Norwegian version

Health and Welfare Studies

The Department for Health and Welfare Studies maintains a long-standing research tradition at NOVA on the topic of welfare state services and benefits, organisation and users.

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.

Head of research group

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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: 

  1. welfare states and the green transition 
  2. democracy and public administration
  3. comprehensive welfare services
  4. equal opportunities in education and employment 
  5. 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

  • Heggebø, K.; Elstad, J.I. (2024). Health-related exit from employment before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway: Analysis of population-wide register data 2013–2021. SSM - Population Health. Vol. 25
  • Takle, M.; Vedeler, J.S.; Schoyen, M.; Bøhler, K.K.; Falch-Eriksen, A. (red.) (2023). Citizenship and Social Exclusion at the Margins of the Welfare State. Routledge
  • Jacobsen, S.E. (2023). Social class, disability, and institutional interactions: the case of families with disabled children in the welfare state. Disability & Society
  • Bell, J.; Staver, A.B.; Tolgensbakk, I. (2023). State crisis response versus transnational family living: An online ethnography among transnational families during the pandemic. Migration Studies. Vol. 11
  • Vabø, M. & Graff, L. (2023). Making sense of reablement within different institutional contexts. Collaborative service ideals in Norwegian and Danish home care. International Journal of Social Welfare
  • Finnvold, J.E.; Dokken, T. (2023). How school placement and parental social capital influence children’s perceptions of inclusion in school. A survey of Norwegian children with physical disabilities. European Journal of Special Needs Education
  • Hansen, H.C.; Neumann, C.E.B. (2023). Logistics of care: Trust-reform and self-managing teams in municipal home care services. Journal of Social Policy
  • Ugreninov, E. (2023). Absence Due to Sickness Among Female Immigrants: Disadvantages Over the Career? Journal of International Migration and Integration
  • Vedeler, J.; Anvik, C.H. (2023). What’s the ‘Problem’ with Workplace Accommodation? A Disability Policy Journey Over Time. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. Vol. 25
  • Haug, A.V. (2022). Collaborative Management in Norwegian Municipalities: Do Middle Managers Make a Difference? Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration

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

Projects

  • 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.

Find more research projects at NOVA

Featured research

Mother feeding child at kitchen table
Mothers of disabled children work less, take more sick leave, and often leave the workforce entirely

“There are schemes designed to alleviate the burden on mothers, but evidence suggests they are not effective,” says NOVA researcher Kaja Larsen Østerud.

A man entering a Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) office
Unemployment is harmful to your health – especially if you are a man

Men suffer more health problems as a result of unemployment than women, according to recent research from OsloMet.

Elisbeth Ugreninov and Justyna Bell
Research on discrimination in employment

Elisabeth Ugreninov and Justyna Bell at OsloMet will lead a new EU project that will provide new insight into the conditions that either create barriers or facilitate the inclusion of different groups in working life.

Young man reading book in library.
Education is no guarantee against unemployment and poverty

Despite the increasing educational level of the population, the risk of becoming unemployed or becoming a social assistance or disability benefit recipient is not decreasing correspondingly, according to new research from OsloMet.

A toughtful young man sitting alone
Anxiety and depression more common among adults with ADHD

According to new research, there may be several reasons for this.

Norwegian oil platform "Statfjord A".
Providing for the future: to use or not to use Norway’s oil and gas

How did a desire to preserve oil and gas for future generations and protect the environment turn into the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world and the foundation of the Norwegian welfare state?