The happiest people in the world?

In this inspiring talk, you will learn a bit more about the Danes, and what made them who they are today.

In recent years, there has been great attention on Denmark and the Nordic countries from the wider world. We have become exotic in the eyes of others. »Hygge«, bicycles, sustainability, and innovation… But what is it about the Danes? Are they as happy as reputed to be?

Anthropologist Pia Lund Poulsen offers insights into what has contributed towards the Danish mindset historically and culturally. The role of identity and self-understanding is explained in perspective of peasant reforms, the co-operative movement, the folk high schools, and small-state status.

You will learn about how efficiency and coziness are linked, and how one can both love the royal family and contempt hierarchies. We will talk about all the things that make the Danes some of the most exotic people in the world.

Look forward to getting to know the Danes a little bit better!

(PS: Danes are welcome too…)

Pia Lund Poulsen.

About Pia Lund Poulsen

Pia Lund Poulsen has studied cultural anthropology at Copenhagen University and Universitas Gajah Mada in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. She did her field studies in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She has worked within the field of global education, migration, and cross-cultural communication.

Among others she has collaborated with the Danish Immigrant Museum, Mundu – Center for Global Education, the Danish Refuge Council, and the Danish Red Cross. Currently she works for The National Museum and as a freelance tour guide in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Nordic countries.