This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

The aim of the course is to prepare students for their academic studies by equipping them with essential skills and strategies. The course is tailored for students in Sociology, Antropology and Folkloristics, providing training in academic competencies and guidance on organising their studies. The curriculum covers key aspects of data collection, resource management, academic writing, and communication in both written and spoken formats.

It also introduces study planning and effective study methods including time management, project planning, and productive study habits. Additionally, students are introduced to the various resource and support services available to them.

A particular emphasis is placed on the use of electronic data, including artificial intelligence tools, in accordance with academic regulations, to support research and academic writing. The course also addresses the limitations and ethical responsibilities associated with their use.

Students will gain foundational knowledge in resource management and data processing, with specific training in source evaluation, citation practises, and the proper formatting of references and bibliographies according to APA 7.0 standards. Furthermore, the course covers the principles of presenting academic content effectively both in written and spoken formats, ensuring that students can organise and communicate topics in a structured and academically rigorous manner.

By the end of the course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of the academic standards expected in Sociology, Anthropology, and Folkloristics studies, as well as the methods necessary to meet these standards.

This course is an introduction to the study of the material culture of everyday life. Students will be get a good glimpse of this multidisciplinary field, with examples drawn from the past as well as the present, and with equal emphasis on the material culture of Iceland and that of other countries. The topics of study will range from clothes and fashion to foodways, from the objects in our daily surroundings to trash and hygiene, from crafts and consumer goods to houses, gardens and the home, and from urban landscapes to museums and exhibits. Along the way, students will gain familiarity with various theoretical concepts and approaches emphasizing for example the human body, gender, consumption, place and space.

An introduction to the subject of Folkloristics as an academic discipline both in Iceland and in other countries.The main concepts behind Folkloristics are introduced: the different fields that come under the headings of Folkloristics, the folkloristics view, the concept of culture, folk culture, folk customs and so on. The position of folkloristics within the humanities is discussed, as is its close relationship to other disciplines. A detailed examination is also made of the history of folkloristic research in Iceland and its neighbouring countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the concept of folk beliefs, and in relation to this, an examination is made of Icelandic folk beliefs, past and present, their development and its individual characteristics. Material is drawn in part from articles from three of the following central academic journals: Ethnologia Scandinavica, Arv, Ethnologia Europea, Fabula, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of American Folklore.

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

This course deals with customs and daily life that existed in the rural society of Iceland in earlier centuries (both in the countryside and by the sea). Discussion is made of research methodologies used at home and abroad with regard to material culture and folk customs. Students will come into contact with a wide range of ethnological research, and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different types of source material. Emphasis is placed on assessing the mind set behind popular culture, as students examine the course of life of those individuals who grew up within this society. At the same time, attention will be paid to which methods serve best as a means of researching the customs of these people. Among other things, students will work with unpublished personal sources such as answers to ethnological questionnaires, and diaries.

This course introduces students to the history of museums and to key debates within the fields of museology and museography.  The course discusses contemporary practice in museums, like collecting, preservation and cataloguing, research and mediation in the twenty-first century.  The course explores museums’ missions and their roles in a variety of museums including art, cultural history, and natural history. 

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

This course aims to introduce the main methods used in the collection, preservation and publication of folkloristic material, ranging from narrative to poetry and tradition. The course will be mainly based on practical work under the supervision of the lecturer, concerning decisions about the limiting of the research topic, interviews with subjects, recording and final organisation of material for preservation and publication.

Teaching form

The teaching takes the form of lectures and discussion between the students and supervisors with regard to the students' field work.

This course is an introduction to the study of the material culture of everyday life. Students will be get a good glimpse of this multidisciplinary field, with examples drawn from the past as well as the present, and with equal emphasis on the material culture of Iceland and that of other countries. The topics of study will range from clothes and fashion to foodways, from the objects in our daily surroundings to trash and hygiene, from crafts and consumer goods to houses, gardens and the home, and from urban landscapes to museums and exhibits. Along the way, students will gain familiarity with various theoretical concepts and approaches emphasizing for example the human body, gender, consumption, place and space.

This course involves an analysis of the social culture involved in games, entertainments, sports and festivals. Among other things, an examionation will be made of life festivals and seasonal festivals as well as games and leisure activities past and present, as well as other forms of activities like the banquets and dances known of the rural Icelandic society of the past. In addition to Icelandic festivals, attention will also be paid to comparable European festivals such as Halloween, and Mardi Gras. These activities involve a variety of folkloristic elements and have often formed one of the chief areas of folkloristic research. The aim is to introduce the wide range of research that has been carried out into the field in the last few years, students reading both key works and new researches. A great deal of source material is available on Icelandic festivals, games, sports and entertainments and the aim is to examine this material in the light of new theories and approaches.

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. 

In this course we will examine the role of folkloristic material in modern western society, examining in particular its presence in the media, films and the internet, as well as in the oral and practical tradition. Among other things, an examination will be made of modern migratory legends and the modern role of fairy tales, belief and prejudice, games and festivals, graffiti and jokes, and all sort of other modern customs and traditions. The aim is to increase our understanding of the popular basis of modern culture and extend our conciousness of all the "trivial" which has such a central role to play in shaping our attitudes within society and our views with regard to our fellow people. Reference will be made to recent and modern research work that has been undertaken in folkloristics, cultural studies and related subjects.

In this course, we examine how places in cities, rural areas, and the wilderness acquire meaning for individuals and groups. We explore how both personal memories and cultural memory shape perceptions and understanding of the landscape. We consider how place names, stories, and legends—such as those about elf churches, cursed spots, and past events—influence the value and meaning of places, as well as how emplaced experiences and memories tend to stick to locations. Why do some places become sacred sites, while others remain merely spaces people pass through on their way elsewhere? Why do people feel at ease in some places but experience discomfort or fear in others? How do individuals form connections to places during short visits or longer stays? Does it matter whether one is a newcomer or a native? What does it mean to feel a sense of belonging or to consider a particular place home? How refugees and other immigrants form attachment to the places where they settle and how they maintain or sever ties with the places they leave behind. What does it mean for people to have been forced to leave their homes due to wars or natural disasters, facing uncertainty about whether they can return? Attention will be given to how discourse and social dynamics shape people-place relationships, as well as the role of experience, perception, memories, aesthetics, and diverse narratives in giving meaning to place, forming place attachment, and defining who can lay claim to a place—and how.

The legend tradition will be examined in detail in this course, in the light of both earlier and more recent academic theory concerning this subject. The concentration will be placed on Icelandic legends, how they have come about, been passed from person to person, living and developing in the oral tradition. Particular attention will be paid to what these legends tell us about folk belief in Iceland. From this viewpoint, particular attention will be paid to memorats, their source value, and the degree to which the narrative tradition shapes new narratives. Close attention will also be paid to Icelandic migratory legends, their means of transmission, their distribution, and they way in which they have been shaped and influenced by local narrative traditions and beliefs. In this context, attention will also be drawn to individual legendary motifs, and research that has been undertaken into them. 

Practical course designed to help students transfer knowledge and skills from undergraduate studies in ethnology/folkloristics to the labor market. Course projects are designed to increase self-knowledge and boost the occupational competence of students after their studies are completed, emphasizing the competence to connect academic and practical knowledge in creative and critical fashion. Students will acquaint themselves with the work that particular individuals, companies, and institutions do and gain insight into the different jobs of folklorists/ethnologists. Students pick two out of the consortium of partners introduced in the first weeks of the course. Students will spend 10-15 hours on site during the mid-semester project week. The course evaluation is based entirely on course projects, and class attendance is mandatory.

In this course, a number of  wonder tales will be read and analysed, especially from the viewpoint of what they have to say about society. Emphasis will be placed on the folk tale tradition, the performances of storytellers, the way they regularly recreate stories, and then the various motifs that they use in this process. The wonder tales will also be analysed from the viewpoint of the variety of raw material that was available for use in such recreation, and with regard to the range of variants and story types that were known, different motifs being compared in the process. Following this, attempts will be made to consider the "meaning" of different wonder tales. They will also be examined with regard to their social meaning and context, especially with regard to the nature of the society that helped shape them, and then how they are now reused and recreated in different media.

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.

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.

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Research Project.

