Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism (DIPA)

Webinar: Barn i lock-down
2020-04-02 13:00 - 14:00 (Europe/Oslo)
Barn i lock-down: Utfordrer korona-tiltakene barns rettigheter?
Korona-utbruddet har store konsekvenser, og ikke minst for barn. Med stengte skoler og avlyste fritidsaktiviteter er hverdagen brått blitt en annen. Det har ført til store omstillinger, med hjemmeskole, mindre omgangskrets, store deler av hverdagen tilbrakt hjemme. Det er også mye informasjon å forholde seg som kan være skremmende både for barn og voksne.
Hvordan påvirker krisen barns rettigheter og hensynet til barnets beste? Er sårbare barns liv blitt mer sårbare? Har det at stadig mer gjøres digitalt gjort at økonomiske forskjeller er blitt tydeligere? Hvordan organiseres samværsordninger og delt omsorg? Ivaretas barns rett til å bli hørt og delta i beslutninger som gjelder dem? Har mer tilstedeværende foreldre og mindre aktivitetspress gjort hverdagen bedre? Og hva skjer når vi går tilbake til normalen?
Marianne Minde (Kirkens Bymisjon), Monica Sydgård (Redd Barna) og Jenny Krutzinna (Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism, UiB) møtes til samtale om hvordan barns hverdag har endret seg som følge av korona-tiltak, hvilke rettigheter som blir utfordret og hva som kan gjøres for å hjelpe sårbare barn i en uvanlig situasjon. Samtalen ledes av Idun Holgersen Økland (LawTransform/UiB)
Program:
13:00 Samtale
13:30 Q&A (send spørsmål inn på chat)
Lenke til webinaret:
https://uib.zoom.us/j/278780273
Arrangementet vil også streames på YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD6cieC9zmTlV1_YDWLlzbg

CANCELLED: Omsorgsovertakelser av nyfødte rett fra klinikken
2020-03-27 08:15 - 10:15
BARNEVERNVAKTENS FAGFROKOST:
«Omsorgsovertakelser av nyfødte rett fra klinikken»
Ida B. Juhasz
Stipendiat ved Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism,
Institutt for administrasjon og organisasjonsvitenskap, UiB
Hvert år blir flere titalls nyfødte plassert i fosterhjem rett fra fødeklinikken, og en påfølgende sak om omsorgsovertakelse finner sted. Dette er et sterkt statlig inngrep i familielivet i en særlig sårbar og usikker fase. Likevel har vi liten systematisk kunnskap om disse alvorlige sakene. Ida Juhasz er sosiolog og stipendiat ved Universitetet i Bergen. I sitt doktorgradsprosjekt analyserer hun vedtak fra Fylkesnemnda etter Barnevernlovens §4-8/§4-12, og utforsker beslutningsgrunnlaget og skjønnsrommet i saker om omsorgsovertakelser av nyfødte. Hvordan begrunnes og rettferdiggjøres vedtakene i slike komplekse og usikre barnevernssaker? Hvordan fatter man beslutninger som i stor grad er fremtidsvurderinger om barnets beste? Og hva forteller dette oss om hvem som blir vurdert til å ikke være gode nok foreldre?

Fagfrokosten arrangeres av Barnevernvakten i Bergen kommune. Påmelding via: fagfrokost@bergen.kommune.no

The Child’s Perspective in Court: Can we do better?
2020-02-13 08:30 - 10:00 | Cafe Christie, Museplassen 3, Bergen, Norway
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and although much has been achieved in the last three decades, there is still work to do. Procedures affecting children are not as child-centric as they should be, the child’s right to be heard is not taken seriously enough, and the child’s perspective appears to be missing in much of the decision-making concerning children.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) frequently deals with cases directly impacting on the lives and rights of children, without the children playing a direct and active role in the proceedings. Children, it seems, are incidental to a dispute between parents and the state concerning parental rights. Similarly, discussions in the media are often framed in terms of parents vs. the state, with the subject of the disagreement – the child – given little or no voice.
Children are not independently represented in these cases and thus the child’s perspective is too often left out. Especially very young children who cannot yet make full use of their right to be heard in matters concerning them, are absent in decisions that will have significant consequences for their lives.
How can we succeed in including the child and her perspective more fully – both in the ECtHR and in national courts? How do we ensure that the child’s particular needs, preferences and personality are emphasised and given due weight in the decision-making process
About the Event
We are pleased to announce Nuala Mole from The AIRE Centre in London as our keynote speaker for this event. Nuala is one of Europe’s most prominent human rights lawyers, and a leading actor within the field of human rights. Nuala will talk about her experience as part of the legal team in human and child rights cases before the ECtHR, and will provide her professional insight into how children feature in these cases. The AIRE Centre (Advice on Individual Rights in Europe) has recently acted as intervening party in the case of Strand Lobben v Norway in the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR.
The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion and questions from the audience. We are looking forward to an interesting event and a lively discussion!

