Welfare studies

Our research analyzes social policy in light of its effects on public welfare, detailing traits exhibited by the evolution of the welfare state's benefits and services. Many of our projects incorporate comparative analyses of international and European perspectives.

Central questions

• How doe the shaping of services and social benefits effect living conditions?

• What is the nature of the interplay among stake-holders who participate in the formulation of welfare policy?

Central topics for research

• Perspectives on Norwegian welfare policy
Studies of the interplay between various participants in welfare policy. In addition, studies of the development of Norwegian welfare policy.

• Poverty and income maintenance
Who are the poor, and under what conditions do different groups live? We examine social assistance and income maintenance programs, and assess poverty reduction measures.

• Living conditions
We examine the living conditions of the population in general, with special focus of the living conditions of marginalized groups such as the homeless, and cancer and hiv patients, among others
> Read more about Fafo's research on HIV and AIDS

• Care services
We examine a series of care services, including aging services, child welfare services and housing programs. In addition, we conduct studies which examine the interplay between social services, the family and working life.

• Labor market integration of marginalized groups
We evaluate different initiatives and measures whose purpose are to assist with the integration into the labor market of such marginalized groups as people with substance problems, people with disabilities, and people enrolled in employment assistance programs

• Social security and pension
We examine public and private pension plans and social security systems, as well as the National Insurance scheme, with respect to their ability to insure that living conditions satisfy established norms.

Research Director

Inger Lise Skog Hansen, tel. +47 22088691, mail

Researchers

Hanne Bogen
Heidi Gautun
Arne Backer Grønningsæter
Christer Hyggen
Roland Mandal
Tove Midtsundstad
Roy A. Nielsen
Bjørn Richard Nuland
Kaja Reegård

Linn Heyerdahl (student)

Partners, Networks, and Joint Projects

Baltic Welfare

Fami – Norwegian Centre for Research on Poverty and Social Assistance

Harvard program on inequality and social policy

Ongoing projects (in Norwegian)