Anna Hedlund
About Anna Hedlund
I am a social anthropologist and senior lecturer in human rights at the department of Global Studies. My current research primarily focuses on youth involved in criminal networks and methods to prevent gun violence in Sweden. I am currently involved in a Nordic comparative research project on gang desistance in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway, and in a research project about Group Violence Intervention (GVI), a gun violence reduction strategy. I am also the project leader for a project which focuses on young people who want to leave a criminal environment. My previous research focuses on collective memories of the genocide in Rwanda among armed rebel groups in eastern Congo and the significance of history, ethnicity, and propaganda for understanding narratives and expressions of violence in ongoing conflicts. I primarily use ethnographic methods, fieldwork, and qualitative interviews.
I have been employed at the Department of Global Studies since September 2022. I received my Ph.D. in social anthropology from Lund University in 2014. Shortly thereafter, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Johannesburg (South African Research Chair in Social Change) and then I had a postdoc position at the Danish Institute against Torture (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow). Between 2018–2022, I participated in external research projects at Lund University, and since 2016 I have also been an affiliated senior researcher at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
Ongoing research projects
- "Ways out of Street Crime": A Comparative Study of Street Crime Desistance in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway: https://www.vive.dk/da/undersoegelser-i-gang/ways-out-of-street-crime-a-comparative-study-of-street-crime-desistance-in-denmark-sweden-and-norway-6o68888d/ funded by the Nordic Research Council for Criminology NSfK, 2023–2025
- PI for the project "Paths beyond gang life: An ethnographic study of young gang defectors disengagement from criminal groups in Sweden" funded by RJ, 2025–2028.
- Researcher in a project on Group Violence Intervention (GVI) at Malmö University (starting fall 2024).
Previous research projects
- Crime and Society: https://www.sns.se/forskningsprogram/brottslighet-och-samhalle/ SNS, 2021–2024
- PI for the project "Ceasefire Malmö": This project broadly focuses on youth crime, gun violence, and crime prevention. Funded by FORTE, 2019–2024.
- CONGO: Hybrid political orders and violent exchanges in the eastern Congo. EU project, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual grant
Public engagements (selected)
- Panel discussion on exit programs in Sweden, SNS Stockholm: https://www.sns.se/artiklar/avhopp-fran-kriminella-grupperingar-i-storstaderna-hur-fungerar-kommunernas-verksamhet/
- Podcast: "Hutu Rebels" on New Books Network: https://newbooksnetwork.com/hutu-rebels
- Dagens Nyheter: https://www.dn.se/ledare/amanda-sokolnicki-nar-mammor-mordhotas-kommer-avhopparna-att-bli-fler/
- Forskning.se: https://www.forskning.se/2020/01/21/varfor-skjuts-det-sa-mycket-i-sverige/
- The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/sweden-europes-gun-crime-hotspot-2d9gw6d57
- Svenska Dagbladet: https://www.svd.se/a/4q87oR/avhopparen-alla-yrkeskriminella-ar-utbranda
- Dagens Samhälle: https://www.dagenssamhalle.se/samhalle-och-valfard/socialtjanst/forskare-avhopparverksamheten-behover-professionaliseras/
Teaching
I am the program director for the Bachelor's program in Global Studies and I teach and supervise in the department's courses in Human Rights, Social Anthropology, and Global Studies.