Research Project.

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

This course deals with customs and daily life that existed in the rural society of Iceland in earlier centuries (both in the countryside and by the sea). Discussion is made of research methodologies used at home and abroad with regard to material culture and folk customs. Students will come into contact with a wide range of ethnological research, and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different types of source material. Emphasis is placed on assessing the mind set behind popular culture, as students examine the course of life of those individuals who grew up within this society. At the same time, attention will be paid to which methods serve best as a means of researching the customs of these people. Among other things, students will work with unpublished personal sources such as answers to ethnological questionnaires, and diaries.

Practical course designed to help students transfer knowledge and skills from undergraduate studies in ethnology/folkloristics to the labor market. Course projects are designed to increase self-knowledge and boost the occupational competence of students after their studies are completed, emphasizing the competence to connect academic and practical knowledge in creative and critical fashion. Students will acquaint themselves with the work that particular individuals, companies, and institutions do and gain insight into the different jobs of folklorists/ethnologists. Students pick two out of the consortium of partners introduced in the first weeks of the course. Students will spend 10-15 hours on site during the mid-semester project week. The course evaluation is based entirely on course projects, and class attendance is mandatory.

This is a practical course that enables students to transfer knowledge and capability into the labour market.

In this course, students become familiar with contemporary music, explore its origins and roles in society throughout the centuries: Folk and popular music that through cultural transmission has transformed into the “higher” music of religion or elites, and music of marginal groups that has exploded into the mainstream. The cultural role of music as entertainment, as industry, as catalyst for revolt and as a unifying force will be brought to the fore. The history of music collection, processing and publishing will be discussed, as well as stories and legends of the musical world and the material culture of music. Ideas surrounding creativity and the nature of the “creative act” itself will be examined, with regards to copyright and recycling of music.

Rhythm, blues, rap, grindcore, classical, hip-hop, jazz, pop, punk masses, breakbeat, opera and deathmetal.

Humor is a fundamental aspect of social life and an important form of creative human communication. The course will consider how humor affects our perspectives on issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, class, group identity, and popular culture, as well as its uses in the face of illness, death, and tragedy. Humor is often the first artistic response to contemporary events, such as disasters, scandals, and political upheaveals. As such, it merits the closest serious attention. Folklorists have been at the forefront of the ethnographic study of humor for more than a century, focusing their attention on jokes that circulate among the general population or in particular segments of it. In addition to jokes, the course will draw on material from popular culture, arts, and the media.

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.

From the 21st - 24th of June 2021, the International Society for Ethnology and Folklore (SIEF) will hold its biennial congress in Helsinki, Finland. Ethnologists and folklorists from all over Europe and beyond will gather there, professors, researchers, editors, graduate students, and museum professionals, to present the latest research, debate ideas, broaden the horizon and enjoy the company of like-minded colleagues. 

The SIEF congress is an intellectual festival where we showcase the state of the art in our fields and it is a ritual time in the academic calendar, crucial for carrying the fields forward, building professional networks, hatching collaborative projects, and cultivating friendships. This year, there will be over 800 participants presenting over 700 papers in over 80 panels, plus dozens of films and posters. 

In this seminar we will examine the congress program, get to know the keynote speakers, dig into particular panels selected by seminar participants, analyze the congress theme, consider the society itself, map different disciplinary traditions and emphases in the countries of Europe and take stock of what is happening in the field right now. The seminar will also prepare participants to take part in the congress and those who will be presenting a paper or a poster there will have a dress rehearsal in Oddi. 

The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time and is open to graduate students and teachers. Course evaluation will be based, on the one hand, on active and informed participation in the seminar and on projects prepared over the course of the semester (5 ECTS) and, on the other hand, on participation in the congress itself and a congress report that is due after it (5 ECTS). Students will need to finance their participation in the congress. It is possible to take the seminar without going to the congress (5 ECTS only).

Theory in anthropology is surveyed from its emergence to the 1970s. The emergence of anthropological ideas in European ideological development is discussed and how other disciplines have influenced theory in anthropology. Evolutionism, functionalism and structuralism are examined in detail and the relation between research and theory is discussed throughout.

Anthropologists use a variety of methods in their research. This course is meant to give an overview of the methods used in research within the social sciences and anthropology in particular. The main parts of qualitative and quantitative methods will be discussed. The background, limitations and possibilities to different methods will also be discussed as well as the relationship between methods and theories. This course is intended for first year students in social anthropology.

The course looks at how identities and images of Icelanders and other nations have been shaped and they use traditions in each case. We examine Icelandic experiences and images in relation to neighbouring countries and how narratives, traditions and material culture shape nations, from national museums to midwinter festivals in London, from a wee dram of whiskey (in Scotland) to Viking sagas (in Scandinavia), with a quick stop at Up Helly Aa (in the Shetland Islands) and Olavsvaka (in the Faroe Islands); we look at a fashion show in Nuuk Center (Greenland), Nordic settlements in the New World and then we’ll post it all on social media.

We explore films and music, festivals, games and political spectacles. In particular we will analyse how national images unite and divide different groups of people. In that context we look at men and women, rural and urban communities, mobile people, racism and gender. We’ll study these images as dynamics and ideals, resources and matters of dispute, that are used for various purposes by different people in different places, by demagogues and greens, government institutions and banks, scholars and students.

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.

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.

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 form:
The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

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Research Project.

Research Project.

The course investigates the social setting of everyday life in Iceland from the late 1800s till the onset of modern urban society in the early 20th century. Everyday life is placed in context of prevailing ideological and socio-economic predicaments. The course deals with the people’s opportunities and hindrances to make a living, seek education and start a family. Emphasis is on situating material culture, work, and everyday life of pre-industrial Iceland in an international context. In the course the students will be engaging with personal primary documents from the period.

The course addresses everyday life in pre-industrial Iceland. Emphasis is on the personal and the local environment; the material culture of the turf-house, the personal and social life of farmers and servants, the chores within the farm and household, and everyday consumption. Students will be introduced to research methodologies used to study ways of life in the old Icelandic rural community and the life circle of individuals. In the course the students will be engaging with historical primary sources.

The goal of the course is for students to get an insight into daily projects and professional museum work at the National Museum of Iceland. The main focus will be on the practical aspects of collection, recording and preservation. The course will be divided into two parts, the first part will be in the form of lectures by specialists from the National Museum, while the second part will be based upon a special project involving the museum collections that the students will work on independently under the guidance of the instructors. The first part of the course will focus on ICOM's international code of conduct, preventive conservation, artefact registration in Sarpur, photography of artefacts, condition assessments of new accessions (artifacts, samples, primary sources, etc.), packing/packaging, preservation, and the installation of exhibitions. Attendance is compulsory during practical hours.

There will be four smaller projects in the first part of the course. In the second part, the student will work on the special project connected to the museum collections in relation to the course subject. The students will select their projects according to their field of interest under the guidance of the instructors and will submit reports and presentations at the end of the course.

The main subject of the course is to learn about new and contemporary ethnographies, as well as to study recent research and writings on ethnographic practice. New ethnographies will be studied, and scholarly texts on contemporary ethnographic practice. The main goal of the course is for students to be able to acquire an understanding of contemporary ethnographies and analyse them, in contemporary as well as in a historical context, as one of the most important cornerstones of anthropology.

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and interactive AI systems will inevitably have profound effects on individuals and societies. Just as the machines of the industrial revolution shaped modern society by revolutionizing the means of production, AI will very likely transform the information and service society of today. While doomsday predictions about world domination by sentient AI often capture the public's imagination, this course will focus on the more mundane AI systems that have already emerged, which can nonetheless creatively disrupt the patterns and structures of contemporary society. At this historical crossroads, the social sciences and humanities play a crucial role, and we therefore heartily welcome students from various disciplines to this interdisciplinary course. The course begins with a short, general introduction to interactive AI systems such as Bard, Copilot, Claude, and ChatGPT, as well as more specialized programs and system add-ons (plugins). Practical, theoretical, and ethical issues related to the use of AI in everyday life will also be discussed. However, the main emphasis will be on the social impact of AI in the present and its likely impact in the future. The latest research in this field will be covered, and students will have the opportunity to closely examine specific topics of their choice, such as the impact of AI on higher education, work and labor markets, democracy and equality, art, design and creative writing, media and communication, transportation, various services, law enforcement and security, and recreation and leisure. The course concludes with student presentations of their course projects.

