About the project

GENPATH is an international European research project focussing on social exclusion in later life and consequences for heath and wellbeing. Social exclusion is a multifaceted social problem with substantial disruptive consequences for individuals and society. One aspect of social exclusion is the exclusion from social relations, sometimes called social isolation, which is the main focus in this project.

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals within good health and well-being, gender equality, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, and sustainable cities and communities.

Possible thesis questions

Students interested in this topic will in their master thesis focus on three key concepts: social isolation, gender and health and wellbeing. if interested, a cross national comparison can be conducted. Possible research questions are:

1. Why is the risk of being socially isolated particularly high for older women as compared to older men?
2. Are wellbeing outcomes of social isolation different for men and women, and if so, why?
3. What is worse for health; being alone or feeling alone (lonely)?
4. What is the lived experience of older Norwegians with respect to the times of social isolation under the corona pandemic?

Data

Most of these questions can be answered with available quantitative data, such the European Quality of Life Survey; the Norwegian Life-course and generation Study (NORLAG) or the European Social Survey.

For the purpose of the project, we also interviewed 30 older Norwegians about their lived experience of social isolation and loneliness during their lives. All interviews are transcribed, and these transcriptions are now available for use by other people.

The interviews give very rich descriptions and can be used for many questions related to the life course, such as how conflicts over the life course are related to social isolation or loneliness in later life, or how transitions over the life course are associated with loneliness in later life, or which strategies older people use to avoid feeling lonely under the pandemic.

Relevant for which study options

This project is relevant for International Social Welfare and Health Policy

Up to 2 students can participate in this project

About us

See our web page: https://www.oslomet.no/en/research/research-projects/genpath

Contact Person

Marja Aartsen – maraar@oslomet.no

About the project

The Literature Review Project is looking for 2-4 master’s students to write a master’s thesis that summarizes research that applies policy perspectives to concrete (empirical) cases. I wish for students who want to summarize research on «The Advocacy Coalition framework» (Sabatier, 2007), «The Multiple Streams Approach» (Kingdon, 1984), «The policy cycle» (Jann & Kai, 2007), or «Incrementalism/ The science of muddling through” (Lindblom, 1979). But also «Punctuated Equilibrium» (Baumgartner et al., 2018), «What’s the problem represented to be?» (Bacchi & Goodwin, 2016), or «Wicked problems» (Rittel & Webber, 1973) are relevant theoretical perspectives. There is also an opening for students who have good arguments for summarizing empirical research on other perspectives.

The student is advised to follow a 10-point elective course called «Research Training» (SIW4500) via the project «The Literature Review Project» (TLRP) in autumn 2023, but this is not an absolute requirement. The advantage of participating in the elective TLRP course, is that you will be part of a group where you will learn to reflect on each other’s literature search, critical assessment of the literature, interpretations, and summary of the research. This helps you answer the questions «What do we know about this topic?» and «What does the review add to existing knowledge?». The project also gives you additional knowledge about choosing your type of literature review, most often a variant of «aggregative review» or «interpretive review», or possibly a combination. Literature on different types of literature reviews will be presented in the elective course (SIW4500).

Data and Methods

Data is available via the University Library and digital databases at OsloMet, as well as literature available on the internet. Literature on different types of summaries

Why Write a Literature Review

Interpretations of literature reviews of research are knowledge that working life increasingly needs as knowledge-based policy spreads. This will particularly apply to students who wish to apply for jobs in knowledge organizations, such as universities, directorates, WHO or NGOs. They also learn the benefits of working systematically, get an overview of the field, and answer what a study can add to existing knowledge in the field. They will understand much more about what it takes to be able to publish in international journals.

Contact

Simon Innvær – Simoinn@oslomet.no

Project Background

The Norwegian welfare state has emerged as successful in ensuring redistribution, employment, gender equality and general welfare among Norwegian citizens. Even in crisis periods such as the financial crisis of 2008 and the corona crisis of 2020-21, Norway has fared relatively well in this respect.

Nevertheless, we see development trends that allow us to question the sustainability of the welfare state, both in the longer term and as a nation-state project. We see increasing social inequality, increasing child poverty, a declining proportion of the working population, and new migration to Norway. At the same time, we are facing a technological development that means that many professions in the future may be replaced by machines.

This places new demands on the competence of the population, an ageing of the population that entails fewer taxpayers of working age, and more people who need care and health services, and not least we face global climatic challenges that lead to changes in our way of life and future horizons.

The concept of social sustainability is about a society’s ability to meet the needs of its current and future inhabitants in a way that ensures the welfare and quality of life of all, including those who are marginalized or disadvantaged, and potentially including a historical and present-day focus on global equality. For the welfare state, the concept is about preserving and further developing the mechanisms and institutions that ensure financing, production, quality assurance and support for central welfare schemes.

Project Purpose

Within this framework, the aim of the project is to study the social sustainability of the welfare society at different areas and levels.  When it comes to thematic areas, there may be specific policy areas such as labor market or family policy, or immigration policy. In terms of levels, it may be about understanding reforms in social policing (questions about the organization of social work services, the relationship between home and work, or in everyday life, standard of living and living in different segments of society. It may also apply to analyzing current challenges (including climate change and global migration) from a decolonial perspective, which considers in the analysis historical patterns of inequality, regarding indigenous people and globally, and how this shapes the present situation and future possibilities.

Proposed topics/issues for the thesis

How is poverty portrayed in the Norwegian press?

How does Norwegian policy towards transgender people compare to the UK?

Do social workers contribute to making welfare services (e.g. in school or health) socially sustainable?

Several possible inputs to consumption studies:

New family configurations, new care landscapes and the adaptations of the welfare state – for example, care services for older immigrants or LGBT+?

Visually impaired people’s use of digital media in education, work, or leisure – new opportunitiesor new challenges?

Relevant for which study options

All master’s programmes at the Department of Social Studies, Child Welfare and Social Policy

Master students who want to write within the topic of welfare and social sustainability will get individual supervisors from the subject group Globalisation and Social Sustainability, but we also take turns participating in a group that receives input and follow-up from each other and each other’s supervisors. The group is led by Ivan Harsløf, Randi Wærdahl, Erika Gubrium and Rune Halvorsen

About us

Globalisation and Social Sustainability investigates how global challenges like migration, war and conflict, climate change and poverty, materializes in national and local contexts, change and shape social work and social policy. In addition, the unit focuses on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030) and how international social work may contribute to achieve them.

The group have a goal to develop its international cooperation in research and education and contribute to strengthening students’ ability to analytically reflect and critically understand how international developments shape social work and social policy, on local, national, and transnational levels.

This unit is part of the Department of Social Work, Child Welfare and Social Policy.

Contacts

Ivan Harsløf – ivaha@oslomet.no
Randi Wærdahl – randwa@oslomet.no
Erika Gubrium – erikgu@oslomet.no
Rune Halvorsen – runeh@oslomet.no