Sweden's fragmented approach to American studies risks falling behind peers
Swedish universities teach American topics across dozens of scattered courses but lack a unified degree program, a new study finds. The gap threatens Sweden's capacity to train experts on a crucial geopolitical and economic partner, and researchers now argue for formal institutional coordination and a dedicated discipline.
Originaltitel: Teaching American Studies in Sweden: Navigating an Archipelagic Field
<p>This essay sets out to map the teaching of American studies in Sweden. Since American studies is not a degree-awarding discipline in Sweden, this is not a straightforward task. The first part of the essay discusses American studies as it looks at the only center of higher education in Sweden that identifies it as a subject, the Swedish Institute for North American Studies at Uppsala University. In the second part we look at the field in a broader sense, identifying courses about North America currently available at Swedish universities, and surveying their subjects and topics. Together, the two parts outline the contours of a field of teaching that, we suggest, is best described as archipelagic. The essay concludes with a discussion of the possibilities and challenges for American studies teaching in Sweden and offers some thoughts and suggestions for the future, arguing for increased teacher and institutional cooperation, and the need to estab-lish American studies as a degree-awarding discipline.</p>