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  

This course involves an analysis of the social culture involved in games, entertainments, sports and festivals. Among other things, an examionation will be made of life festivals and seasonal festivals as well as games and leisure activities past and present, as well as other forms of activities like the banquets and dances known of the rural Icelandic society of the past. In addition to Icelandic festivals, attention will also be paid to comparable European festivals such as Halloween, and Mardi Gras. These activities involve a variety of folkloristic elements and have often formed one of the chief areas of folkloristic research. The aim is to introduce the wide range of research that has been carried out into the field in the last few years, students reading both key works and new researches. A great deal of source material is available on Icelandic festivals, games, sports and entertainments and the aim is to examine this material in the light of new theories and approaches.

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. 

In this course, we examine how places in cities, rural areas, and the wilderness acquire meaning for individuals and groups. We explore how both personal memories and cultural memory shape perceptions and understanding of the landscape. We consider how place names, stories, and legends—such as those about elf churches, cursed spots, and past events—influence the value and meaning of places, as well as how emplaced experiences and memories tend to stick to locations. Why do some places become sacred sites, while others remain merely spaces people pass through on their way elsewhere? Why do people feel at ease in some places but experience discomfort or fear in others? How do individuals form connections to places during short visits or longer stays? Does it matter whether one is a newcomer or a native? What does it mean to feel a sense of belonging or to consider a particular place home? How refugees and other immigrants form attachment to the places where they settle and how they maintain or sever ties with the places they leave behind. What does it mean for people to have been forced to leave their homes due to wars or natural disasters, facing uncertainty about whether they can return? Attention will be given to how discourse and social dynamics shape people-place relationships, as well as the role of experience, perception, memories, aesthetics, and diverse narratives in giving meaning to place, forming place attachment, and defining who can lay claim to a place—and how.

Practical course designed to help students transfer knowledge and skills from undergraduate studies in ethnology/folkloristics to the labor market. Course projects are designed to increase self-knowledge and boost the occupational competence of students after their studies are completed, emphasizing the competence to connect academic and practical knowledge in creative and critical fashion. Students will acquaint themselves with the work that particular individuals, companies, and institutions do and gain insight into the different jobs of folklorists/ethnologists. Students pick two out of the consortium of partners introduced in the first weeks of the course. Students will spend 10-15 hours on site during the mid-semester project week. The course evaluation is based entirely on course projects, and class attendance is mandatory.

In this course, a number of  wonder tales will be read and analysed, especially from the viewpoint of what they have to say about society. Emphasis will be placed on the folk tale tradition, the performances of storytellers, the way they regularly recreate stories, and then the various motifs that they use in this process. The wonder tales will also be analysed from the viewpoint of the variety of raw material that was available for use in such recreation, and with regard to the range of variants and story types that were known, different motifs being compared in the process. Following this, attempts will be made to consider the "meaning" of different wonder tales. They will also be examined with regard to their social meaning and context, especially with regard to the nature of the society that helped shape them, and then how they are now reused and recreated in different media.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Workshop for BA theses in Folkloristics/Ethnology

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.

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.

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 16 - 18th 2025 in Harpa, Reykjavík.  Attendance at the Assembly is mandatory as well as attendance in one pre (14th October), and one post Assembly session. 

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

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.

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

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?

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.

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.

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

This course deals with customs and daily life that existed in the rural society of Iceland in earlier centuries (both in the countryside and by the sea). Discussion is made of research methodologies used at home and abroad with regard to material culture and folk customs. Students will come into contact with a wide range of ethnological research, and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different types of source material. Emphasis is placed on assessing the mind set behind popular culture, as students examine the course of life of those individuals who grew up within this society. At the same time, attention will be paid to which methods serve best as a means of researching the customs of these people. Among other things, students will work with unpublished personal sources such as answers to ethnological questionnaires, and diaries.

Practical course designed to help students transfer knowledge and skills from undergraduate studies in ethnology/folkloristics to the labor market. Course projects are designed to increase self-knowledge and boost the occupational competence of students after their studies are completed, emphasizing the competence to connect academic and practical knowledge in creative and critical fashion. Students will acquaint themselves with the work that particular individuals, companies, and institutions do and gain insight into the different jobs of folklorists/ethnologists. Students pick two out of the consortium of partners introduced in the first weeks of the course. Students will spend 10-15 hours on site during the mid-semester project week. The course evaluation is based entirely on course projects, and class attendance is mandatory.

This is a practical course that enables students to transfer knowledge and capability into the labour market.

In this course, students become familiar with contemporary music, explore its origins and roles in society throughout the centuries: Folk and popular music that through cultural transmission has transformed into the “higher” music of religion or elites, and music of marginal groups that has exploded into the mainstream. The cultural role of music as entertainment, as industry, as catalyst for revolt and as a unifying force will be brought to the fore. The history of music collection, processing and publishing will be discussed, as well as stories and legends of the musical world and the material culture of music. Ideas surrounding creativity and the nature of the “creative act” itself will be examined, with regards to copyright and recycling of music.

Rhythm, blues, rap, grindcore, classical, hip-hop, jazz, pop, punk masses, breakbeat, opera and deathmetal.

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.

Theory in anthropology is surveyed from its emergence to the 1970s. The emergence of anthropological ideas in European ideological development is discussed and how other disciplines have influenced theory in anthropology. Evolutionism, functionalism and structuralism are examined in detail and the relation between research and theory is discussed throughout.

Anthropologists use a variety of methods in their research. This course is meant to give an overview of the methods used in research within the social sciences and anthropology in particular. The main parts of qualitative and quantitative methods will be discussed. The background, limitations and possibilities to different methods will also be discussed as well as the relationship between methods and theories. This course is intended for first year students in social anthropology.

The course looks at how identities and images of Icelanders and other nations have been shaped and they use traditions in each case. We examine Icelandic experiences and images in relation to neighbouring countries and how narratives, traditions and material culture shape nations, from national museums to midwinter festivals in London, from a wee dram of whiskey (in Scotland) to Viking sagas (in Scandinavia), with a quick stop at Up Helly Aa (in the Shetland Islands) and Olavsvaka (in the Faroe Islands); we look at a fashion show in Nuuk Center (Greenland), Nordic settlements in the New World and then we’ll post it all on social media.

We explore films and music, festivals, games and political spectacles. In particular we will analyse how national images unite and divide different groups of people. In that context we look at men and women, rural and urban communities, mobile people, racism and gender. We’ll study these images as dynamics and ideals, resources and matters of dispute, that are used for various purposes by different people in different places, by demagogues and greens, government institutions and banks, scholars and students.

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.

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.

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 form:
The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

The goal of the course is for students to get an insight into daily projects and professional museum work at the National Museum of Iceland. The main focus will be on the practical aspects of collection, recording and preservation. The course will be divided into two parts, the first part will be in the form of lectures by specialists from the National Museum, while the second part will be based upon a special project involving the museum collections that the students will work on independently under the guidance of the instructors. The first part of the course will focus on ICOM's international code of conduct, preventive conservation, artefact registration in Sarpur, photography of artefacts, condition assessments of new accessions (artifacts, samples, primary sources, etc.), packing/packaging, preservation, and the installation of exhibitions. Attendance is compulsory during practical hours.

There will be four smaller projects in the first part of the course. In the second part, the student will work on the special project connected to the museum collections in relation to the course subject. The students will select their projects according to their field of interest under the guidance of the instructors and will submit reports and presentations at the end of the course.

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

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 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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Workshop for BA theses in Folkloristics/Ethnology

Final Project

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.

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.

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.

The main subject of the course is to learn about new and contemporary ethnographies, as well as to study recent research and writings on ethnographic practice. New ethnographies will be studied, and scholarly texts on contemporary ethnographic practice. The main goal of the course is for students to be able to acquire an understanding of contemporary ethnographies and analyse them, in contemporary as well as in a historical context, as one of the most important cornerstones of anthropology.

