Economic History: Swedish Economic Development

The aim of the course is to analyse Sweden's transformation into an industrial society, structural changes in Swedish economic development and the economic structure of modern Sweden. The course discusses Swedish economic development in a long-term perspective.

The course starts with an overview of the agrarian past of Sweden, its peculiarities and its similarities with other regions in Europe. The process of Swedish industrialisation is studied in the general context of economic changes in the nineteenth-century Europe.

Another topic is the modern welfare state in Sweden in a comparative perspective. The development of the welfare state is treated in the wider context of the Swedish economic model. Special attention is given to the changing role of women in the labour market and in the economy.

Furthermore, the Swedish economic development during the 1980s and 1990s is presented and analysed. Economic policy measures introduced in the 1990s to cope with the problems of the economy will be described and discussed. Particular consideration is given to the high degree of internationalisation of the Swedish economy and Sweden's relationship to the EU.