The purpose of welfare policy is to ensure good living conditions for the population as well as an inclusive society. This objective requires constantly updated knowledge about the design of social policy and the consequences of various services and benefits.
A key question is how the welfare state works for users in general and vulnerable groups in particular. This is particularly important in order to shed light on the consequences of poverty and social exclusion.
The goal of the Department for Health and Welfare Studies at Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) is to contribute knowledge in these fields.
Acting Head of research group
Members
More about our research
Welfare states face several major challenges, and the Department for Health and Welfare Studies pays particular attention to five main challenges that form its core areas:
- welfare states and the green transition
- democracy and public administration
- comprehensive welfare services
- equal opportunities in education and employment
- social inequality in health
In the Department of Health and Welfare Studies, we work with interdisciplinary and comparative research throughout the life cycle, and migration and disability are central themes of our research.
In NOVA's strategy for the period from 2023 to 2026, we will anchor research activities within the above five core areas by continuing to:
- maintain a high academic level of our scientific publication
- disseminate our research to relevant user groups and the general public
- build on and expand existing international networks, and continue to focus on applications for international funding.
Our researchers and PhD candidates cover a range of disciplines (sociology, political science, economics, human geography, psychology and social work).
We lead and are involved in national and international research projects, funded by, among others, the European Commission, the EEA NO Grants, the Research Council of Norway, Norwegian ministries, directorates and civil society organisations.
Publications
- Bjørnshagen, V.; Rooth, D-O.; Ugreninov, E. (2025). Disability, gender and hiring discrimination – a field experiment. European Societies
- Takle, M. (2025). Showing Social Solidarity with Future Generations. Routledge
- Hansen, H.C. (2025). Bodies at Disposal in Home Care Settings. Sociology of Health & Illness
- Heggebø, K. & Ljunggren, J. (2025). Are there gender differences in mental healthcare utilisation preceding deaths of despair? A retrospective cohort study of Norwegian register data (2008–2017) BMJ Open
- Johansen, S.M. & Falch-Eriksen, A. (2025). Parenting According to Human Rights. The International Journal of Children's Rights
- Sefton, T., Haug A.V. (2025). The Price of Safety: Assessing the Acceptance of COVID-19 Measures in Nordic Countries. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration
- Gugushvili, A.; Grue, J. & Finnvold, J.E. (2025). The effect of anti-discrimination legislation on individuals with disabilities in Nordic countries. Social Science & Medicine
- Helland, H.; Strømme, T.B. & Thomsen, J-B. (2024). Social inequality in dropout rates in higher education: Denmark and Norway. Studies in Higher Education
- Bjørnshagen, V.; Rooth, D-O.; Ugreninov, E. (2025). Disability, gender and hiring discrimination – a field experiment. European Societies
More publications are listed on the researcher's employee pages.
Projects
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Strategies for Achieving Equity and Inclusion in Education, Training and Learning in Democratic Europe (STRIDE)
STRIDE will provide a new, comprehensive and comparative knowledge-base on effective education reforms, policy initiatives and interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in education, training and learning outcomes in Europe.
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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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Coordinated Online Panels for Research on Democracy and Governance in Norway (KODEM)
KODEM allows researchers to ask questions to four societal groups relevant to research on democracy and governance in Norway.
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Promising Practices: Holistic Work Inclusion of Young Adults
The project will map how young adults are followed up in NAV with the aim of developing the work inclusion practice of this group.
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NORD-care 3: A Survey of Employees' Everyday Lives and Conditions in Nordic Elderly Care
In this project the researchers are conducting nationwide questionnaire surveys on the everyday lives and conditions of elderly care from the perspective of care workers.
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Strategies for Competence Integration and Lifelong Learning in European Destinations. Female Migrant Healthcare Workers in Scandinavia (SCILLED)
SCILLED will study professional development and lifelong learning among female migrant healthcare workers in Scandinavia.
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The Norwegian qualification programme as a tool for work inclusion
In this project, we investigate how the Norwegian qualification programme can contribute to stable work attachment for the participants and function as an effective tool for work inclusion.
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Paths2Include
PATHS2INCLUDE will expand our understanding of the multidimensional aspects of labour market discrimination, the impact of different policy frameworks, and the gaps and possible need for change on various levels in order to detect mechanisms and processes that shape barriers or facilitate inclusive labour markets in Europe.