Keynote: Nuala Mole, Senior Lawyer / Founder, The AIRE Centre: “Children at the European Court of Human Rights”
Panel participants: Marit Skivenes (Professor, Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism), Lise Søreide (District Court Judge, Bergen tingrett)
Moderator: Jenny Krutzinna (Senior Researcher, Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism)

Organizers are Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism, in collaboration with Centre on Law and Social Transformation.

Barnevern og barns rettigheter i en turbulent tid
2020-01-31 11:15 - 12:00 | Jusbygget, Auditorium 1 (Magnus Lagabøtes Plass 1)
Norge blir ofte sett på som et barnesentrert samfunn hvor barns rettigheter står høyt på agendaen, og er rangert høyt på globale oversikter over barnevelferd og oppvekstsvilkår. Samtidig ser vi blir det norske barnevernssystemet blir utsatt for sterk kritikk fra flere hold – både nasjonalt og internasjonalt. Hvordan beskyttes rettighetene til barn og unge i Norge i dag? Og hva sier forskningen om hvordan det norske barnevernet fungerer sammenlignet med andre land?

Foreleser:

Professor Marit Skivenes, Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism

Online Media and the Democracy
2020-01-30 14:15 - 15:45 | DIPA-room (17.112), Christies gate 17, University of Bergen, Christies gate 17, Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
Research group seminar with presentation from Hallvard Moe.
“Deliberative systems theory and citizens’ use of online media: testing a critical theory of democracy on a high achiever”
Hallvard Moe is a professor in Media Studies at the University of Bergen. His interest area revolve around questions of how the media matter for democracy, and of how well the idea that the media constitute the infrastructure for the public sphere where the citizens can present their problems for the rulers works in practice in different times through history, with different media technologies, and under different regimes. Moe is head of the research project “Media Use, Culture and Public Connection: Freedom of Information in the ‘Age of Big Data’” (MeCIn), funded by the Research Council of Norway. The project, which runs from 2016-2019, aims to investigate how citizens in Norway today experience their freedom of information, and how different groups use media and cultural arenas to orient themselves towards the public – or not.

The seminar is part of the RDV seminar series – a collaboration between the Research Group Law, Democracy and Welfare at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism (UiB) and the Center for Law and Social Transformation – Lawtransform (UiB/CMI).

Norsk barnevern i menneskerettighetsdomstolen
2019-10-31 18:00 | Litteraturhuset, Østre Skostredet 5-7, Bergen, 5017, Norge
Den europeiske menneskerettighetsdomstolen slo nylig fast at Norge har krenket retten til familieliv i en sak om tvangsadopsjon av et barnevernsbarn. Flertallet i domstolens storkammer dømte i favør av den biologiske moren i den mye omtalte Lobben-saken.
Nærmere 30 norske barnevernssaker er tatt til behandling i menneskerettsdomstolen fra desember 2015 og fram til i dag. Dette er et langt høyere antall saker enn noe annet land. Samtidig rangeres Norge høyt på internasjonale indikatorer for barns rettigheter og velferd, og det norske rettssystemet er ansett for å holde en høy standard når det kommer til rettssikkerhet.
Hva er årsaken til den internasjonale granskningen av det norske barnevernssystemet? Hvordan ivaretar norske myndigheter barns rettigheter sammenlignet med andre land? Og hvilke konsekvenser vil dommene fra Den europeiske menneskerettighetsdomstol ha for det norske barnevernssystemet og for barns rettigheter i Europa?
Program
Introduksjonsforedrag

Jill Berrick, UC Berkeley: “Child Protection Systems Across the World”
Katre Luhamaa, UiB: “Children’s Rights in The European Court of Human Rights”

Panelsamtale

Karl Harald Søvig, UiB
Anders Henriksen, Bufdir (Barne-, ungdoms- og familiedirektoratet)
Torstein Røed, Fylkesnemndene for barnevern og sosiale saker

Moderator: Marit Skivenes (UiB)
Om arrangementet
Gratis adgang for publikum. Ingen registrering nødvendig. Arrangementet vil bli hold på norsk, med unntak av introduksjonsforedragene.
Arrangør er Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism (UiB), i samarbeid med Centre on Law and Social Transformation (UiB/CMI).

