Course Title
“Sweden: Gender Equality, Sustainability, and Lifestyle Branding”
Professor
Hanne Larsen, Clinical Professor
Dates
March 2023
Destination City
Stockholm
Course Description
A GIX in search fashionable welfare.
They gave us The Nobel Prize, Abba, IKEA , The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo, not to forget Greta Thunberg. Sweden is the largest of the Nordic countries, and is often considered one of the world’s most peace loving, progressive yet successful democracies in the world. Sweden has a high standard of living due to a globally competitive and innovative economy. Sweden is diverse and egalitarian, and alongside it´s Nordic neighbors, Swedes are consistently ranked among the world’s happiest people. Sweden has an expansive government and extensive tax payer-financed welfare system. In addition, Swedes are on the forefront on any discussion about gender equality and sustainability – and they are immensely fashionable. What can we learn from Sweden? This GIX takes a critical look at Sweden and its welfare as well as its perception of democratic lifestyle branding, which is tied into ideas about equality, sustainability and traceability of raw material. We will meet stakeholders and innovators from the fashion industry, as well as everyday Swedes. We will visit the IKEA museum and hopefully tour a Nordic Noir thriller film set. You will return with and altered sense of the lifestyle branding industry (fashion, cars and furniture) and gender equality, and with a deeper understanding of its relevance and challenges, as the world ventures further into the 21st century.