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and interactive AI systems will inevitably have profound effects on individuals and societies. Just as the machines of the industrial revolution shaped modern society by revolutionizing the means of production, AI will very likely transform the information and service society of today. While doomsday predictions about world domination by sentient AI often capture the public's imagination, this course will focus on the more mundane AI systems that have already emerged, which can nonetheless creatively disrupt the patterns and structures of contemporary society. At this historical crossroads, the social sciences and humanities play a crucial role, and we therefore heartily welcome students from various disciplines to this interdisciplinary course. The course begins with a short, general introduction to interactive AI systems such as Bard, Copilot, Claude, and ChatGPT, as well as more specialized programs and system add-ons (plugins). Practical, theoretical, and ethical issues related to the use of AI in everyday life will also be discussed. However, the main emphasis will be on the social impact of AI in the present and its likely impact in the future. The latest research in this field will be covered, and students will have the opportunity to closely examine specific topics of their choice, such as the impact of AI on higher education, work and labor markets, democracy and equality, art, design and creative writing, media and communication, transportation, various services, law enforcement and security, and recreation and leisure. The course concludes with student presentations of their course projects.

Final Project

Final Project

Final Project

Final Project

Final Project

Final Project

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.

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.

Fairy tales (Fr. conte féerique) have been an important part of French literature from the 12th century, as can be seen, for instance, in the Lays of Marie de France. In the late 17th century early modern audiences enjoyed the tales of Mme d‘Aulnoy, Charles Perrault, Mlle L‘Héritier de Villandon and many others, and shortly afterwards Antoine Galland published his translation of Thousand and one Night which further increased the interest in this literary genre. The story of the Beauty and the Beast by Mme de Villeneuve was published in 1740 and was one of the tales that were rewritten and adapted to children in Mme Leprince de Beaumont‘s Le Magasin des enfants, first published in London in 1756. In this course, fairy tales by various authors will be read and examined with regard to their social and cultural context (literary salons) and their characteristics. The main focus will be on fairy tales authored by women, collections, frame narratives and fairy tales in children‘s literature in the second half of the 18th century. Icelandic translations of French fairy tales will also be examined.

The course will be taught in Icelandic, with one weekly extra hour in French for the students of the Department of French Studies.

Students can also enroll in FRA505G Directed study: French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment 4e.

An attempt is made to answer the question of what the microhistory as a historical method offers. How historians have applied this methodology both in Iceland and abroad will be discussed, and in this connection several well-known books will be read. What they have in common is that they are both entertaining and extremely interesting, as the subjects have usually struggled with some trials in their lives that have attracted a lot of attention. The life of a lesbian nun during the Renaissance in Italy, the special variations of love and marriage in similar parts of the world, murder, cannibalism, and the torture of humans and animals at all times, and child abuse in Vienna, to name a few well-known examples from world history that microhistorians have worked with. In other words, individuals who have misplaced themselves in society have become a popular subject for microhistorians, especially those who have been punished. An attempt will be made to highlight the pros and cons of the microhistory.

In this course, the key concepts of gendered culture; sex, gender, and sexual orientation will be contextualized through anthropological research and knowledge. The goal is for students to gain a solid understanding of these concepts, how they are continuously reshaped, and how they shape societies and cultures everywhere. The course will explore how anthropological research in the early 20th century was influenced by dominating gender norms and examine the impact of feminist movements over the past half-century on the emergence and evolution of diverse anthropological studies. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing the characteristics of contemporary feminist and queer research, and students will engage with these topics through selected ethnographies, field texts, and review articles on gendered culture.

In this directed studies students can work on a specific project in connection to the course FRA434G French fairy tales: from Marie de France to the Enlightenment,

This course aims to explore the cultural and material world of common people in Iceland from 1770 to 1930 through the concept of "creative spaces." The focus will be on analysing the opportunities for ordinary people to shape their own conditions, ideas, and identities within the prevailing social structure often characterized by conservatism, uniformity, and poverty. The starting point of the course is the research of recent decades on literacy culture and practices in Iceland during this period, which have revealed a group of people from earlier times who operated in undefined cultural spaces within society. This group, referred to in the course as the "barefoot historians," will be examined in detail. The course will also compare research on similar groups abroad with local studies and representatives of the Icelandic barefoot historians. The diverse materials left behind by this group will be fundamental to the course and will be thoroughly analysed. The course will address various aspects of folk studies, not limited to written sources but also considering tangible realities. It will discuss what might be termed "created spaces" in the long 19th century.

The objective of this course is to provide students with knowledge of the social basis of the media. To begin with, the course will discuss the history of communications and the historical background of contemporary media. Special attention is given to the control systems of media and relevant theories on such systems. Questions of pluralism in contents and control will be discussed in the light of ownership trends, competition and market concentration. Classic theories are introduced, along with recent researches, and terms like ownership, independence and news productions are examined. Agenda, framing, moral panic, propoganda, image production and discourse analysis are among the subjects scrutinised.

"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.

This course discusses the sociological perspective and its topical application. The aim of the course is that students gain an overview of the existing knowledge on important sociological topics. The course will emphasize the relation between theory and findings from recent research. In addition to studying classical theory, modernization and central concepts such as social structure and culture, students will learn about research on a range of important topics, such as stratification, organizations, social movements, deviance and illness, children and youth, gender, immigration and the life course.

An introductory course of the foundations of social and cultural anthropology. The role of anthropology is examined, as well as its history, leading theories, methodology and concepts. Furthermore the course deals with social organisation in general, relations between society and the environment and social change. Individual social structural features are also discussed, such as kinship, political systems, economic systems and religion as well as anthropological studies of the Icelandic Society.

The anthropology of gender is often understood as synonymous for the anthropology of women, the anthropology of gender and culture, and feminist anthropology. The course discusses the origin and development of this branch of anthropology and traces the main emphases that characterize each period. These different stages, their research subjects and theoretical perspectives, are discussed. Lectures will cover the historical development of the discipline and its criticisms, with the focus ranging from biological perspectives, migration and multiculturalism, queer theory and masculinity.

Ethnicity, nationality, multiculturalism, and migration are the main themes of this course. We examine how anthropologists have studied these issues in different ethnographic contexts and how they relate to many other aspects such as gender, class and culture. We raise questions such as under what circumstances nationality becomes important and examine how they appear in Iceland and in other parts of the world.

The course gives a general introduction to artefact studies, typology and material analysis, as well as introducing the principal artefact types found in Iceland: pottery, stone vessels and utensils, jewellery and weapons, textiles, glass, clay pipes, etc.

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.

Fieldwork is within the capital area

In this course we apply a sociological perspective to analyse themes in movies, tv-shows, popular music and other entertainment media. The course goals are for students to develop further understanding of how social structures and social interaction work and social change occur. This is to be achieved by allowing students to practice using the sociological perspective and sociological theories on mainstream issues in different social contexts, from popular culture media.

A survey of Icelandic art from 1860 to 1970. The course will look at the origins of Icelandic modern art, selected Icelandic artists and factors influencing the Icelandic art scene, influence from foreign art ideas and movements, attempts at definging "national" Icelandic art, government support and influence on the development of visual art, the tension between proponents of "national" art and "non-national" art as well as between "expressive"art and " conceptual" forms of art presentation, local art education and the characteristics of art critic as it appeared in the printed media. An attempt will be made to evaluate characteristics of Icelandic visual art in relation to foreign developments and changes in Icelandic society and history.

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.

We will begin with a discussion about the theoretical premises of sociology and psychology and their connection in social psychology. The creation of groups and interaction within groups are key elements of the discussion. Specific attention will be devoted to methods in social psychological research i.e. participant observations and experiments. We will also discuss practical applications of social psychology within for example the criminal system, the labour market and human capital development. Students will be required to do a project on the basis researchtexts with the aim of increasing understanding of the interconnection of theory, methods and practical applications.

After completing the course students should know the key concepts within social psychology and be able to use them when analysing contemporary issues.

The aim of the course is to introduce the students to the main topics in masculinity theory and research. Three main approaches in this century will be discussed, psychoanalysis, social psychology ("role" theory) and recent development centring on the masculinities will be discussed and how their creation and destruction is linked to other social structures. Specific attention will be paid to the participation of males in child care and domestic work and an Icelandic survey on males and family relations will be discussed.

