News & Events
ASTRA STATEMENT ON RUSSIA’S MILITARY ASSAULT ON UKRAINE
ASTRA condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine and, along with others around the world, calls for the immediate withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with all those affected.
We refer you to the Association for Slavic, East European & Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) guide for advice about how you can support scholars and students impacted. We refer you to the Association for Slavic, East European & Eurasian Studies (ASEEES) guide for advice about how you can support scholars and students impacted.
ASTRA Statement on Black Lives Matter
The members of ASTRA leadership emphatically join the millions world-wide supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. We stand in solidarity with the many voices that have risen in protest against anti-Black racism and the murders of Black Americans at the hands of police.
As teachers and researchers of Swedish culture, we are acutely aware of Nordic histories of colonization, racism, including anti-indigenous racism, and current movements and doctrines rooted in white supremacy. ASTRA will work to investigate how we as educators, researchers, and mentors can better recognize and confront racism and racial inequalities in our curriculum and research. The lack of representation of people of color in the profession, student body and in the curricula in Swedish and Nordic studies is a perennial problem. ASTRA will dedicate itself to addressing these issues.
We stand unequivocally in support of our colleagues and students of color, including indigenous groups and other minority populations that are targeted by racism. We insist that Black Lives Matter.
Assistant Professor in Swedish Literature
The Department of Literary Studies offers a fulltime tenure position (resulting in a permanent appointment after five years, if successful) in the field of Swedish Literature, to start on 1 September 2020. Deadline for application: 18 February 2020.
The assistant professor will perform research in Swedish literature, teach courses in Swedish literature and supervise BA papers and MA dissertations as well as take part in the internal and external service provision of the Department of Literary Studies. Approximately half of the work load consists of research activities; teaching and academic services constitute the other half.
Candidates should hold a PhD-degree in literary studies (or equivalent), have conducted academic research in the field of Swedish Literature and have at least two years of postdoctoral experience on 1 September 2020.
Further details and information on how to apply can be find here and in the attached pdf. For information regarding this vacancy, you can contact me: Mara Santi (tel. +32(0)9 264 40 43 or e-mail Mara.Santi@UGent.be), or the coordinator of the Swedish section: Daan Vandenhaute (tel. +32(0)9 264 36 42 or e-mail Daan.Vandenhaute@UGent.be).
Barnkultur en prioritering
ASTRA nämns i Kulturrådets nya bloggpost om barnkultur! Tack Linda Zachrison!
ASTRA IN RECENT RESEARCH
ASTRA is discussed in Dr. Elise Carlson-Rainer's article "Sweden Is a World Leader in Peace, Security, and Human Rights." The essay, which "examines Sweden’s role in soft power diplomacy on issues such as women’s rights, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Intersex (LGBTI) equality, and feminist foreign policy" is available here.
Position Opening: Director of PLU's Scandinavian Cultural Center
Pacific Lutheran University, in Tacoma, Washington (USA), is accepting applications for the position of Director of the university's Scandinavian Cultural Center. The Director will oversee all operations of the SCC, and may also teach. This is an administrative position with possible faculty status, pending the qualifications of the successful applicant. Full details on the position, along with application procedures, can be found at https://employment.plu.edu/postings/4469
Instructor of Swedish and Scandinavian Position (full time) taking Applications:
The Department of German and Scandinavian at the University of Oregon invites applications for a full time Instructor or Swedish and Scandinavian. Our future colleague will teach language as well as general education courses in Scandinavian culture, literature and film; and work with creative faculty, staff, students from a variety of diverse backgrounds. We are eager to continue building a strong cohort of students, majors and minors. The full time position is equal to 9 courses taught per Academic Year (3 terms per academic year). The Job begins September 16, 2017. Applicants may see the full job description and apply at http://careers.uoregon.edu/cw/en-us/listing/ by clicking on the Job Title and submitting all the application materials requested via this website. Review of applications begins May 15, 2017. We intend to hire as soon as possible. The position is open until filled.
Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce-USA is pleased to announce the Linnaeus/AIFM Swedish Scholarship:
· One year Master Program in International Business Strategy at Linnaeus University. Free tuition.
