The ageing research studies social, behavioural and health developments in older adults living in Norway. Central fields in their studies are the civil society, labour marked, social network and family – which are the key domains of active ageing and relevant fields for policy advise for maintaining a sustainable welfare state.
Our research on housing explores several topics: housing needs, housing demand, social inequality, mobility and life course events, contextual effects, and housing policy. The basic assumption is that housing plays a central role in people’s everyday life, but also in the production and reproduction of social inequality.
Read about The Network for Ageing Research at OsloMet.
Head of research group
Members
More about our research
Our ageing research concentrate on opportunities for active ageing or exclusion from it, intergenerational support, retirement, formal and informal care, individual’s health and wellbeing and the social construction of inequalities therein, and on the consequences of an ageing population for the sustainability of the welfare state. The department is increasingly involved in international research projects, which opens up for new research on the influence of macro social factors such as culture and welfare state provisions.
Regarding our housing studies, a dividing line exists between ownership and renting, and between different birth cohorts’ access to housing during periods of varying economic and political conditions. Housing is an exceptional type of good, indivisibly linked to its geographical location, and likely to affect well-being and the distribution of economic resources. Effects on other spheres of life may be direct or indirect, i.e. housing will sometimes play a mediating role in relation to spheres such as education, work, family formation, and health.
Projects
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HOUSINGWEL – Centre for Housing and Welfare Research
HOUSINGWEL aims to be a hub for research on housing and welfare in Norway.
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The Norwegian Life Course, Ageing and Generation Study (NorLAG)
NorLAG is a multidisciplinary and longitudinal study that includes data on well-being, health, work, care, and family relations in the second half of life (age 40 plus).
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Enabling Ageing in Place (AgePlace)
In this project the researchers aim to generate new knowledge on the precondition for safe ageing in place.
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Young People’s Establishment in the Housing Market
The project aims to generate knowledge about young people’s establishment in the housing market, including moving out from their parental home, experiences in the rental market, and establishment as homeowners.
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Sustainable wellbeing through investment in social services (SWINS)
The project aims to bridge knowledge gaps on how investments in social services influence macroeconomic stability and the EU’s sustainability transition.
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HOUSYOUNG
How can we create sustainable and effective collaborative models for increased inclusion of youth with complex needs through measures including “own home” in the local community.
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Transitions in Late Careers: Obstacles and Opportunities
In this project, we aim to identify the barriers workers may encounter as they age, with a focus on critical turning points and transitions.
Networks
Members of the departments’ ageing research collaborate with research groups from universities across Europe, among which the Karolinska Institute, Swiss-centre of expertise in life course research-LIVES, University of Bucharest, Free University Amsterdam, Technical University Dortmund and the German Centre of Gerontology - DZA, and the University of Milano Bicocca.
The department was further involved in a number of European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) actions, i.e. INTERFASOL - Intergenerational family solidarity across Europe (cost.eu), AGEISM - a multi-national, interdisciplinary perspective (cost.eu); and ROSENET Reducing Old-Age Social Exclusion: Collaborations in Research & Policy (rosenetcost.com).
The departments’ housing studies group are active members of the international research organisation the European Network for Housing Research (ENHR). The annual research conferences arranged by ENHR has become an important venue for presentations of our ongoing research, but also for making new contacts with researchers for future collaboration. Lena Magnusson Turner is also member of the ENHR coordination committee.
Publications
- Dury, S.; Grinshteyn, E. & Aartsen, M. (2025). Older people’s formal volunteering. In Serrat, R.: Civic Engagement in Later Life. Policy Press
- Herlofson, K.; Vangen, H. and Brandt, M. (2025). New demographics, family structures and care responsibilities in Europe. Research Handbook on Social Care Policy
- Kozák, M. & von Soest, T. (2025). Adolescent work values and adult attainment in key social domains two decades later: evidence from a population-based longitudinal study of Norwegian men and women. Journal of Education and Work
- Harpa, S. et al. (2025). Poor psychosocial work environment: a ticket to retirement? Variations by gender and education. European Journal of Ageing
- Sørvoll, J., Carriou, C. & Lang, R. (2025). Housing cooperatives, housing systems and the state. Historical lessons from Europe, Australia and Latin-America. Housing Studies. Special Issue
- Barth, E. et al. (2025). Winners and losers when firms robotize: wage effects across occupations and education. The Scandinavian Journal of Economics
- Santiago, A.M.; Galster, G. & Turner, L.M. (2024). Heterogeneous neighbourhood effects on the educational attainments of native Norwegian and immigrant-descendant female and male young adults. Urban Studies
- Sørvoll, J.; Osnes, S.M. & Brattbakk, I. (2024). Needs-Tested and Market-Based Social Rented Housing: The Extreme Case of Norway? Tidsskrift for boligforskning
- Turner, L.M. & Wessel, T. (2024). The geography of intergenerational mobility in Norway: Labor market diversity, career opportunities, and gender. Journal of Regional Science
- Gautun, H. & Bratt, C. (2024). Caring for older parents in Norway – How does it affect labor market participation and absence from work?. Social Science and Medicine
Find more publications at the researchers’ employee pages.