The main aim of this course is to introduce the student to the field of Criminology. The subjects covered can be roughly divided into two broad categories. First: Criminological research and theoretical explanations, determining both what constitutes crime in society, in addition to the causes of crime, are explored and discussed. For this task, various perspectives are analysed and evaluated, such as Classical and Positivistic theories. Second: Four specific types of crime are closely analysed in terms of their nature and impact in society, theoretical explanations and finally their containment.

This course focuses on arts and artistic methods and their role as a subject of anthropological inquiry, anthropological method and form of knowledge dissemination. Firstly, it considers different forms of artistic expression (literature, film, performance) as analytical lens that helps anthropologists to read into contemporary society. Secondly, it explores how artistic and creative practice can contribute to anthropological research and ways of doing ethnography. Finally, it examines how different artistic forms can be used to communicate research findings beyond conventional academic writing.

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 social 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.

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.

The aim of this course is to introduce foreign students to Icelandic folk culture past and present: from the folk beliefs implied by the Icelandic sagas to the famous collection of folk tales concerning "hidden people", elves, magicians, seal-folk, ghosts and more which was published by Jón Árnason in 1862-64; the ballads and music enjoyed by the people in the countryside; and the beliefs, behaviour and lifestyles encountered by the somewhat dumbfounded and awe-inspired early foreign travellers to Iceland during the last century. Students will also be introduced to modern Icelandic traditions and beliefs, from the Christmas men to the "elf stones" that road builders avoid, to the eating of sheeps heads, and the continual interest in the supernatural. The course is not intended for Icelandic students.

The aim of this course is to introduce foreign students to Icelandic folk culture past and present: from the folk beliefs implied by the Icelandic sagas to the famous collection of folk tales concerning "hidden people", elves, magicians, seal-folk, ghosts and more which was published by Jón Árnason in 1862-64; the ballads and music enjoyed by the people in the countryside; and the beliefs, behaviour and lifestyles encountered by the somewhat dumbfounded and awe-inspired early foreign travellers to Iceland during the last century. Students will also be introduced to modern Icelandic traditions and beliefs, from the Christmas men to the "elf stones" that road builders avoid, to the eating of sheeps heads, and the continual interest in the supernatural. The course is not intended for Icelandic students.

‘Violence’ is a common term of everyday life, yet it is not an easy concept to define or understand. The purpose of this course is to explore the manifold manifestations of violence from anthropological perspectives. The anthropologists Nancy Scheper-Hughes and Philippe Bourgois (2004) argue that violence “can be everything and nothing; legitimate and illegitimate; visible or invisible; necessary or useless; senseless and gratuitous or utterly rational and strategic.” The emphasis of the course is the cultural contexts in which violence occurs and gives it meaning. The focus of the course is the violence of everyday life and its varied manifestations beyond just the physical to consider other forms, such as structural, verbal, textual and representational manifestations of violence. The course will consider theoretical conceptualizations of violence, but also ethical and practical matters of confronting violence in ethnographic research.

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

This course deals with different types of tourism and manifestations of the tourism industry in various regions of the world. The course looks at particular currnets of tourism, such as masstourism, pro-poor tourism and backpacking tourism as well as introducing theories about the driving forces of travelling. The discussion is put in societal context of specific areas. Emphasis is put on providing insight into geographical context of tourism in the world today and the challenges and solutions that the tourism industry is dealing with in different places.

Inequality has long been among the major concepts of sociology, as the focus of the discipline is often on how resources are divided in society with what consequences. Iceland was often considered a relatively equal society, but historical reconsiderations have shown that inequality was greater than we wanted to acknowledge. What is perhaps more important is that income inequality has varied over time, and the last decade has been characterized of great fluctuations in income, wealth, and economic hardship. Sociology offers a broad perspective on societal inequality, for example based on gender, age, nationality, race and sexuality. 

In this course, we will look at the major theories and research in sociology about inequality and put them into an Icelandic context. We will consider what kind of inequality exists in society and whether certain types of inequality will matter more in the future, for example due to changes in societal and population structures. In addition, we will look at the consequences of inequality on individual lives, for example regarding health, power, income and societal participation.

The course addresses deviance, social control, and marginalization from a sociological perspective. It explores key theories about individual motivations and social pressures that lead to deviance, as well as theories on how societies define deviance and label certain individuals as deviants. Emphasis is placed on power relations and struggles in defining deviance based on gender, age, class status, and other forms of social stratification, as well as cultural conflicts.The course also addresses the historical struggles between different social institutions over the ownership of specific forms of deviance, with a focus on the medicalization of deviance. Furthermore, it examines the normalization of certain traits, attitudes, and behaviors that were previously considered social deviance. Specific examples of deviance are discussed, such as substance use, sexual behavior, and self-harm, along with societal responses to certain ideas and physical characteristics as social deviance. Students in the course have the opportunity to reflect on these topics in larger and smaller groups and to explore a specific subject of their choice in greater depth.

The main characteristics and historical development of Icelandic art in the last decades of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century will be examined in the light of Icelandic society and the context of foreign art development. Topics include SÚM's legacy in the seventies, the establishment of Gallerí Suðurgata 7 and the Living Art Museum, the characteristics of the Icelandic conceptual art and developmeent of contemporary media, such as photography, installation art, and performance art, the establishment of the Sculptors' Association in Reykjavík and the rise of three-dimensional art, media and more recently the overlap of art, film, and music. Emphasis will be made on approach of emerging artists to visual arts heritage at any given time, e.g. to natural heritage and “national” representation in art. The characteristics of critical art discussion, art education, participation in the Venice Biennale, the operation of galleries, and the establishment of contemporary exhibition groups will also be reviewed

In the course theories on religion in anthropology are examined and discussed as are different religious beliefs and practices. Topical focus is on the reading of symbols, the understanding of religious action and the historical dynamics of religion, as well as the intersection of religion, magic, and witchcraft.

An interdisciplinary and introductory course entailing a dialogue between the academic fields of the department, i.e. comparative literature, film studies, gender studies, art studies, linguistics, cultural studies, sign language and interpreting studies and translation studies. The latest international developments in the field of humanities will be examined and questions asked about the relationship of academic studies and our world view(s). We will analyse the semiotic system of language, inquiring whether it can serve as the basis for our understanding of other semiotic systems. We will ask about the connection and relationship between different languages and linguistic worlds. What is "multiculture"? How are spoken language, written language and visual language interconnected within society? What constitutes cultural literacy? Literature, art, film and other visual material will be examined in both a national and international context, with a view to how these semiotic systems influence the borderlines of gender, race, class, nation, and different world cultures. The study materials include theoretical and critical writings, literary works, visual art and images, and films, as well as some current media coverage. Evaluation is based on four assignments and a written exam.

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.

The aim of the course is provide knowledge about tourism in Iceland and main tourist destinations and routes. Students also undergo practical training in organising trips, for example through the use of relevant mapping tools and methods. Travel routes are examined with regard to recreational services, and characteristics and attractions (f. ex. nature, history, culture). 

Emphasis is placed on training in:

• Collecting data to organise trips within Iceland for different tourist groups.
• Communication of information to tourists and writing brief information columns.
• Spatial thinking and use of geographical data in organisation of travel routes.

Students go on visual tours around the country. 

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.

This course addresses the main topics of gender and diversity studies in the light of critical multiculturalism and the diversity of modern societies. It explores the way in which social variables such as gender, sexuality, ethnicity, religion, disability, age and class differently affects people’s conditions and opportunities. It presents the main ideas of gender and diversity studies, such as gender, essentialism and social constructivism, and explores how social variables are interwoven into people’s lives. The emphasis is on how issues such as gender, multiculturalism, and diversity are related to Icelandic politics and society.

Young people’s lives are increasingly measured by the standards of a mobile living. This changed way of living arrived in the wake of populations growth, technological advancements, global information access, and precarious living conditions. While the length of the period of migration varies, this experience influences identities, social relations, and aspirational opportunities. Still, opportunities for mobile endeavors are affected by gender, class, education, sexuality, ethnicity, and citizenship status. Examples of such youth migration are found in Erasmus exchanges, au-pair, sports, volunteerism, love migration, health migration, forced migration, grassroot activism, criminalities, and nomadism.

