Aarhus University Seal

Department of

Scandinavian Studies

and Experience Economy

About Scandinavian Languages and Literature

Scandinavian Languages and Literature – often simply referred to as 'Danish' in Denmark – is one of the oldest and largest programmes  at the Faculty of Arts. The main focus of the programme is Danish culture, traditionally divided into language, media and literature, but it also has a long tradition for interdisciplinary theoretical practice and development. The programme’s teaching, research and knowledge exchange activities are continually developed through close cooperation with the upper secondary school system and businesses in the information and communications sector.

 The research environment

In addition to the programme’s fundamental focus on central works in Scandinavian literature, media and media consumption, and the Danish language, researchers at the Scandinavian programme are currently working on topics such as narrative theory, rhetoric, the use of language in social media, Danish dialects, globalisation and genre studies. The programme’s researchers are involved in extensive collaboration with researchers at other institutions, both in Denmark and abroad,  making Scandinavian Languages and Literature one of the leading centres of  native language research and study in the areas of Scandinavian literature, current forms of media and Danish language in theory and practice.

About Experience Economy

The Experience Economy Programme explores added value and the creation of value, both emotionally, symbolically and economically.  The significance of an orientation towards experience is investigated in everyday life and praxis in general as well as in the culture industry.  Research topics thus include a broad range of issues, from social entrepreneurship, tourism, placemaking, memorial culture, participant culture, new media, and affect.

The field lies at the intersection of humanities and social sciences research, and is as such intrinsically interdisciplinary. An interdisciplinary approach makes a wide variety of methodological approaches available to the programme's researchers, including anthropology, sociology, aesthetics, geography, political science and cultural studies.

The research environment

Current research interests include cultural heritage sites, affect and communication, event culture, death, materiality, media, placemaking, urban culture, DIY culture, social entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurship as a learning tool.  

The main focus of the field of experience economics is to thematise entrepreneurial and participatory culture in a broad sense, and to apply research and teaching to create added value through intervention sin different environments in close collaboration with local stakeholders. The Experience Economy Programme works to facilitate innovation and transformation in a variety of areas and sectors. 

Research on experience economy is most often undertaken in partnership with national and international research environments, and with public and private sector players. Examples of partners include

Aarhus' candidacy for European Capital of Culture 2017, Silkeborg Municipality, Aarhus Kunstakademi, British Council, the Museum of Cultural HIstory in Oslo, Økologisk Landsforening, WorldPerFect, Danske Landskabsarkitekter, Kunstakademiets arkitektskole,  Teater Katapult, the Alexandra Institute, ART+COM (Berlin).

The Department of Scandinavian Studies and Experience Economy is one of the nine departments at the School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University.

The department offers two supplementary subjects: Viking Studies and Culture of Events