The researchers at the Arctic Centre for Welfare and Disability Research are concerned with people in vulnerable positions and people with disabilities. We research their participation in society, such as at school, in work, in their free time, etc. We are particularly concerned with factors that promote or hinder their opportunity to participate in society. Inclusive research is central to us, and we continuously work to include those concerned in our research. We arrange a PhD-course entitled 'Disability and inclusion research'.
The Centre's competence lies in its interdisciplinary approach, qualitative research expertise, and collaborative efforts, all aimed at enhancing equality and participation for vulnerable groups in the circumpolar north.
The Arctic Centre for Welfare and Disability Research is anchored at the Department of Social Education and is located at UiT the Arctic university of Norway in Harstad.
Everyday life and disability
Migration
Disability in a Samic context
Main research interests: Social innovation, disability studies, living condition, work inclusion of peopel with intellectual disability
Geriatrics
Voluteering in eldery care
Music as envronmental work
Migration, integration, volunteerism, gender
Human Rights
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
Labour Law
Sami and Indigenous peoples Rights
Childrens Rights and Child Welfare Law
Criminal and Criminal proceedings Law
Health Sciences
Welfare technology
Interprofessional cooperation
Academic interests:
I have three main research interests: work inclusion of migrants and refugees, societal participation of Sami with disabilities, and nature and environmental policy (especially management of protected areas and water).
Professional interest:
Disabilities, Inclusion (in school, leisure, work, politics etc.), Indigenous topics (especially Sami), Covid, Legal rights (CRPD) and Intersectionality.
Inclusive Art
Disability art
Applied theater
Drama pedagogy
I have been researching since 1998, completed my doctorate in 2004, became a professor in 2011, and have led several projects. A common feature of these projects is that they are all designed within a participatory research paradigm and revolve around equality, aesthetics, and societal participation.
Themes I am particularly interested in: Applied theater, art & health, disability art, inclusive research, pragmatic aesthetics, poetry and theater as a means of research communication, drama education, education policy, everyday consequences of Covid, performance ethnography, Arctic humanities, dementia, CRPD, and community science.
I am part of the Arctic Center for Welfare and Disability Research https://uit.no/research/asvf and the research group Artful Dementia Research Lab; https://uit.no/research/adlab
Interests:
Ph.D Research:
The Catalyzing Arctic Employer Engagement: Leveraging Employer Perspectives to Foster Immigrant Workforce Inclusion PhD project builds on the "Prepp til helse – følgeforskning" project, focusing on the role of employers in integrating immigrants into the workforce through vocational training. Set in the Norwegian Arctic, this research addresses the increasing demographic shifts and labor demands in the region.
Research Objectives:
Methodological Approach:
Using an inductive approach, the project combines ethnographic observation, focus groups, and interviews to analyze the interactions between employers and immigrant workers, focusing on communication, social capital, and linguistic factors.
This research aims to deepen the understanding of employer roles in fostering immigrant inclusion, offering insights that could guide future policies and practices in multicultural workforce management in the Arctic and beyond.
We conduct research within the themes of disability, welfare, ethnicity, culture, migration and public health. The topic is explored both at individual and system level, with a particular focus on equality and participation in the arenas of home, school, work, culture and leisure. Contextually, we work in the circumpolar north, where, among other things, the indigenous perspective is in focus.
We are a multidisciplinary team with expertise in sociology, psychology, pedagogy, theatre studies, social care, political science, and law.
We collaborate with partners both national and international. We have signed agreements with for instance 'Bergsodden' nursing home, where we engage in practice-oriented research. We work with Dissimilis, NFU, BufDir, INKO and other organizations etc. In addition, many of the researchers are active participants in national and international professional networks in the areas of disability, migration and culture.