Consequently, new knowledge on youth migration has been emerging within sociology. These studies generally refer to people in the age between 15-30. Collectively these works demonstrate what indicators influence the push and pull in migration patterns. Additionally, these studies illuminate what social networks, imaginaries, and temporal situations, such as local economic crisis or participation in activism, can be a push for young people to migrate or a pull to return. Thus, the recent works show what institutional, social, and economic obstacles, young people face, how such obstacles are situationally negotiated and finally acted on. Lastly, recent studies shed a light on what kind of effect the migration has on the migrants themselves, on their family members and the localities they inhabit. 

This course will highlight the main theories of youth migration and introduce recent works published in this field. The course is constructed as an introduction into the field of social and geographical mobilities in contemporary societies. The aim is to draw forth varied experiences of youth migration while deconstructing the intersectional positionality of persons within the specific youth group. Therefore, a critical light will be cast on intersectionality in relation to global events, media outlets and fragile citizenships status. Students will be encouraged to engage with the topic through the material provided, own experiences and future visions for the Icelandic society

The course is a continuation of Theories in Sociology. Some major theoretical perspective in sociology and political science in the 20th century are discussed in this course, including the scientific and philosophical premises of the theories of social science, communications thories and conflict thories and functionalism and value thories. Finally, the main features of positvism and its applications in the social sciences are discussed and evaluated.

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.

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.

The course handles the emergence of social media as a governing force in modern communication, both on macro and micro-level. The sociological angle is scrutinized and institutions, communications between groups and individuals, politics, cultural production etc are all under the microscope. Recent researches relating to these fields are presented and examined. 

The course is designed for international students who wish to understand the culture, society, geology and history of Iceland. It proceeds from the insight that the geothermal baths/public pools provide a master key for understanding Iceland and Icelanders. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, we will use the baths/pools as learning tools to explore topics ranging from egalitarianism to earthquakes, from body cultures to gender relations, from sustainable energy to mental health, and from geothermal heating to public spaces. With a focus on everyday life in Iceland, the course crosses perspectives from the social sciences, humanities, geology, health sciences, and engineering for a true Iceland immersion. No prerequisites and no swimming skills required.

NOTE: This is the smaller 5 ECTS version of this course. A full 10 ECTS version is also offered with field trips and practice sessions over the course of the semester.

This course deals with different types of tourism and manifestations of the tourism industry in various regions of the world. The course looks at particular currnets of tourism, such as masstourism, pro-poor tourism and backpacking tourism as well as introducing theories about the driving forces of travelling. The discussion is put in societal context of specific areas. Emphasis is put on providing insight into geographical context of tourism in the world today and the challenges and solutions that the tourism industry is dealing with in different places.

The course is designed for international students who wish to understand the culture, society, geology and history of Iceland. It proceeds from the insight that the geothermal baths/public pools provide a master key for understanding Iceland and Icelanders.

The course is taught in Engish and combines theory with practice and classroom teaching with field trips to pools, baths, museums, hot springs, and geothermal power plants.

Taking a multidisciplinary approach, we will use the baths/pools as learning tools to explore topics ranging from egalitarianism to earthquakes, from body cultures to gender relations, from sustainable energy to mental health, and from geothermal heating to public spaces. With a focus on everyday life in Iceland, the course crosses perspectives from the social sciences, humanities, geology, health sciences, and engineering for a true Iceland immersion.

No prerequisites and no swimming skills required.

NOTE: This is the full 10 ECTS version of this course. A smaller 5 ECTS version is also offered.

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.

The course offers an in-depth study of the Icelandic 18^th 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 18^th century. Among other exercises, students practice methods of digital data entry for quantitative study.

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

The aim of the course is to prepare students for their academic studies by equipping them with essential skills and strategies. The course is tailored for students in Sociology, Antropology and Folkloristics, providing training in academic competencies and guidance on organising their studies. The curriculum covers key aspects of data collection, resource management, academic writing, and communication in both written and spoken formats.

It also introduces study planning and effective study methods including time management, project planning, and productive study habits. Additionally, students are introduced to the various resource and support services available to them.

A particular emphasis is placed on the use of electronic data, including artificial intelligence tools, in accordance with academic regulations, to support research and academic writing. The course also addresses the limitations and ethical responsibilities associated with their use.

Students will gain foundational knowledge in resource management and data processing, with specific training in source evaluation, citation practises, and the proper formatting of references and bibliographies according to APA 7.0 standards. Furthermore, the course covers the principles of presenting academic content effectively both in written and spoken formats, ensuring that students can organise and communicate topics in a structured and academically rigorous manner.

By the end of the course, students will have a comprehensive understanding of the academic standards expected in Sociology, Anthropology, and Folkloristics studies, as well as the methods necessary to meet these standards.

This course is an introduction to the study of the material culture of everyday life. Students will be get a good glimpse of this multidisciplinary field, with examples drawn from the past as well as the present, and with equal emphasis on the material culture of Iceland and that of other countries. The topics of study will range from clothes and fashion to foodways, from the objects in our daily surroundings to trash and hygiene, from crafts and consumer goods to houses, gardens and the home, and from urban landscapes to museums and exhibits. Along the way, students will gain familiarity with various theoretical concepts and approaches emphasizing for example the human body, gender, consumption, place and space.

An introduction to the subject of Folkloristics as an academic discipline both in Iceland and in other countries.The main concepts behind Folkloristics are introduced: the different fields that come under the headings of Folkloristics, the folkloristics view, the concept of culture, folk culture, folk customs and so on. The position of folkloristics within the humanities is discussed, as is its close relationship to other disciplines. A detailed examination is also made of the history of folkloristic research in Iceland and its neighbouring countries. Particular emphasis is placed on the discussion of the concept of folk beliefs, and in relation to this, an examination is made of Icelandic folk beliefs, past and present, their development and its individual characteristics. Material is drawn in part from articles from three of the following central academic journals: Ethnologia Scandinavica, Arv, Ethnologia Europea, Fabula, the Journal of Folklore Research, and the Journal of American Folklore.

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

This course deals with customs and daily life that existed in the rural society of Iceland in earlier centuries (both in the countryside and by the sea). Discussion is made of research methodologies used at home and abroad with regard to material culture and folk customs. Students will come into contact with a wide range of ethnological research, and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different types of source material. Emphasis is placed on assessing the mind set behind popular culture, as students examine the course of life of those individuals who grew up within this society. At the same time, attention will be paid to which methods serve best as a means of researching the customs of these people. Among other things, students will work with unpublished personal sources such as answers to ethnological questionnaires, and diaries.

This course introduces students to the history of museums and to key debates within the fields of museology and museography.  The course discusses contemporary practice in museums, like collecting, preservation and cataloguing, research and mediation in the twenty-first century.  The course explores museums’ missions and their roles in a variety of museums including art, cultural history, and natural history. 

This course provides an introduction to the study of folk narrative as a particular genre within the overall field of folkloristics. Students will be introduced to the main theories concerning the origins, features and distribution of folk tales, their role in society, their collection, methods of classification and means of preservation. Among others, students will be introduced to the work of Antti Aarne, Inger M. Boberg, Bruno Bettleheim, Linda Dégh, Stith Thompson, Timothy Tangherlini and Alan Dundes. Particular attention will be laid to the main forms of oral narrative, particular attention being paid to the form and analysis of legends and fairy tales from the viewpoint of the main arguments concerning these aspects of study, among others the work of Algirdas Greimas, Bengt Holbek, Max Lüthi, Axel Olrik and Vladimir Propp.

This course aims to introduce the main methods used in the collection, preservation and publication of folkloristic material, ranging from narrative to poetry and tradition. The course will be mainly based on practical work under the supervision of the lecturer, concerning decisions about the limiting of the research topic, interviews with subjects, recording and final organisation of material for preservation and publication.

Teaching form

The teaching takes the form of lectures and discussion between the students and supervisors with regard to the students' field work.

This course is an introduction to the study of the material culture of everyday life. Students will be get a good glimpse of this multidisciplinary field, with examples drawn from the past as well as the present, and with equal emphasis on the material culture of Iceland and that of other countries. The topics of study will range from clothes and fashion to foodways, from the objects in our daily surroundings to trash and hygiene, from crafts and consumer goods to houses, gardens and the home, and from urban landscapes to museums and exhibits. Along the way, students will gain familiarity with various theoretical concepts and approaches emphasizing for example the human body, gender, consumption, place and space.

