tidsånden

Tidsånden, literally "the spirit of the time," is a Swedish term used to describe the dominant mood, ideas, and values that characterize a particular era. It is the Swedish counterpart to the German concept zeitgeist and is employed across history, sociology, and cultural studies as a way to understand how social climate shapes what people think, create, and pursue. The term emphasizes a collective atmosphere rather than the attitudes of isolated individuals.

Used as a heuristic rather than a precise theory, tidsånden helps explain why certain ideas, technologies, or art forms gain prominence at a given moment and how public discourse evolves. Analysts examine literature, journalism, policy debates, media, and everyday practices to identify the prevailing sensibilities. The concept stresses interaction among economy, politics, technology, and culture and allows for change over time as these forces shift.

Examples often cited include the late 19th century's faith in progress, the interwar period's tension between democracy and extremism, the postwar welfare-state consensus, the 1960s movements, and the late 20th and early 21st centuries' digital networks and globalization. In Sweden, tidsånden has been linked to shifts in attitudes toward industry, gender equality, environmental awareness, and consumer culture within different decades.

Because tidsånden is descriptive and interpretive, it is sometimes debated whether it accurately captures complex causal dynamics or risks essentializing a broad and diverse society. It remains a common shorthand in both scholarly and public discourse for describing the climate of ideas that defines an era.