· Internship with AIF Management AB, in parallel with studies
· September 2017 to June 2018
· Location: Kalmar, Sweden
· Application deadline: February 28, 2017
Eligibility:
· U.S citizen or permanent U.S resident
· Bachelor's Degree (or Master's) in Business or equivalent
· Genuine interest in internationals business and financial markets
· Both young professionals and students are welcome to apply
Please see attached file for more information. To apply, please email ck@sacc-usa.org
“look at what’s happening last night in Sweden”
ASTRA Statement: February 22, 2017
We are an association of researchers, professors and teachers whose work focuses on teaching Swedish language and culture and communicating with North Americans about Sweden and its role in the world, both historical and contemporary. President Trump’s apparently off-handed remark about an undefined “event” during his speech on February 18 set off ripples of confusion and then amusement among Swedes and friends of Sweden. The error provided international entertainment, but it was in fact no joke. When the Swedish ambassador to the U.S. asked for an explanation, he received none, though the President did issue a tweet, saying that his remark was “in reference to a story that was broadcast on @FoxNews concerning immigrants & Sweden.” The broadcast to which he refers made use of the kind of footage and editing typical of propaganda, with repeated images of, on the one hand, peaceful public spaces populated primarily by anonymous white people, and scenes of violence, confrontation, and destruction with anonymous dark-skinned perpetrators. The Fox broadcast opened with an interview with two Swedish policemen’s comments on an uptick in crime; Swedish Television, SVT aired a segment the following day in which the aggrieved officers asserted that they had been interviewed by Fox journalists under false pretenses about the topic of the broadcast and their remarks did not refer to immigration (see links below). As a group, we are well aware of the debates in Sweden surrounding immigration; indeed, our latest conference, held in Boulder in 2016, was devoted to the vexed topic of immigration and multiculturalism in Sweden. Our members have researched and published on these issues, which are unfolding in real time: on February 20th, two days after the President’s incorrect statement, a violent confrontation between police and youth in a predominately immigrant neighborhood did in fact take place. In issuing this statement, ASTRA reaffirms its commitment to educating the North American public on Swedish society, both its triumphs and its troubles, from a position of expertise and experience.
Even off-handed remarks can have detrimental and lasting effects. In 1960, Dwight David Eisenhower also made a mistake in a speech. He said that he had read an article stating that a certain, unnamed "friendly European country" that had "a tremendous record for socialistic operation" had suffered an "almost unbelievable" increase in the rate of suicide. His listeners assumed that he was referencing Sweden, and promptly a tradition of associating Sweden with high suicide rates and despair became entrenched. Eisenhower was, however, misinformed. A Swedish scholar, Åke Daun, published an article in 2005 that examined historic statistics and disproved the statement. Today a search of the internet quickly reveals that the U.S. suicide rate ranks 50th internationally, and Sweden is 58th. But the coupling of “Sweden” and “suicide” remains a constant. Because inaccurate statements are so easy to make and so hard to undo, we feel that it is incumbent on us to speak out to support an image of Sweden that is backed by linguistic competence, solid research, and dedication to honesty and fairness.
Sincerely,
ASTRA
Additional resources and links:
Sweden’s official response to Trump’s remarks about Sweden:
http://www.government.se/statements/2017/02/statement-on-president-trumps-reference-to-sweden/
Aftonbladet’s response:
SVT’s segment including interviews with Swedish police officers
(http://www.svt.se/nyheter/inrikes/intervjuade-poliserna-kanner-sig-lurade).
For an account of Eisenhower’s critique of the Swedish welfare state, see Fredrick Hale’s article: http://collections.carli.illinois.edu/cdm/ref/collection/npu_sahq/id/4713
Åke Daun’s research can be found here:
ASTRA Conference October 20-22, 2016
Nordic Department, University of Colorado-Boulder
Sverige i världen, världen i Sverige –
Immigration och mångkultur i dagens Sverige.
Datum:
Torsdag kväll-lördag 20-22 oktober
Konferenshotell:
Millenium Harvest House, Boulder
Tack vare ett generöst stöd från SI kan konferensen bjuda deltagare på två nätters hotellvistelse i delat dubbelrum.
Contact:
Merete Leonhardt-Lupa merete.leonhardt-lupa@colorado.edu
Ben Teitelbaum benjamin.teitelbaum@colorado.edu
University of Colorado-Boulder
Viktor Hennius viktor.hennius@si.se
Svenska Institutionen
ASTRA Lunch at SASS 2016
Come to the ASTRA lunch at SASS from 12:10-1:20 p.m. Friday, April 29 in the Compass Room of the Hilton New Orleans Riverside!
In lieu of a formal catered luncheon we have opted for a more informal, brown bag lunch meeting. Please bring your lunch (there is a food court a short distance from the hotel) and join us for a meeting in the Compass Room.