This course involves an analysis of the social culture involved in games, entertainments, sports and festivals. Among other things, an examionation will be made of life festivals and seasonal festivals as well as games and leisure activities past and present, as well as other forms of activities like the banquets and dances known of the rural Icelandic society of the past. In addition to Icelandic festivals, attention will also be paid to comparable European festivals such as Halloween, and Mardi Gras. These activities involve a variety of folkloristic elements and have often formed one of the chief areas of folkloristic research. The aim is to introduce the wide range of research that has been carried out into the field in the last few years, students reading both key works and new researches. A great deal of source material is available on Icelandic festivals, games, sports and entertainments and the aim is to examine this material in the light of new theories and approaches.

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. 

In this course we will examine the role of folkloristic material in modern western society, examining in particular its presence in the media, films and the internet, as well as in the oral and practical tradition. Among other things, an examination will be made of modern migratory legends and the modern role of fairy tales, belief and prejudice, games and festivals, graffiti and jokes, and all sort of other modern customs and traditions. The aim is to increase our understanding of the popular basis of modern culture and extend our conciousness of all the "trivial" which has such a central role to play in shaping our attitudes within society and our views with regard to our fellow people. Reference will be made to recent and modern research work that has been undertaken in folkloristics, cultural studies and related subjects.

In this course, we examine how places in cities, rural areas, and the wilderness acquire meaning for individuals and groups. We explore how both personal memories and cultural memory shape perceptions and understanding of the landscape. We consider how place names, stories, and legends—such as those about elf churches, cursed spots, and past events—influence the value and meaning of places, as well as how emplaced experiences and memories tend to stick to locations. Why do some places become sacred sites, while others remain merely spaces people pass through on their way elsewhere? Why do people feel at ease in some places but experience discomfort or fear in others? How do individuals form connections to places during short visits or longer stays? Does it matter whether one is a newcomer or a native? What does it mean to feel a sense of belonging or to consider a particular place home? How refugees and other immigrants form attachment to the places where they settle and how they maintain or sever ties with the places they leave behind. What does it mean for people to have been forced to leave their homes due to wars or natural disasters, facing uncertainty about whether they can return? Attention will be given to how discourse and social dynamics shape people-place relationships, as well as the role of experience, perception, memories, aesthetics, and diverse narratives in giving meaning to place, forming place attachment, and defining who can lay claim to a place—and how.

The legend tradition will be examined in detail in this course, in the light of both earlier and more recent academic theory concerning this subject. The concentration will be placed on Icelandic legends, how they have come about, been passed from person to person, living and developing in the oral tradition. Particular attention will be paid to what these legends tell us about folk belief in Iceland. From this viewpoint, particular attention will be paid to memorats, their source value, and the degree to which the narrative tradition shapes new narratives. Close attention will also be paid to Icelandic migratory legends, their means of transmission, their distribution, and they way in which they have been shaped and influenced by local narrative traditions and beliefs. In this context, attention will also be drawn to individual legendary motifs, and research that has been undertaken into them. 

Practical course designed to help students transfer knowledge and skills from undergraduate studies in ethnology/folkloristics to the labor market. Course projects are designed to increase self-knowledge and boost the occupational competence of students after their studies are completed, emphasizing the competence to connect academic and practical knowledge in creative and critical fashion. Students will acquaint themselves with the work that particular individuals, companies, and institutions do and gain insight into the different jobs of folklorists/ethnologists. Students pick two out of the consortium of partners introduced in the first weeks of the course. Students will spend 10-15 hours on site during the mid-semester project week. The course evaluation is based entirely on course projects, and class attendance is mandatory.

In this course, a number of  wonder tales will be read and analysed, especially from the viewpoint of what they have to say about society. Emphasis will be placed on the folk tale tradition, the performances of storytellers, the way they regularly recreate stories, and then the various motifs that they use in this process. The wonder tales will also be analysed from the viewpoint of the variety of raw material that was available for use in such recreation, and with regard to the range of variants and story types that were known, different motifs being compared in the process. Following this, attempts will be made to consider the "meaning" of different wonder tales. They will also be examined with regard to their social meaning and context, especially with regard to the nature of the society that helped shape them, and then how they are now reused and recreated in different media.

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.

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.

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Research Project.

Research Project.

Both fixed and relative, lived and imagined, the North has been a reservoir of imaginary potential. In this potentiality, modern subjects -- local and distant -- might regenerate and reinvigorate. The North contains apparent contradictions: beautiful and terrifying, invigorating and deadly. The imagery of such an imagined and real north, read through history, folklore, literature, film, is the subject of this course. Comparative, interdisciplinary, and multi-sited, our investigations focus on the ways in which the construction of the North has been a contested field representing different agendas and offering divergent outcomes.

Teacher of the course: JoAnn Conrad

This course deals with customs and daily life that existed in the rural society of Iceland in earlier centuries (both in the countryside and by the sea). Discussion is made of research methodologies used at home and abroad with regard to material culture and folk customs. Students will come into contact with a wide range of ethnological research, and learn to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different types of source material. Emphasis is placed on assessing the mind set behind popular culture, as students examine the course of life of those individuals who grew up within this society. At the same time, attention will be paid to which methods serve best as a means of researching the customs of these people. Among other things, students will work with unpublished personal sources such as answers to ethnological questionnaires, and diaries.

Practical course designed to help students transfer knowledge and skills from undergraduate studies in ethnology/folkloristics to the labor market. Course projects are designed to increase self-knowledge and boost the occupational competence of students after their studies are completed, emphasizing the competence to connect academic and practical knowledge in creative and critical fashion. Students will acquaint themselves with the work that particular individuals, companies, and institutions do and gain insight into the different jobs of folklorists/ethnologists. Students pick two out of the consortium of partners introduced in the first weeks of the course. Students will spend 10-15 hours on site during the mid-semester project week. The course evaluation is based entirely on course projects, and class attendance is mandatory.

This is a practical course that enables students to transfer knowledge and capability into the labour market.

In this course, students become familiar with contemporary music, explore its origins and roles in society throughout the centuries: Folk and popular music that through cultural transmission has transformed into the “higher” music of religion or elites, and music of marginal groups that has exploded into the mainstream. The cultural role of music as entertainment, as industry, as catalyst for revolt and as a unifying force will be brought to the fore. The history of music collection, processing and publishing will be discussed, as well as stories and legends of the musical world and the material culture of music. Ideas surrounding creativity and the nature of the “creative act” itself will be examined, with regards to copyright and recycling of music.

Rhythm, blues, rap, grindcore, classical, hip-hop, jazz, pop, punk masses, breakbeat, opera and deathmetal.

Humor is a fundamental aspect of social life and an important form of creative human communication. The course will consider how humor affects our perspectives on issues such as race, ethnicity, gender, class, group identity, and popular culture, as well as its uses in the face of illness, death, and tragedy. Humor is often the first artistic response to contemporary events, such as disasters, scandals, and political upheaveals. As such, it merits the closest serious attention. Folklorists have been at the forefront of the ethnographic study of humor for more than a century, focusing their attention on jokes that circulate among the general population or in particular segments of it. In addition to jokes, the course will draw on material from popular culture, arts, and the media.

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.

From the 21st - 24th of June 2021, the International Society for Ethnology and Folklore (SIEF) will hold its biennial congress in Helsinki, Finland. Ethnologists and folklorists from all over Europe and beyond will gather there, professors, researchers, editors, graduate students, and museum professionals, to present the latest research, debate ideas, broaden the horizon and enjoy the company of like-minded colleagues. 

The SIEF congress is an intellectual festival where we showcase the state of the art in our fields and it is a ritual time in the academic calendar, crucial for carrying the fields forward, building professional networks, hatching collaborative projects, and cultivating friendships. This year, there will be over 800 participants presenting over 700 papers in over 80 panels, plus dozens of films and posters. 

