Research areas

Astrid Nonbo Andersen’s primary research area is historical justice and the politics of history and memory theory. More broadly, her research centres on modern political intellectual history with a special focus on Danish, Scandinavian, and US intellectual history; modern global history; 20th century & contemporary history and legal history. Theoretically she is particularly interested in soveriegnty studies; memory theory; post- and decolonial studies; legal philosophy; and philosophy of history. She is also interested in climate justice; climate politics and the rights of nature.

Current research

Her research on historical justice, reconciliation and restitution focuses on Scandinavia. She is presently working on a research project on the Truth and/or Reconciliation processes in the Norway, Sweden and Finland. She has previously done research on the Greenlandic reconciliation process and on the demands for restitution raised against Denmark by groups in the US Virgin Islands; the Greenlandic “experiment children” and the Danish Godhavn’s boys.

Her work on collected memories and the politics of history addresses various aspects of the relations between Denmark and its former colonies. She has previously studied this topic in terms of public narratives; memory sites; text books; museum exhibitions; heritage management; TV and radio documentaries, statues etc.

Astrid Nonbo Andersen is also taking part in the research project: Indigenous Homemaking as Survivance (INDHOME): Homemaking as Cultural Resilience to the Effects of Colonisation and Assimilation. The project is funded by the Norwegian Research Council (Samisk III) and lead by Associate Professor Astri Dankertsen, Nord Universitet.

In this project Astrid Nonbo Andersen takes part in subproject 2 in collaboration with Inge Høst Seiding, Ilisimatusarfik/University of Greenland; Krister Stoor, Umeå University and Astrid Marie Holand, Nord University. The project is a comparativ historical study of Scandinavian housing policies in the early postwar years in Greenland and Swedish and Norwegian Sápmi.

The project studies how Scandinavian welfare state housing and health ideals transformed indigenous peoples culture in the regions. The project is specifically focusing on policymaking; the dynamic between Scandinavian policy makers and indigenous political representatives; and on internal collaborations between Scandinavian policymakers in the field across national borders.

Read more about the project