About
Marianne Rugkåsa is a proffesor in social work. She is trained as a social worker and holds a Ph. D. in social anthropology. She has conducted research on migrant integration into the Norwegian welfare state in a social work context since 2007. She has also conducted research on child welfare with minority ethnic families, child poverty and children in foster care; a minority ethnic perspective has been a central dimension in all her work. Rugkåsa has extensive experience in employing ethnographic research methods, including fieldwork and qualitative interviews. She is engaged in antiracist social work.
Field of study
Welfare state Child care Discrimination Ethnic minorities Racism
Research projects
Ongoing research projects
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The tensions of street-level social work for migrant inclusion – discretion, differentiation and deportability (TESMI)
We focus on street-level social work aimed at migrants in Finland, Norway and Sweden, and on how they experience such it.
Completed research projects
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Exploring Relationships of Trust and Distrust Between Youth Populations and Public Services in Vulnerable Areas (Ungtillit)
The project will contribute to gathering and developing knowledge about what young people's trust and distrust of public helpers is about, an how we can strengthen the relationships.
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Holistic follow‑up of low‑income families (the HOLF project)
The project will evaluate the effects of a new model developed by Nav to improve follow‑up services for low‑income families
Publications and research
Scientific publications
Fernandes, Ariana Guilherme
;
Rugkåsa, Marianne
;
Thorvik, Camilla
;
Ødemark, Ingjerd Legreid
;
Ohls, Carolina
(2026).
Antiracist social work in the Nordic countries: A scoping review.
The British Journal of Social Work.
https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcag189
Stang, Elisabeth Gording
;
Rugkåsa, Marianne
(2026).
Minority Ethnic Children in Foster Care: Contact and Cultural Rights in Case Law and Social Work Practice.
The International Journal of Children's Rights.
https://doi.org/10.1163/15718182-20262007
Rugkåsa, Marianne
;
Fernandes, Ariana Guilherme
(2025).
Teaching antiracist social work within a Norwegian context.
Social Work Education.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2025.2552211
Rugkåsa, Marianne
;
Backe-Hansen, Elisabeth
(2025).
“It Is Possible to Call More People Mum”—Contact Between Children in Foster Care and Their Birth Parents.
Social Sciences.
Vol. 14.
https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14030154
Brodtkorb, Elisabeth
;
Rugkåsa, Marianne
(2025).
Mellom mennesker og samfunn: sosiologi og sosialantropologi for helse- og sosialprofesjonene.
ISBN: 9788205596474.
335 p.
Gyldendal Norsk Forlag A/S.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3911201
Bekken, Wenche
;
Rugkåsa, Marianne
(2024).
Liminalitet og appropriering: Antropologiske blikk på sosialt arbeid.
Norsk antropologisk tidsskrift.
Vol. 35.
https://doi.org/10.18261/nat.35.1.4
Minas, Renate; Pötzsch, Tobias; Blomberg-Kroll, Helena;
Gubrium, Erika
;
Rugkåsa, Marianne
;
Skotte, Pernille Stornæss
(2024).
Virtual exchange in a Nordic context New pedagogical strategies for improving digital interaction between Nordic Social Work students.
ISBN: 9781032655536.
Routledge.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3368950
Fernandes, Ariana Guilherme
;
Rugkåsa, Marianne
(2023).
Antirasistisk sosialt arbeid.
ISBN: 9788205564633.
198 p.
Gyldendal Akademisk.
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/5058699
Buzungu, Hilde Fiva;
Rugkåsa, Marianne
(2023).
Lost in culture: Language discordance and culturalization in social work with migrants.
Nordic Social Work Research.
https://doi.org/10.1080/2156857X.2023.2216707
Bergheim, Berit
;
Rugkåsa, Marianne
(2022).
Sosialt arbeid i Nav. Erfaringer fra intervensjonen helhetlig oppfølging av lavinntektsfamilier (Holf prosjektet).
Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning.
Vol. 25.
https://doi.org/10.18261/tfv.25.2.5
