Eva-Lotta Päiviö Sjaunja
Presentation
Eva-Lotta completed her PhD in 2008 with a dissertation on how biological and historical values in the agrarian landscape have been managed in relation to the Swedish agricultural policy of the late 20th century. Since then, her research has focused on the governance and organization of local economy, and how it interacts with rules, norms, and decision-making at other societal levels. In recent years, she has studied how social, economic and ecological dynamics relate to historical changes in Indigenous land use, especially for the Sami of northern Fennoscandia. She also has many years of experience working in public administration, particularly in organizational governance and quality development.
Research
From January 2025, she has been part of the five-year ERC-funded project TransRein at SLU, which investigates the transition from hunting and small-scale reindeer herding to pastoralism with large reindeer herds in the Early Modern period. It represents one of the great transformative shifts in human history, from foraging to pastoralism. The project emphasizes the role of Indigenous actors and their everyday strategies, rather than solely external drivers, and draws on sources such as court records, tax registers, clerical reports, and travel accounts.
Research projects
Research groups
Teaching
Partcipates as a lecturer in the summer course on agrarian history, LB0094.
Co-supervisor for PhD-candidates William Renström, SLU and Hanna Bendz, SLU.
Cooperation
Visiting researcher at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at Mid Sweden University in Östersund.
Background
- Master of Science in Agronomy (SLU, 2001)
- Administrative officer and advisor at the County Administrative Board of Jönköping County (2001–2004)
- PhD in Agrarian History (SLU, 2009)
- Postdoctoral fellowship at Stockholm University (2011–2015, including two periods of parental leave)
- Researcher and lecturer at SLU (part-time, 2016–)
- Senior policy analyst the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (part-time, 2018–2023)
- Quality officer at the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, Mid Sweden University (full-time, 2024)