Swedish Institute for North American Studies (SINAS)

At SINAS, we support research within the broad field of North American studies. North American studies is an interdisciplinary field for the study of American history, culture, society and politics. Much research within the field deals with the United States, since the field emerged from U.S. academia and because of U.S. global power after 1945, but it also encompasses studies of for example Indigenous histories, hemispheric perspectives, and transatlantic relations.

A prominent theme in the field has been so-called “transnational American Studies,” which emphasizes the U.S.’s global and transnational relations. In this context, the consequences of studying the United States from outside its borders are particularly important. SINAS therefore supports studies of Swedish-American relations in historical and contemporary perspectives.

If you are engaged in research dealing with a North American theme or topic, or if you are planning such research and are looking for a vibrant international and interdisciplinary milieu to support your scholarship, you are very welcome to get in touch. Please contact SINAS’s director Adam Hjorthén or our research coordinator Leyla Belle Drake.

SINAS offers two 30-credit courses in American Studies on the bachelor's level – American Studies A and American Studies B. All of the modules in American Studies A and B are offered as individual 7.5-credit courses, two of which are also taught as distance courses. We offer two master's level courses in American Studies.

American studies is a minor subject, which means it is not possible to obtain a degree in the subject. However, our courses can be taken as a minor subject within a degree.

Bachelor's level courses

• American Studies A (30 credits)
• American Studies B (30 credits)
• Introduction to American History (A-level, 7.5 credits)
• Introduction to American Politics (A-level, 7.5 credits)
• Race and Ethnicity in the United States (A-level, 7.5 credits)
• American Media Cultures (A-level, 7.5 credits)
• Global American History (B-level, 7.5 credits)
• Current Issues in American Politics (B-level, 7.5 credits)
• Memory and Heritage in American Culture (B-level, 7.5 credits)
• Current Research in American Studies (B-level, 7.5 credits)
• Collaborating in Crisis Studies in Sweden and the United States: Problem Solving via Digital Technologies (7.5 credits)

Master's level courses

• Understanding the United States: Central Issues in American Society (7.5 credits)
• Swedish-American Relations in Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (7.5 credits)

An important part of SINAS’s mission is to support PhD students and early-career scholars.

There is today no doctoral student program in North American studies in Sweden. In our experience, however, there are many doctoral students at Swedish universities who work on cases or topics relating to North America within other disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. At SINAS, we offer a forum to develop the North American dimensions of such research. We welcome all researchers broadly interested in North American history, culture, society, or politics.

SINAS is an interdisciplinary and international research milieu where you can engage with scholars working in the broad field of American studies. We regularly organize various activities to support PhD students, including:

• SINAS PhD Student Workshop, for doctoral students affiliated with Swedish institutions of higher education. Organized every spring semester in Uppsala.
  
• SINAS Visiting PhD Student Fellowship, for international doctoral students. Granting visits of 2–4 weeks to SINAS in Uppsala.

If you are interested in SINAS or have further questions, please contact our director Adam Hjorthén or our research coordinator Leyla Belle Drake.

Past SINAS Visiting PhD Student Fellows

Jana Aresin (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen–Nürnberg), 2024
Markus Diepold (Universität Regensburg), 2024
Samantha Lanevi (University of Cambridge), 2024
Frederik Blank (Freie Universität Berlin), 2025
Pierre Mourier (Université Lumière Lyon II), 2025
Emma Gerritsen (Freie Universität Berlin), 2026
Charlotte Disley (University of St Andrews), 2026

Cooperation and outreach are an important part of SINAS' work. We collaborate with various organizations and institutions in Sweden, the other Nordic countries, and the United States.

SINAS staff are often represented in the media and give lectures to various groups and organizations in Sweden, including:

• Dagens Nyheter
• Handelsbanken
• Swedish Radio (Sveriges Radio)
• Senior University (Senioruniversitetet)
  
• Svenska Dagbladet
  
• Sveriges Television (SVT)
• TV4
• Uppsala Nya Tidning

SINAS also collaborates with organizations and institutions in the United States, including the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at Augustana College in Illinois.

We are members of the Swedish Association for American Studies, the Nordic Association for American Studies, the European Association for American Studies, and the American Studies Network.