The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the interviewee[s] and do not necessarily reflect the stance of the author, UPF Lund or The Perspective’s editorial board.
Smålands may be the most controversial nation in Lund. Some see it as a safe space to hang out, others–a dangerous place that glamorizes communism. So when your friends invite you to a club night, a free meal, or a pint at Smålands, should you avoid it for its scandals, or go for the vibes of a creative and open-minded community?
A “haven for socialists, feminists, dreamers and outcasts”
According to their website, Smålands is “the haven for socialists, feminists, dreamers and outcasts” in Lund. Its main pillars are to “actively counteract oppression based on gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation”. Despite this positive mission, the nation has been the center of numerous scandals in the past. It’s been accused of being racist, sexist, and classist. Less than a year ago, the last board members of colour resigned due to an internal conflict. Beyond the Lundagård articles about the conflicts and controversies, some students avoid the nation due to its political stance in comparison to other apolitical nations in Lund. Many rumors exist about the nation, both good and bad. Some people are shocked to see the red star on their logo, as it reminds them of the appropriation of the symbol by communist regimes that have enacted violence in the past. Others manage to detach those regimes from it and see it as a purely socialist symbol. Some members are outspokenly socialist while others go there more freely. To explore the different opinions about the nation, I interviewed bystanders, patrons, inhabitants, and active members of Smålands.
“they go around wearing the star and the hammer and the sickle”
Leo*, who frequents Smålands, says it’s “a very inclusive space. In other nations I don’t really feel comfortable or included. Because they’re very dominated by Swedish people who are not as aware of things. Smålands is really a place where I feel very comfortable, but also not.” The discomfort stems from the feeling that some members “glamorize communism. They romanticize living in the Soviet Union. I haven’t talked to anyone about it, but I am pretty sure that that is the case, I cannot know. But they go around wearing the star and the hammer and the sickle.” There are even rumors that some members of the nation support authoritarian regimes, or at least joke about them.
“I have heard of people who openly say Stalin did not do anything wrong. That is something my grandma would say, I think we are past that.
According to Kaveh*, who lives in Smålands, but doesn’t work there, the nation is not that problematic. “I think it’s a very good place, and like every leftist dream it’s a good idea but the actions or the feasibility [in terms of organizing the nation] can always be better. […] But it’s easy to judge if you’re not working there” What’s lacking for Kaveh is a sense of unity, he believes there should be more of a community feeling. “I do this for you, you do this for me, the helping. Living there, I feel like the feeling doesn’t exist”. When asked about the scandals associated with the nation, Kaveh said “I have not seen or experienced any discrimination. However, I have heard that some of [the board members in Smålands] believe in extreme Marxist, Leninist groups. I am really not a fan of authoritarian states, because it’s dangerous and ignorant. And if it’s like that there’s a big problem. […] I have heard of people who openly say Stalin did not do anything wrong. That is something my grandma would say, I think we are past that.” In contrast to Leo, Kaveh says that “the symbols of leftist ideologies are very different from how they were used by authoritarianism. I have no problem seeing the red stars, I don’t identify them with what these horrible societies have done. There should however be a big discussion about what we learn about these leftists, socialist, communist ideologies, from what these societies have done”. According to Kaveh, it’s a matter of humility and self-reflection, “there is a big lack of it in every ideology, humility is gone.”
