Malmö!

We decided to make the Malmöst of our first free day here by taking a train from Copenhagen Central Station across the Øresund Bridge to the Swedish city of Malmö, where we spent a pleasant afternoon walking about the city, its parks, and the museums in Malmöhus Castle. Because today was not technically part of our study of human flourishing in Denmark, we decided to make this post a little more inforMalmö by sharing some of the best Malmöments we captured on camera. Enjoy!

The Edge of Downtown 

Malmöhus Castle, with Malmöat

Malmö Museum of Natural History, featuring...fish sticks?? (front right)

In addition to the Museum of Natural History, Malmöhus Castle now houses 

a museum of Swedish art, and a small zoo!

Pythons!

A Windmill-mö, in one of Malmö's numerous, beautiful parks


A Malmöurishing Candy Store

 The Turning Torso, a residential building completed, is the tallest skyscraper in Scandinavia

Architecture, Malmöld and new.

Malmö Central Station, on our way back to Copenhagen!

Day 3...Livability in the Urban Environment

Unique design--a staircase inside of the Copenhagen Business School

"Hyperdrive"--Dr. McCarthy riding with us on the Metro!
The first car was designed so that passengers can look out the tunnel as they travel underground

Sightseeing--Jamie and I on a Strogarde, a "walking street"

Once we get back to the States, I would like to advise my family to move with me to Copenhagen.  Yes, my usual seven-hour commute from southern New York to St. Lawrence would grow slightly longer, most likely involve winding lines at customs, and possibly even a middle seat on the plane, but from what I’ve learned about this country just in the past two days, Denmark becomes more and more appealing.  Today was a particularly busy one for the four of us—from an invigorating classroom discussion on “Livability” (and what makes Copenhagen an urban space “conducive to comfortable living”), to a walking tour of the city (after which we all could attest to the saying, “when your feet hurt, you know you’re in Europe”).  On a sunny, sixteen-degree Celsius afternoon, though, we were too immersed in hygge to mind… 

The day began with a stimulating lecture by DIS professor Bianca Hermansen, an urban planner (and in many ways, philosopher).  She first presented to us the conditions, or “Livability Rankings,” that Copenhagen prides itself on: public transport, education, cultural outlets, low crime, hours of sunshine, global flight connections, tolerance, and concern for environmental issues.  Bianca went on to explain cities in general as “human habitats” that should address the broader question of our past semester: how, exactly, can cities promote human flourishing?  Ultimately, urban design (which we have also discussed in class, regarding Alain De Botton’s The Architecture of Happiness) has an impressive impact on the human psyche.  Our cities shape us, but more importantly, we shape our cities.

For example, Bianca (who was an extremely engaging and spunky speaker) raised the issue of “jay-waking.”  She called it a “natural human behavior.”  However, while it is dangerous and violates traffic laws, Bianca does not blame pedestrians for this “crime,” but rather city designers.  She argued that jay-walking is “a symptom of poor urban planning,” and it is her job as an urban planner to work with the people of Copenhagen so the city meets their needs. Bianca and other designers are constantly rearranging and trying to improve Copenhagen, in such a way that is beautiful, sustainable, and simply “more livable,” to facilitate human flourishing. 

The walking tour (led by a former American DIS student, Samur, who now lives in Denmark) illuminated today’s classroom experience.  Although the human population in Copenhagen is very homogenous, the landscape is visually eclectic.  Fifteenth century buildings stand across cobblestone streets from sleek Danish architecture.  Large open squares bustle with activity, as vast, interactive forums for Danes, international tourists, tented produce markets, cafes, bikers, performers, and many pigeons.  There is an interesting view from every angle to engage onlookers, for as Bianca and Samur mentioned, the human mind needs to be stimulated every four seconds.  That being said, while there is a lot to see in Copenhagen, the cityscape is on a human scale.  Strict codes limit the heights of buildings, so that structures do not overwhelm the presence of people.  Beautifully weathered church steeples are the tallest man-made objects to be seen.

By implementing this rule, Copenhagen essentially preserves a little bit more of humanity than most sky-scraping American cities.  Like the welfare state, the city itself exists purely “for the people.”  It’s been such an adventure to experience a new cultural mindset, and we look forward to bring this message of human flourishing back to campus.  Hooray for the week we have left!