Interest groups recognition in the European Parliament
2019-10-24 12:15 - 14:45 | DIPA-room (17.112), Christies gate 17, University of Bergen, Christies gate 17, Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
Interest groups recognition in the European Parliament
Raimondas Ibenskas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen. One of his research topics is the role of stakeholder consultations and interest groups in EU politics and policymaking.

This event is part of the “RDV seminar series” – a collaboration between the Research Group Law, Democracy and Welfare at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the Department of Administration and Organizational Science at the University of Bergen and the Center for Law and Social Transformation (Lawtransform) at the University of Bergen.

Guest lecture: Paternalism, Coercive Care and the Very Poor
2019-10-03 14:15 - 15:45 | DIPA-room (17.112), Christies gate 17, University of Bergen, Christies gate 17, Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
Paternalism, Coercive Care and the Very Poor
Dr. Cristian Pérez Muñoz is Associate Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. His teaching and research interests include normative political theory, public policy and applied ethics. He has published on subjects as the ethical aspects of redistributive programs, income distribution proposals, the production and provision of essential services, street-level charity programs and welfare policies.

This event is part of the “RDV seminar series” – a collaboration between the Research Group Law, Democracy and Welfare at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the Department of Administration and Organizational Science at the University of Bergen and the Center for Law and Social Transformation (Lawtransform) at the University of Bergen.

Research seminar: Social Media and Celebrification of Children
2019-09-26 14:15 - 15:45 | DIPA-room (17.112), Christies gate 17, University of Bergen, Christies gate 17, Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
Social Media and Celebrification of Children
Dr. Emma Nottingham is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Winchester. Her work focuses on children’s rights in the context of healthcare. She has a particular interest in methods of development of both public policy and law and the impact of social and moral controversies on law making. At the present, she is working on the project “Generation tagged: Children in the media” (children’s privacy rights).

This event is part of the “RDV seminar series” – a collaboration between the Research Group Law, Democracy and Welfare at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the Department of Administration and Organizational Science at the University of Bergen and the Center for Law and Social Transformation (Lawtransform) at the University of Bergen.

Guest lecture: Child Welfare Judgments
2019-09-12 14:15 - 15:45 | DIPA-room (17.112), Christies gate 17, University of Bergen, Christies gate 17, Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
Child Welfare Judgments and Decision Processes in Context
Guest lecture by prof. Rami Benbenishty (Social Work / Social Welfare), University of Jerusalem / Bar Ilan University. The lecture is open for everyone interested.
Topic: This presentation will focus on the Judgments and Decision Processes in Context (JUDPiC) model, as it applies to judgments and decisions in cases of alleged child maltreatment. This model presents how case characteristics are processed by professionals embedded in social agencies who are influenced by their personal characteristics, their agency features, and the wider local and national context of the child welfare system. The implications for understanding and improving decisions are discussed.
Rami Benbenishty is Professor at the University of Jerusalem / Bar Ilan University. His research mainly focus on disadvantaged children and youth at risk, and on methods for promoting their welfare and safety in the community, in school, and in foster care and boarding school frameworks. His research also deals with improving decision-making methods used by professionals and policy makers in matters concerning children who are victims of abuse in the family or community. Over the years he has published over 200 articles, chapters and complete books, as well as in-depth and comprehensive research reports

This event is part of the “RDV seminar series” – a collaboration between the Research Group Law, Democracy and Welfare at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the Department of Administration and Organizational Science at the University of Bergen and the Center for Law and Social Transformation (Lawtransform) at the University of Bergen.

Research seminar: Adoption from care
2019-08-29 14:15 - 15:45 | DIPA-room (17.112), Christies gate 17, University of Bergen, Christies gate 17, Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
Adoption from care or continued public care – are children involved in decision making?
Amy McEwan-Strand is a research assistant at the Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism. She holds an LLM in Human Rights, as well as LLB in Scots Law and BSc in Economics. Her field of expertise include human rights, freedom of expression, the European Court of Human Rights and children’s rights.
Marit Skivenes is a professor at the Department of Administration and Organization Theory and the director of Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism, University of Bergen. Skivenes is a leading expert in the field of child protection systems, with numerous publications over the years. Her research focus among other on children’s rights and interests, child protection systems, socio-legal decision-making proceedings, migration, and welfare state systems.