“ you still are with like-minded people, you at least know you won’t have to defend yourself in the same way for certain political opinions”
Viv, who organizes the revolutionary movie nights at Smålands, sees the nation in a more positive light, “it’s a really nice place […] there’s people that think similar things to you, that they’re in a similar place and you can have this as a hangout spot even if you don’t go there for the [specific] politics [or political events]. But you still are with like-minded people, you at least know you won’t have to defend yourself in the same way for certain political opinions”. Viv clarified these political opinions as essentially wanting basic human rights for everyone. When asked about the controversies that Smålands has faced, she says “I think you can never be a perfect space without any oppression. But I do feel that Smålands works against it on an internal level, like having equality agents and trying not to invite people to perform that are known for being misogynist. […] Or racism [as] a bigger issue. It’s something global, and [Smålands is] working against it in other ways like having talks about it, having the intersectional feminist café, and these kinds of things. That’s also what we try to do with the revolutionary movie nights”. With regards to the issue of glamorizing authoritarian regimes, Viv says “of course it’s not okay to glamorize things [that are problematic], but I don’t see Smålands doing that. I see it as the symbols that the revolutionist groups started out with, and then they’ve been taken to be used for things that were definitely not socialist anymore. […] I think there’s also some strength in trying to repurpose these symbols and give them back the meaning of what they had before, of like, we want a good life for everyone [where people don’t have to struggle for housing, food, and basic survival].”
“As we are a socialist space, I don’t think anyone is very shocked that there are communists there.”
The significance of the space is outlined further by Hedvig, who is a nation agent. They say “Smålands is very important, it’s a space for both Swedish and international people to get to know each other, where you have mutual beliefs and where you can grow as a person. […] As we are a socialist space, I don’t think anyone is very shocked that there are communists there. People that are outspoken communists of course glamorize communism, because they feel that’s the ideology that is right for them. [But] it’s not a space for loving the Soviet Union. It’s just a socialist space where people can enjoy each other’s company and find political ground beliefs that we all want to strive for. […] We have the basic concepts of human dignity, human rights and a socialist point of view as our ground pillars”. Hedvig stresses that these concepts can mean different things for different individuals.
A similar, positive notion is echoed by Sofia, one of the nation agents, importantly highlighting that, “It’s very strange to criticize us for promoting communism when we are explicitly a socialist nation. […] You could argue that socialism and communism aren’t the same thing, but the point that a lot of the people who are members and active in Smålands are communists, that point still stands.”
Another Smålands volunteer says “I think that Smålands has been used as a political space for so long. It’s normalized that you come here for that. I don’t agree at all that [it] glamorizes dictatorships. I believe that it’s the only place for real political discussions in Lund, that are open for leftist values. And I think that is amazing.”
“Lund is quite a bourgeois city in the sense that the university is primarily welcoming to the middle class, which is often reflected in Smålands.”
According to the nation’s treasurer, Adam, “Lund’s student life needs both a social conscience and a base for radical student activism and innovative culture. This has been Smålands’ role since 1972 and it continues to be its role.” However, he notes that “Lund is quite a bourgeois city in the sense that the university is primarily welcoming to the middle class, which is often reflected in Smålands. It is also quite a white organization, which is a problem for an organization that wants to fight against racial hierarchies and discrimination. My experience after 4 years in the organization is that many different types of socialists are active there, some of whom hate the Soviet Union, many of whom are very critical, and a few who genuinely appreciate it. We have a purposely broad socialist platform, and with members from all over the world and different organizational backgrounds we think that is very important.”
“Many different types of socialists are active there, some of whom hate the Soviet Union, many of whom are very critical, and a few who genuinely appreciate it.”
So, should you go to the nation for the good vibes or avoid it for its scandals and political implications? That choice is entirely up to you. But remember that the space is, without a doubt, political in many ways. Compared to some other socialist spaces, it is unique in the fact that it does not require party memberships or for all members to agree on everything. And so, like in any big organization, its members are diverse in their opinions; if you have heard one bad thing about one member, or an occurrence in the nation, this obviously does not reflect onto every individual or the nation itself. Equally, this article does not outline every opinion of all Smålands’ members. I do encourage you to explore your political views, but to stay critical, engaged, and active in conversations about topics that are important to you— whether that be by avoiding Smålands, frequenting it, or engaging in any other nation or space.
*the names of these interviewees have been changed to respect their wishes to remain anonymous
By Annele Baltmane
May 28, 2024
