course offers an in-depth study of the Icelandic 18th Century household. What different types of households were there and what was the difference between the households of peasants, fishermen, pastors, lodgers or paupers? How did young people move out of their parents’ households and start their own? How did households provide for their members and what additional expenses such as rent, taxes and dues did they need to pay? How did subsistence farming work and did the households engage in any trading? The course introduces the rich sources of the time period to students, which provide us with insights into daily life in the period, from the census of 1703 to travel journals and magazine articles of Enlightment writers of the late 18th century. Among other exercises, students practice methods of digital data entry for quantitative study.

    Face-to-face learning
    Prerequisites
    Course taught second half of the semester

The timetable shown below is for the current academic year and is FOR REFERENCE ONLY.

Changes may occur for the autumn semester in August and September and for the spring semester in December and January. You will find your final timetable in Ugla when the studies start.

Note! This timetable is not suitable for planning your work schedule if you are a part-time employee.





Additional information

The University of Iceland collaborates with over 400 universities worldwide. This provides a unique opportunity to pursue part of your studies at an international university thus gaining added experience and fresh insight into your field of study.

Students generally have the opportunity to join an exchange programme, internship, or summer courses. However, exchanges are always subject to faculty approval.

Students have the opportunity to have courses evaluated as part of their studies at the University of Iceland, so their stay does not have to affect the duration of their studies.

Folkloristics graduates from UI have found careers as:

  • Journalists
  • Programme managers
  • Tour guides
  • Media professionals
  • Directors of museums and cultural centres
  • Managing Directors
  • Tailors
  • Film makers
  • Park rangers
  • Cultural Representatives
  • Antiquarians
  • Proof readers
  • Authors
  • Politicians

This list is not exhaustive

The organisation for folkloristics students is called Þjóðbrók.

Þjóðbrók organises fun events that foster a positive student community within the subject.

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