About
Asgeir Falch-Eriksen is head of the academic unit on Globalisation and Social Sustainability. He is a political scientist specializing in democracy, rule of law, policy analysis and social work in child protection.
As a political scientist and policy analyst, I am dedicated to advancing our knowledge in democracy, rule of law, trust, and solidarity through academic research and applied policy analysis. My expertise encompasses areas within political theory, with a special focus on principles of democracy and the rule of law. My research also delves into the intricate dynamics of trust and solidarity in societal structures, underscoring my commitment to fostering resilient, democratic institutions.
Specialisation:
- Human Rights and Constitutionalism: A dedicated focus on human rights, with a specialization in constitutional principles guiding child citizens´ rights and their practical enforcement in legal and societal contexts.
- Political Theory: Deep expertise in democracy, rule of law, and the mechanisms of trust and solidarity, with a particular emphasis on citizenship theory and its application in contemporary governance.
- Child Protection Services: Advanced analysis and policy development in child protection, emphasizing the enforcement of children´s rights, institutional design, and decision-making processes within child welfare systems.
- Professional Practices and Education: Insightful analysis of professional practices and educational frameworks within decision-making bodies, aimed at enhancing the efficacy and integrity of child protection services.
- Foster Care and Institutional Design: Strategic insights into the design and operational efficiency of institutions involved in foster care, advocating for policies that prioritize the welfare and rights of children under state care.
Research Interests:
My research interests lie between traditional disciplinary boundaries such as law, political science, sociology and history, integrating citizenship theory into the study of democracy, the rule of law, trust and solidarity, social sustainability and sociology of the professions to unravel the complex interplay between public decision-making and coercion, the courts, especially in the context of child protection services. The interdisciplinary approach allows for a comprehensive examination of how professional education, institutional practices, and decision-making frameworks and designs can be optimised to uphold the principles of democracy and human rights, with a special focus on safeguarding children´s rights.
Professional Objective:
To contribute to the development of sustainable democratic institutions and effective child protection policies through research, policy analysis, and advocacy. By leveraging my expertise in political theory, human rights, and constitutionalism, I aim to foster collaborative work where trust, solidarity, and the rule of law prevail as key topics, ensuring the protection and empowerment of child citizens in democratic societies.
Field of study
Political theory Child care Democracy theory Public administration and policy Politics of knowledge Studies of professions Governance Control and Trust
Research groups
Research projects
Ongoing research projects
-
The Child´s Right to Family Life and Stability in Foster Care
This project will explore how children in foster care can experience family life and stability through human rights-based practices.
Completed research projects
-
Cosmopolitan Turn and Democratic Sentiments (CONSENT)
CONSENT is a large bilateral project between Norway and Romania. The main objective is to investigate empirically, both in Romania and Norway, to what extent the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is considered to be relevant when developing politics and law.
-
Enhancing child’s right for the participation in child protection assessment (COMPENCA)
This project focus on the child´s right to participate in child protection assessment and decision-making.
-
Strengthening solidarity for democratic unity across border (SOLIDEM)
The SOLIDEM project focuses on the weakening of trust and solidarity in European welfare states, including Norway.
Publications and research
Scientific publications
Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir
(2025).
When ‘bad friends’ lobby the court against human rights.
Helland, Hege Stein; Skivenes, Marit; Gloppen, Siri (Ed.).
Child protection and the European court of human rights. Lessons from Norway in the Development and Contestation of Children’s Rights. p. 178-191.
Policy Press.
https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.25941115.17
Johansen, Simen Mørstad;
Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir
(2025).
Parenting According to Human Rights: Legally Embedded Parenting Expectations in Norway and Romania.
The International Journal of Children's Rights.
Vol. 33.
https://doi.org/10.1163/15718182-33020011
Toros, Karmen;
Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir
; Lysa, Olha
(2025).
Parents’ voices on parental engagement in child protective services.
Journal of Children's Services.
https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-08-2023-0046
Toros, Karmen;
Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir
(2024).
“I got to say two or three lines”—A systematic review of children's participation in child protective services.
Child Abuse & Neglect.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106934
Toros, Karmen; Kozmenko, Olena;
Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir
(2024).
‘I just want to go home, is what I need’ – Voices of Ukrainian refugee children living in Estonia after fleeing the war.
Children and Youth Services Review.
Vol. 158.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.107461
Skivenes, Marit;
Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir
; Hassan, Bilal
(2024).
Restricting family life-an examination of citizens’ views on state interventions and parental freedom in eight European countries.
European Journal of Social Work.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2023.2227772
Toros, Karmen;
Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir
(2024).
Solution-focused approach: a way of facilitating children’s participation and understanding children’s experiences, needs, and wishes.
Journal of Family Social Work.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10522158.2024.2435814
Takle, Marianne
;
Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir
(2023).
Citizenship in democratic welfare states: a typology of social exclusion.
Takle, Marianne; Vedeler, Janikke Solstad; Schoyen, Mi Ah; Bøhler, Kjetil Klette; Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir (Ed.).
Citizenship and Social Exclusion at the Margins of the Welfare State. p. 193-209.
Routledge.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3114288
Takle, Marianne
;
Vedeler, Janikke Solstad
;
Schoyen, Mi Ah
; Bøhler, Kjetil Klette;
Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir
(2023).
Citizenship and Social Exclusion at the Margins of the Welfare State.
ISBN: 9781003347279.
274 p.
Routledge.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/4853961
Hestbæk, Anne-Dorthe; Skivenes, Marit;
Falch-Eriksen, Asgeir
; Svendsen, Idamarie Leth;
Backe-Hansen, Elisabeth
(2023).
The Child Protection Systems in Denmark and Norway.
Berrick, Jill Duerr; Gilbert, Neil; Skivenes, Marit (Ed.).
Oxford Handbook of Child Protection Systems.
Oxford University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780197503546.013
