Research Centre Center for Everyday Life of Families in the Welfare State

Contact

Pernille Juhl, Head of center, associate professor, peju@ruc.dk
 

Researchers form Roskilde University

Researchers at Center for Everyday Life of Families in the Welfare State

External researchers 

Associate professor Dorte Kousholt, DPU, Aarhus University 

Associate professor Noomi Christine Linde Matthiesen, Aalborg University  

Associate professor Stine Thidemann Faber, Aalborg University

Postdoc Anne Hovgaard Jørgensen, Aalborg University

Professor Mads Meier Jæger, University of Copenhagen 

Professor Jens-Peter Thomsen, VIVE 

Docent Sine Penthin Grumløse, Professionshøjskolen Absalon 

Associate professor Kari Sjøhelle Jevne, Department of Social Work, Child Welfare and Social Policy, Oslo Metropolitan University

Professor Ellie Lee, SSPSSR, Director, Centre for Parenting Culture Studies, University of Kent

Researchers at Center for Everyday Life of Families in the Welfare State participate in a number of researchs projects. Among them are: (in Danish)

PARENT

Associate Professor Stine Faber is currently leading the PARENT project, which explores how the conditions for parenthood in contemporary society are shaped by political agendas, institutional contexts and subjective aspects. Among other things, this project focuses on how a ‘therapeutic ethos’ in contemporary societies has developed a strong cultural resonance. This contributes to different groups of parents being guided to act in certain ways and encouraged to work with their own emotions and attachment patterns.

Project participant: Associate professor Stine Thidemann Faber, Aalborg University and Postdoc Anne Hovgaard Jørgensen, Aalborg University

(Re)configuration of parenthood 

The project takes early childhood interventions targeting families as the basis for studying changing conditions for parenthood. In recent years, early intervention policies have been launched as a means to reduce inequality among children. An overriding strategy in fighting inequality has emerged in policies supporting children's home learning environment (HLE). Intervening in HLE involves instructing parents to engage their children in learning activities suitable for stimulating early numeracy and literacy. However, despite the considerable research focus on developing the content of HLE programs, no attention is given to what it means for the family context. This is problematic since interventions often result in consequences beyond their intended aim. Using a multi-method design involving three interconnected empirical studies, this project will study how learning agendas in interventions aimed at enhancing children’s HLE contribute to the (re)configuration parenthood.

Project participant: Associate professor Pernille Juhl, Roskilde University and Associate professor Allan Westerling, Roskilde University 

Find more research projects at the Roskilde University Research Portal

Workshop

In October 2024, the center hosted an international workshop titled “Welfare policies and the everyday life of families,” funded by the Carlsberg Foundation. In addition to leading researchers from various fields, many postdoctoral researchers and Ph.D. students participated in the workshop, presenting and discussing their ongoing research on the relationship between family everyday life and welfare policies. 

One of the Ph.D. students who participated was Laura Lawaetz from the University of Copenhagen, researching the collaboration between family and daycare institutions. Laura says that "I gained a lot from participating. Especially a greater understanding of the various theoretical disciplines' different approaches to scientific work with families in the welfare state. I became aware of my own scientific and critical standpoint. This awareness is important for understanding how others might potentially perceive my work and can help me to nuance the communication of my project moving forward." 

The workshop thus provided younger researchers with a unique opportunity to learn how their own research contributes to an international and interdisciplinary field.