Danish Flourishing, Human Flourishing

     My first post on our trip blog! I guess I'm a little behind everyone else, but now I have the chance to introduce myself (I'm Sam, nice to meet you) and write about our trip at the same time - "to catch two herring on the same hook" as they say here in Denmark. (No one says that.)
     I've been lucky enough to study abroad before with my class in high school, but those trips were not so focused on studying a specific aspect of a foreign culture as this is. They were more broadly interested in consuming as much history, culture, and architecture (and food!) as we could fit in during the course of our travels. Of course happiness is so nebulous a concept, and so intricately tied to so many aspects of life (it could be said of anything that we do, we do to make ourselves more "happy," be it in that particular moment or in the future) that studying happiness inevitably involves studying...as much Danish history, culture, and architecture (and food!) as we can fit into our 10 days here. To illustrate the breadth of happiness, look at this list of "14 reasons why everyone needs to move to Denmark immediately." It's a little silly, but it touches on a number of things we will be studying as well, from government to design, and shows what a variety of things can contribute to people's happiness.
   That's not to say we're just wandering about Copenhagen searching for smiling Danes - we have regular lectures from the faculty of the university hosting us, DIS, on aspects of life in Denmark that overlap with what we studied in class at Saint Lawrence to give us some context as well. I've taken a few government classes at Saint Lawrence, and I knew a little about social democracies in Scandinavia before coming here, so I found yesterday's lecture about the role of the welfare state in Denmark especially interesting (some details in Jamie's post below!). Suzanne, our lecturer, suggested that the welfare state was the "key to happiness" in Denmark as it provides Danish citizens with everything they need to live comfortably, and illustrates the Danish "obsession" with equality and their unique culture of trust. (For example, under some circumstances you can make more money off of unemployment benefits than most people make working as professors at DIS. They also don't check passengers' tickets on trains!)
    Suzanne also said that Danish history, a history of defeat and decline between the 16th and 20th centuries, also contributed to the development of social democracy here. The Danes learned to "replace outward losses with inward gains" and come together as a people, rather than "reaching for the stars" as we tend to do in the United States.
     While what we learned about the welfare state made a lot of sense to me from a political perspective, there is a darker side to the benefits of Danish living as well, and I'm not talking about the high taxes. Part of coming together as a culture means excluding outsiders, and Denmark (and the rest of Scandinavia) have remarkably homogenous populations. While there may be 14 reasons why everyone needs to move to Denmark immediately, the fact is that not everyone is welcome here, at least not to stay. It is easy to construe Denmark as a Land of Milk & Honey, and for the most part I believe that they have a lot of things "right" (or left, perhaps...) politically. But as we fill this blog with testaments of flourishing Danes keep in mind - and we will try to as well! - that Denmark has made sacrifices to get here, just like any other country.
     While Denmark might be the happiest country on Earth, it is still on Earth (though I'm not so sure about Iceland after flying over), and its "happiness" is only worth anything in comparison to the much more profound misery that may be experienced (or learned about) the world over. The best reason I can think of for everyone to move to Denmark isn't pastries or government benefits, but that it might succeed in bringing us - Danes included! - closer together.

The Amazing Race and High Taxes

How best to view the city and get a lay-out of the land? The Great Amazing Race! Of course St. Lawrence won... well who knows if we actually did but we made it to every destination and even had time for lunch before our first lecture! We traveled all over the city to four different destinations and one special place for a free marshmallow dessert treat, very delicious. Our destinations were Danish Parliament (Christianborg Slotplads), The King's Garden in front of his summer palace (Rosenborg Slot) since the five minute walk into downtown was too disgusting at the time, the Queen's palace (Amalienborg, she wasn't home but her two sons were in their own little palaces of their own right next door), and finally the New Harbor (Nyhavn). We stopped by The Student House (Studenterhuset) for our chocolate covered marshmallows on a graham-like cracker. There was no way to get to know the city better and ourselves... I learned that I am terrible at reading a map, who knew? After that and some wonderful folded pizza-to-go for lunch, we had our first lecture. Saying time flew by would be a great understatement. We spent an hour and a half talking about everything and only got half-way through the Power Point and we didn't even notice that five minutes had passed. In order to not take up so much of your time if you are hopefully reading this, here is a (short) list of everything we learned pretty condensed:

- Taxes are anywhere from 50-60% of one's income, and unlike the U.S. no one complains! Also, if you want to buy a car that'll be a lovely 180% tax on it... but it isn't like it matters since most people bike.