In this seminar we will examine the congress program, get to know the keynote speakers, dig into particular panels selected by seminar participants, analyze the congress theme, consider the society itself, map different disciplinary traditions and emphases in the countries of Europe and take stock of what is happening in the field right now. The seminar will also prepare participants to take part in the congress and those who will be presenting a paper or a poster there will have a dress rehearsal in Oddi. 

The seminar meets once a week for two class hours at a time and is open to graduate students and teachers. Course evaluation will be based, on the one hand, on active and informed participation in the seminar and on projects prepared over the course of the semester (5 ECTS) and, on the other hand, on participation in the congress itself and a congress report that is due after it (5 ECTS). Students will need to finance their participation in the congress. It is possible to take the seminar without going to the congress (5 ECTS only).

Theory in anthropology is surveyed from its emergence to the 1970s. The emergence of anthropological ideas in European ideological development is discussed and how other disciplines have influenced theory in anthropology. Evolutionism, functionalism and structuralism are examined in detail and the relation between research and theory is discussed throughout.

Anthropologists use a variety of methods in their research. This course is meant to give an overview of the methods used in research within the social sciences and anthropology in particular. The main parts of qualitative and quantitative methods will be discussed. The background, limitations and possibilities to different methods will also be discussed as well as the relationship between methods and theories. This course is intended for first year students in social anthropology.

The course looks at how identities and images of Icelanders and other nations have been shaped and they use traditions in each case. We examine Icelandic experiences and images in relation to neighbouring countries and how narratives, traditions and material culture shape nations, from national museums to midwinter festivals in London, from a wee dram of whiskey (in Scotland) to Viking sagas (in Scandinavia), with a quick stop at Up Helly Aa (in the Shetland Islands) and Olavsvaka (in the Faroe Islands); we look at a fashion show in Nuuk Center (Greenland), Nordic settlements in the New World and then we’ll post it all on social media.

We explore films and music, festivals, games and political spectacles. In particular we will analyse how national images unite and divide different groups of people. In that context we look at men and women, rural and urban communities, mobile people, racism and gender. We’ll study these images as dynamics and ideals, resources and matters of dispute, that are used for various purposes by different people in different places, by demagogues and greens, government institutions and banks, scholars and students.

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.

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.

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 form:
The teaching takes place in the form of lectures and discussion on the material of the lectures.

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Research Project.

Research Project.

The course investigates the social setting of everyday life in Iceland from the late 1800s till the onset of modern urban society in the early 20th century. Everyday life is placed in context of prevailing ideological and socio-economic predicaments. The course deals with the people’s opportunities and hindrances to make a living, seek education and start a family. Emphasis is on situating material culture, work, and everyday life of pre-industrial Iceland in an international context. In the course the students will be engaging with personal primary documents from the period.

The course addresses everyday life in pre-industrial Iceland. Emphasis is on the personal and the local environment; the material culture of the turf-house, the personal and social life of farmers and servants, the chores within the farm and household, and everyday consumption. Students will be introduced to research methodologies used to study ways of life in the old Icelandic rural community and the life circle of individuals. In the course the students will be engaging with historical primary sources.

The goal of the course is for students to get an insight into daily projects and professional museum work at the National Museum of Iceland. The main focus will be on the practical aspects of collection, recording and preservation. The course will be divided into two parts, the first part will be in the form of lectures by specialists from the National Museum, while the second part will be based upon a special project involving the museum collections that the students will work on independently under the guidance of the instructors. The first part of the course will focus on ICOM's international code of conduct, preventive conservation, artefact registration in Sarpur, photography of artefacts, condition assessments of new accessions (artifacts, samples, primary sources, etc.), packing/packaging, preservation, and the installation of exhibitions. Attendance is compulsory during practical hours.

There will be four smaller projects in the first part of the course. In the second part, the student will work on the special project connected to the museum collections in relation to the course subject. The students will select their projects according to their field of interest under the guidance of the instructors and will submit reports and presentations at the end of the course.

The main subject of the course is to learn about new and contemporary ethnographies, as well as to study recent research and writings on ethnographic practice. New ethnographies will be studied, and scholarly texts on contemporary ethnographic practice. The main goal of the course is for students to be able to acquire an understanding of contemporary ethnographies and analyse them, in contemporary as well as in a historical context, as one of the most important cornerstones of anthropology.

The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and interactive AI systems will inevitably have profound effects on individuals and societies. Just as the machines of the industrial revolution shaped modern society by revolutionizing the means of production, AI will very likely transform the information and service society of today. While doomsday predictions about world domination by sentient AI often capture the public's imagination, this course will focus on the more mundane AI systems that have already emerged, which can nonetheless creatively disrupt the patterns and structures of contemporary society. At this historical crossroads, the social sciences and humanities play a crucial role, and we therefore heartily welcome students from various disciplines to this interdisciplinary course. The course begins with a short, general introduction to interactive AI systems such as Bard, Copilot, Claude, and ChatGPT, as well as more specialized programs and system add-ons (plugins). Practical, theoretical, and ethical issues related to the use of AI in everyday life will also be discussed. However, the main emphasis will be on the social impact of AI in the present and its likely impact in the future. The latest research in this field will be covered, and students will have the opportunity to closely examine specific topics of their choice, such as the impact of AI on higher education, work and labor markets, democracy and equality, art, design and creative writing, media and communication, transportation, various services, law enforcement and security, and recreation and leisure. The course concludes with student presentations of their course projects.

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  

This course involves an analysis of the social culture involved in games, entertainments, sports and festivals. Among other things, an examionation will be made of life festivals and seasonal festivals as well as games and leisure activities past and present, as well as other forms of activities like the banquets and dances known of the rural Icelandic society of the past. In addition to Icelandic festivals, attention will also be paid to comparable European festivals such as Halloween, and Mardi Gras. These activities involve a variety of folkloristic elements and have often formed one of the chief areas of folkloristic research. The aim is to introduce the wide range of research that has been carried out into the field in the last few years, students reading both key works and new researches. A great deal of source material is available on Icelandic festivals, games, sports and entertainments and the aim is to examine this material in the light of new theories and approaches.

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. 

In this course, we examine how places in cities, rural areas, and the wilderness acquire meaning for individuals and groups. We explore how both personal memories and cultural memory shape perceptions and understanding of the landscape. We consider how place names, stories, and legends—such as those about elf churches, cursed spots, and past events—influence the value and meaning of places, as well as how emplaced experiences and memories tend to stick to locations. Why do some places become sacred sites, while others remain merely spaces people pass through on their way elsewhere? Why do people feel at ease in some places but experience discomfort or fear in others? How do individuals form connections to places during short visits or longer stays? Does it matter whether one is a newcomer or a native? What does it mean to feel a sense of belonging or to consider a particular place home? How refugees and other immigrants form attachment to the places where they settle and how they maintain or sever ties with the places they leave behind. What does it mean for people to have been forced to leave their homes due to wars or natural disasters, facing uncertainty about whether they can return? Attention will be given to how discourse and social dynamics shape people-place relationships, as well as the role of experience, perception, memories, aesthetics, and diverse narratives in giving meaning to place, forming place attachment, and defining who can lay claim to a place—and how.

Practical course designed to help students transfer knowledge and skills from undergraduate studies in ethnology/folkloristics to the labor market. Course projects are designed to increase self-knowledge and boost the occupational competence of students after their studies are completed, emphasizing the competence to connect academic and practical knowledge in creative and critical fashion. Students will acquaint themselves with the work that particular individuals, companies, and institutions do and gain insight into the different jobs of folklorists/ethnologists. Students pick two out of the consortium of partners introduced in the first weeks of the course. Students will spend 10-15 hours on site during the mid-semester project week. The course evaluation is based entirely on course projects, and class attendance is mandatory.

In this course, a number of  wonder tales will be read and analysed, especially from the viewpoint of what they have to say about society. Emphasis will be placed on the folk tale tradition, the performances of storytellers, the way they regularly recreate stories, and then the various motifs that they use in this process. The wonder tales will also be analysed from the viewpoint of the variety of raw material that was available for use in such recreation, and with regard to the range of variants and story types that were known, different motifs being compared in the process. Following this, attempts will be made to consider the "meaning" of different wonder tales. They will also be examined with regard to their social meaning and context, especially with regard to the nature of the society that helped shape them, and then how they are now reused and recreated in different media.