Culture, Health, and Religion at the Millennium : Sweden Unparadised

The book presents interpretations of culture, health, politics, and religion in Sweden today, Sweden transforms from the well-functioning but existentially bland economic wonder to a more fragmented and gloomy society. Contributors include scholars from film studies, literary studies, political science, religious studies and theology Culture, Health, and Religion at the Millennium: Sweden Unparadised 1 Contents 6 Introduction: How Gloomy Is Sweden at the Millennium? 7 The Swedish Model at the Millennium 8 Politics and Democracy since World War II 11 Welfare and Protestant Values 16 Sweden Unparadised? 19 Chapter 1: Hygiene as Metaphor: On Metaphorization, Racial Hygiene, and the Swedish Ideals of Modernity 24 Hygiene as Metaphor: The Sontag Question 25 The Swedish Model: Progress, Consensus, and Centralism 29 Dirt-Sweden 36 Crisis in the Population Question 42 Racial Hygiene as a Political Project 47 The Inevitability of Metaphor 49 Notes 52 Chapter 2: From Shared Resources to Shared Values 56 “Cozy” Little Folkhem? 56 More Concerned about Value Orientation than about Material Resources? 59 Shared Values as They Are Interpreted among Swedish Citizens 71 Not a Cozy Little Folkhem, but Becoming an Individual 75 Notes 78 Chapter 3: “It’s Not about Religion, but about Manipulation”: Polemical Discourse against Sects and Cults in Sweden 82 New Religious Movements on the Swedish Religious Landscape 85 The Church of Scientology in Sweden 88 Religion, Conflict, and Mental Health 90 Scientology and the Swedish Anticult Movement 96 The Problem of “Cults” in a Welfare Society 97 Notes 100 Chapter 4: Something Happened, but What?: On Roy Andersson’s Cinematic Critique of the Development of the Welfare State 103 National Innocence Lost 107 A Swedish Love Story 110 Life in Limbo 113 Giliap 115 The Radical Turn 118 World of Glory 121 A Bleak Prophecy 124 Songs from the Second Floor 127 Conclusion: A Blast from the Past 131 Notes 132 Chapter 5: Sex and Sin in a Multicultural Sweden 136 Introduction 136 1960s: The Beginnings 139 The 1970s: Multiculturalism and Sexual Radicalism 142 The 1980s: A Retreat from Radicalism 146 The 1990s: Feminism and Antiracism 149 The 2000s: The Return of Assimilation 152 Conclusion 156 Notes 156 Chapter 6: Chick Lit as Healing and Self-Help Manual? 158 Chick Lit and Women’s Fiction 160 From Innocent Brat to Responsible Woman 162 The Curing Crises 167 Chick Lit Novels as Self-Help Manuals 172 Women’s Liberation and a Room of One’s Own 176 Notes 182 Bibliography 185 Notes on Contributors 196 "Culture, Health, and Religion at the Millennium: Sweden Unparadised" -- "Contents" -- "Introduction: How Gloomy Is Sweden at the Millennium?" -- "The Swedish Model at the Millennium" -- "Politics and Democracy since World War II" -- "Welfare and Protestant Values" -- "Sweden Unparadised?" -- "Chapter 1: Hygiene as Metaphor: On Metaphorization, Racial Hygiene, and the Swedish Ideals of Modernity" -- "Hygiene as Metaphor: The Sontag Question" -- "The Swedish Model: Progress, Consensus, and Centralism" -- "Dirt-Sweden" -- "Crisis in the Population Question" -- "Racial Hygiene as a Political Project" -- "The Inevitability of Metaphor" -- "Notes" -- "Chapter 2: From Shared Resources to Shared Values" -- "â#x80;Cozyâ#x80;#x9D; Little Folkhem?" -- "More Concerned about Value Orientation than about Material Resources?" -- "Shared Values as They Are Interpreted among Swedish Citizens" -- "Not a Cozy Little Folkhem, but Becoming an Individual" -- "Notes" -- "Chapter 3: â#x80;Itâ#x80;#x99;s Not about Religion, but about Manipulationâ#x80;#x9D;: Polemical Discourse against Sects and Cults in Sweden" -- "New Religious Movements on the Swedish Religious Landscape" -- "The Church of Scientology in Sweden" -- "Religion, Conflict, and Mental Health" -- "Scientology and the Swedish Anticult Movement" -- "The Problem of â#x80;;Cultsâ#x80;#x9D; in a Welfare Society" -- "Notes" -- "Chapter 4: Something Happened, but What?: On Roy Anderssonâ#x80;#x99;s Cinematic Critique of the Development of the Welfare State" -- "National Innocence Lost" -- "A Swedish Love Story" -- "Life in Limbo" -- "Giliap" -- "The Radical Turn" -- "World of Glory" -- "A Bleak Prophecy" -- "Songs from the Second Floor" -- "Conclusion: A Blast from the Past" -- "Notes" -- "Chapter 5: Sex and Sin in a Multicultural Sweden" -- "Introduction" -- "1960s: The Beginnings" -- "The 1970s: Multiculturalism and Sexual Radicalism" "Culture, Health and Religion at the Millennium : Sweden Unparadised presents interpretations of Swedish culture, health, politics, and religion today, as the image of Sweden is being transformed from the well-functioning but existentially bland economic wonder to a more pluralistic, fragmented and gloomy society. The changing situation of contemporary Sweden means that the time is ripe to make a self-critical appraisal of the state of Sweden today. In six chapters, renowned Swedish scholars from film studies, literary studies, political science, religious studies and theology give their interpretations of sin, culture, health, politics, and religion in contemporary Sweden, with a particular focus upon its cultural representation in popular media. This book will serve as a background of much of the contemporary boom of Swedish fiction, both in popular literature as well as on the silver screen"--Provided by publisher. Front Matter....Pages i-v Introduction: How Gloomy is Sweden at the Millennium?....Pages 1-17 Hygiene As Metaphor....Pages 19-50 From Shared Resources to Shared Values....Pages 51-76 “It’s not about Religion, but about Manipulation”....Pages 77-97 Something Happened, but What?....Pages 99-131 Sex and Sin in a Multicultural Sweden....Pages 133-154 Chick Lit as Healing and Self-Help Manual?....Pages 155-181 Back Matter....Pages 183-200