About
Dag Jenssen is a professor in the theory/philosophy of science with an orientation towards the foundations of social work, health sciences, general social science and history. He teaches the philosophy of social science at the Department of Social Work, Child Care and Social Policy.
His research interests include: the relationship between values and science; the philosophy of social work; coherence in research design; critical realism in the contexts of social work and health sciences.
Jenssen has published two introductory books on the philosophy of science for social work and health sciences (Vitskapsteori i sosialt arbeid [Philosophy of science in social work], 2021; Vitskapsteori i helsefag [Philosophy of science in health care], 2025), the latter co-authored with Malin Knutsen Glette. He is also co-editor of several edited volumes: Vitenskapsteori for helse- og sosialfag [Philosophy of science for social work and health care], 2020), Critical Realism for Health and Social Research (2025) and Hybrid Social Work (2025).
Previously, Jenssen did research on the presuppositions of historical knowledge, with particular attention to nineteenth and twentieth century French and Norwegian historiography, including national history and the history of mentalities.
Jenssen is co-editor of the cultural journal Dyade. He was Dean at the Faculty of Social Sciences at OsloMet 2007-2015.
Field of study
Health Philosophy of science Historiography Social work Social sciences
Research groups
Publications and research
Scientific publications
Harsløf, Ivan
;
Innvær, Simon
;
Jenssen, Dag
;
Bekken, Wenche
; Bode, Ingo
(2025).
Hybrid Social Work
Contested Knowledge, Fragile Collaboration and Social Citizenship.
ISBN: 9781035327201.
268 p.
Edward Elgar Publishing.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3436682
Bode, Ingo;
Innvær, Simon
;
Jenssen, Dag
;
Bekken, Wenche
;
Harsløf, Ivan
(2025).
Evolving hybrid worlds of social work.
Harsløf, Ivan; Innvær, Simon; Jenssen, Dag; Bekken, Wenche; Bode, Ingo (Ed.).
Hybrid Social Work
Contested Knowledge, Fragile Collaboration and Social Citizenship.
Edward Elgar Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035327218
Jenssen, Dag
; Bode, Ingo; Lenz, Robin
(2025).
The epistemic culture of hybrid social work: insights from organisational settings in Germany and Norway.
Harsløf, Ivan; Innvær, Simon; Jenssen, Dag; Bekken, Wenche; Bode, Ingo (Ed.).
Hybrid Social Work
Contested Knowledge, Fragile Collaboration and Social Citizenship. p. 21-43.
Edward Elgar Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035327218
Jenssen, Dag
(2024).
The role of values in a critical realist perspective.
Solem, May-Britt; Jenssen, Dag (Ed.).
Critical Realism for Health and Social Research.
Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032639130-6
Jenssen, Dag
(2024).
Coherence: The need to think about the whole.
Solem, May-Britt; Jenssen, Dag (Ed.).
Critical Realism for Health and Social Research.
Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032639130-2
Solem, May-Britt
;
Jenssen, Dag
(2024).
Critical Realism for Health and Social Research.
ISBN: 9781032616476.
232 p.
Routledge.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032639130
Skyberg, Henriette Lund;
Jenssen, Dag
(2023).
What professionals say and do: the tension between egalitarianism and hierarchy in interprofessional teamwork.
Journal of Interprofessional Care.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2023.2289512
Jenssen, Dag
;
Kjørstad, Monica
;
Seim, Sissel
;
Tufte, Per Arne
(2020).
Vitenskapsteori for sosial- og helsefag.
ISBN: 9788205518377.
363 p.
Gyldendal Akademisk.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/4519771
Jenssen, Dag
(2020).
Verdier og forskning.
Jenssen, Dag; Kjørstad, Monica; Seim, Sissel; Tufte, Per Arne (Ed.).
Vitenskapsteori for sosial- og helsefag. p. 299-327.
Gyldendal Akademisk.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/4706239
Jenssen, Dag
(2019).
Sosialpolitikk som del av sosialt arbeids territorium. En analyse av skandinaviske grunnbøker.
Aamodt, Hilde Anette; Dahl, Espen; Gubrium, Erika; Haldar, Marit; Hermansen, Åsmund (Ed.).
Sosialt arbeid og sosialpolitikk i samhandling. p. 78-98.
Fagbokforlaget.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/4364411