- For anyone watching Fox news and wants to throw out that U.S. curse word "socialists" the Danes are not that as they have a full-fledged market economy, but you might still use that word since the government helps a lot. It isn't only financially that they help out though but supportively too, for example new mothers get matched up with others to form a strong support system.

-Harold Bluetooth, a Viking that integrated his people into Christianity is the namesake of the Bluetooth phone systems we all know very well.

- EQUALITY- probably the best word to describe Denmark and what their whole system is based on and something that has been the focus throughout history especially through the Enlightenment period.

- The Danish Welfare State is mostly symbolized by a bonfire because there are a limit to how many people can be in the circle before one stops feeling the heat.

- Danish kids have it made! They get money to go to school and then some. Also, adults get payed for things like having kids (Bornepenge with a slash through the o, I apologize for not knowing how to do that).

- Minimum wage is about 110 kr. or about $20 per hour

- While this all seems great there are issues like the fact that one could get more money from the State by being unemployed than if they had a job.

- Also, there is the problem of having a hard time with other cultures assimilating.

So, enough of that, if you want to know more you should travel here yourself, it is definitely worth it!!!

To end it, the WORD OF THE DAY!!!!
Today's word is hygge which is togetherness/coziness, an important part of Danish culture. The Americans who run around and never eat a meal with their families could learn a thing or two from this. We might all be happier if we take the time to really be together, relish in our relationships.

Here's to more adventures getting intentionally lost,
Jamie

The Danish Path to Human Flourishing

Just hours before boarding a plane to Copenhagen, Denmark, I sit here reminiscing on my experience in the one philosophy course I took last semester at St. Lawrence, Human Flourishing in Contemporary Society. We analyzed what it means to flourish in the modern world from a variety of perspectives, including classical Western approaches, insights from traditions in the East such as Buddhism and Yogic philosophy, the discoveries of contemporary positive psychology, and an analysis of how architecture shapes our visions of happiness.

As an economics and philosophy double major at SLU, I come to this trip particularly interested in how public policy and the institutions of civil society shape the particular vision of happiness seen in Denmark. Scandinavian nations are well-known for their social safety nets and solidarity for one another, which may play a vital role in how much happier they are relative to other Western nations such as the United States.

Their societies are much different from the one I am used to: a small, culturally homogenous nation with a high communitarian aura is the near opposite of what  the United States exemplifies. How these different societal characteristics at the macro level influence the individual's understanding of happiness 'on the ground' will be of great interest to me on the trip ahead. I am hoping to find out if the common stereotypes of Danish society really hold as well. I am already aware that the idea that Denmark is some socialist paradise is suspect - Denmark actually ranks above the United States in economic freedom, despite its higher tax rates. While it is probably true that the Danish people do not hold to the same rampant individualistic mindset as their American counterparts, it will be interesting to find out exactly how the Danes fit themselves into their broader society and how that shapes their flourishing.

I also hope to discover ways in which I can improve my own flourishing at the personal level. Some of my initial pre-trip research on Denmark's secret to happiness found that low expectations is the key to finding a happy and fulfilled life. We saw connections to this in our coursework - many of the Stoic and existentialist philosophers stress the need to mitigate desire and find happiness in the moment. I will find out if this point actually manifests itself in the way people live everyday, and how much it explains the differences in happiness between my home country and Denmark.

I close with one of my favorite quotes in philosophy, from the Stoic philosopher Epictetus:

"Remember that you ought to behave in life as you would at a banquet. As something is being passed around it comes to you; stretch out your hand, take a portion of it politely. It passes on; do not detain it."

This quote not only reinforces the need for low expectations, but also represents how I want to take on this trip: the banquet of life has brought me this opportunity, and I will make the best of it while it lasts. And once it passes on, it will be with a happy demeanor that I had the opportunity to cultivate a different view of happiness.

 

My bags are packed, and my mind is ready...Denmark tomorrow!

