Health and Welfare Studies

In the field of labour market inclusion, we study the strength of employment protection and the prevalence of temporary work contracts for migrants in the Nordic countries. Moreover, we investigate how employers' understandings of disability as well as their broader knowledge and skills influence their risk assessments and hiring practices, applying a cross-national perspective.

Our research on health and care services aims to identify and analyse contextual and institutional preconditions for successful outcomes for workers in these sectors as well as patients and users. We also study the organization and quality of child protection services.

The research on social inequality in health centres on social, geographic, economic inequalities and cultural diversities in health outcomes on the one hand and inequalities in living conditions and in access to welfare services on the other hand.

In our research on governance, migration and cultural politics, we ask how European welfare states in general and the Nordic Model in particular develop in the context of globalisation, migration, population ageing, European integration, cultural tensions and increasing environmental pressures. Of particular interest is the question of welfare state sustainability, considering not only economic pressures but also social and environmental aspects across European democracies.

• Sherry, M., Olsen, T., Vedeler, J.S. & Eriksen, J. (red.) (2019). Disability Hate Speech. Social, Cultural and Political Contexts. Routledge
• Tolgensbakk, I.; Ayllón, S.; Schoyen, M.; McDonnell, A.; Bussi, M.; O'Reilly, J. (2019). Drug use and early job insecurity.  Chapter 9. In Hvinden, B.; O'Reilly, J.; Schoyen, M.; Hyggen, C. (Ed.). Negotiating Early Job Insecurity Well-being, Scarring and Resilience of European Youth. Edward Elgar Publishing.
• Vedeler, J.S.; Anvik, C.H. (2019). Flexibility and visibility. An examination of the narratives of Norwegian people with disabilities about working part-time. Alter – European Journal of Disability Research .
• Finnvold, J.E.; Ugreninov, E. (2018). Refugees’ admission to mental health institutions in Norway: Is there an ethnic density effect? Social Science and Medicine . Vol. 209.
• Falch-Eriksen, A.; Backe-Hansen, E. (2018). Human Rights in Child Protection Implications for Professional Practice and Policy. ISBN: 978-3-319-94799-0. Palgrave Macmillan

More publications are listed on the researcher's employee pages.

You can find all of our projects on the old website hioa.no.