I ran into one of my favorite former teachers today in my hometown middle school parking lot. I had just dropped off my brother at lacrosse practice and was making my way out of the carpool lane when I saw his familiar, smiling face—a goofy grin from my eighth grade English instructor that I hadn't seen in years, signaling me over from the clogged flock of Honda Odysseys.  Immediately, I heeded his gesture, put the car in park, and was greeted by the warm hug of an old friend. 

“Catching up” initially began with the “usual” topics of conversation one asks a college student: How was your year? Have you decided on a major? What are your plans for this summer? Calling upon my regular arsenal of small-talk, I had certain answers already prepared to address the first two questions.  However, when I considered my response to my teacher’s third proposal, the imminence of a completely atypical and exciting reality set in: “Well, tomorrow I am off to Denmark...”

This past semester at St. Lawrence I studied "Human Flourishing in Contemporary Society," or (as I simply explained it to my peers who were not enrolled in the course), "The Philosophy of Happiness." I looked forward to every Monday/Wednesday meeting at Piskor Hall, where our intimate group of ten (approx.) students and Professor Erin McCarthy discussed, argued, connected (and, of course, sometimes confused...) various philosophical considerations of "the good life."  We started and ended each day "with a bow," to ensure that even the most difficult-to-grasp concepts were explored in a place of unified open-mindedness and respect—so that the environment where we contemplated "human flourishing" was directly conducive to our own flourishing as learners.

By the end of spring semester, our philosophy class had already grown quite close.  Tomorrow, I look forward to solidifying further friendships with each of my three other peers, as well as Erin and her family, who will be departing with me to Denmark.  Over the next ten days of SLU's "Human Flourishing in Contemporary Society" travel program, I am eager to apply what we have learned about happiness this year in a classroom in Canton, to the streets of Copenhagen—one of the "happiest" cities in the world.  It seems like only a week ago that I was back at St. Lawrence, scrambling to finish finals…because that is true.  In fact it has only just hit me that in 24 hours I will actually be on a red-eye flight to Copenhagen.  My bags are packed, though, my mind is ready, and I am SO excited for the adventure that lies ahead! 

-Kelsey Smith 

 SLU '15

Up Up and Away

Two days until Denmark! I couldn't be more excited, although I might be getting a rude awakening once the plane lands. As I write this post I am sitting in my house which is on 10 acres of land with a barn and a couple of horses. There are a couple of cars driving by as well as the occasional manure spreader making the rounds through the fields that aren't enclosed by fencing, but other than that there isn't much happening on this lazy Sunday. I enjoy this tranquility in my small town that doesn't even have a single traffic light. Will I like Denmark? Of course I except to find myself in awe when I arrive, but will it be too much for me? Will I be overwhelmed by the people, the culture, and/or the difficulty of finding my way? My town of Waitsfield, Vermont holds around 1,700 people while Copenhagen has a population of roughly 558,000 people. That means that you could fit a little more than 328 Waitsfields in Copenhagen. While that is something interesting to think about, I'm sure I will handle the change in pace that Denmark will be for me. Throughout the last semester Phil 347, the course that is taking us to Denmark, has taken a look into happiness, what it means to be happy, and how one can work on becoming happy. Throughout the semester we broke down readings from a broad spectrum of philosophers. From more well known philosophers such as Plato, Nietzsche, and Hobbes to readings from Buddhism and Yoga, more contemporary philosophies from Alain de Botton and Sara Ahmed, and even a focus on positive psychology and the concept of Flow the students of the "happiness" course were able to discuss how these philosophies may or may not be applicable to our daily lives. Of course Denmark is different from the United States in many aspects, but what about happiness? Supposedly Denmark is the happiest place on Earth and I am looking forward to trying to figure out if that is true, and if it is, why? Well I can't figure that out by being staying in my little town. The next post I write will be from Copenhagen!

And now time for the word of the day. Each post I will insert a Danish word within the theme of happiness. The word for this post is:

blomstrende = flourishing

Human flourishing is the name of the course as well as what we are studying within Copenhagen. To flourish is to thrive, grow, and develop. Since we are about to study happiness and how people flourish in Denmark I find flourishing to be a good choice for the first word of the day. 

Cheers to overcoming jet lag,
Jamie