This event is part of the “RDV seminar series” – a collaboration between the Research Group Law, Democracy and Welfare at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the Department of Administration and Organizational Science at the University of Bergen and the Center for Law and Social Transformation (Lawtransform) at the University of Bergen.

Bergen Exchanges 2019
2019-08-19 00:00 - 2019-08-23 23:59 | Jekteviksbakken 31, Jekteviksbakken 31, Bergen, Hordaland, 5006, Norway
Bergen Exchanges on Law & Social Transformation
19 – 23 AUGUST 2019 #BeEx2019
The Bergen Exchanges is a meeting place for scholars and practitioners from across the globe who seek to understand how law serves as an instrument of change – and how it shapes and is shaped by power relations. During a week of public discussions, we examine strategic uses of rights and law and how legal institutions function as arenas for political contestation (lawfare). Read more about the history and motivation behind the Bergen Exchanges here.
The main themes for Bergen Exchanges 2019 are Natural Resources, Corruption, Indigenous Rights and Law and Technology.

Guest lecture: Protecting unaccompanied migrant children in Europe
2019-08-13 14:15 - 15:45 | Meeting room, Dept. of Comparative Politics, UiB, Christies gate 15, Bergen, Norway
Guest lecture by Dr Ingi Iusmen, University of Southampton. The lecture is open for everyone interested.
Whose Children? Protecting unaccompanied migrant children in Europe: a case of diffused responsibility?
The years 2015-2016 saw an unprecedented number of refugees arriving in the European Union. In 2016 nearly every one in four asylum applicants in the EU was a child. Despite this influx of child refugees, the efficiency and adequacy of European and national responses to address the situation of this vulnerable group has been limited and questionable. This presentation sets out to investigate the factors and reasons explaining the failure of EU and national policy interventions to protect unaccompanied migrant children (UAMs) during the recent refugee crisis.

Research seminar: Human Rights and Children’s Rights in Russia
2019-06-13 14:15 - 15:45 | DIPA-room (17.112), Christies gate 17, University of Bergen, Christies gate 17, Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
Legitimacy and judicial protection of human rights and children’s rights in Russia
Presentation by Olga Komshukova, PhD student at National Research University Higher School of Economics (Russia).
Protection of the child’s rights is declared as one of the priority goals in the field of social policy in Russia. However, the current situation regarding the protection of children’s rights is far from the intended goals. The politicization of this issue does not contribute to the improvement of this situation. Concentration on foreign policy, sanctions, and economic crisis are having an additional negative effect. In addition to these conditions, the Constitutional Court of Russia disagrees with a number of decisions of the ECtHR and allows Russian authorities not to execute them. This generally complicates the situation with the judicial protection of human rights, and in particular, children’s rights.
This lecture will cover the following issues:

A brief overview of the Russian child protection system: regulations, principles, statistics
Hot points: most relevant issues regarding child protection in Russia
Russia and ECtHR: cases and status of ECtHR decisions in Russia
Legitimacy and political motivation of the Russian Constitutional Court’s decisions

The seminar is open for everyone interested.

Musikk mot utenforskap i arbeid med barn og unge
2019-04-05 08:00 - 17:00 | Pilestredet, Oslo, Stenbergsgata 26, rom X158
Om konferansen
I arbeid med utsatte barn og unge er musikk blitt en stadig viktigere redskap for å fremme deltakelse, fellesskap og mestring som samtidig kan forebygge utenforskap. På denne dagskonferansen får du høre om dette arbeidet.
Marit Skivenes, Dag Nordanger og Unni Johns har keynoter, og programmet rommer også andre spennende innspill og ikke minst musikalske innslag, blant annet fra unge mennesker som deltar i Kom Nærmere-prosjektet i Oslo.
Konferansen er et initiativ fra Nasjonalt kompetansenettverk for musikkterapi i barnevernsfeltet.
Arrangører er Bufdir, Kunnskapsklyngen Polyfon ved GAMUT (Griegakademiets senter for musikkterapiforskning) ved Universitetet i Bergen, CREMAH (Senter for forskning i musikk og helse) ved Norges musikkhøgskole og Institutt for sosialfag ved OsloMet.
Konferansen er gratis og åpen for alle interesserte.
Program
09.30 Kaffe
10.00 Musikalsk åpning og hilsninger
10.15 Marit Skivenes & Viggo Krüger: Kan musikkterapi være med å fremme et barnefokusert (child-focused) barnevern?
Marit Skivenes er direktør for Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism, og leder for forskningsgruppen DIPA (Discretion and Paternalism). Hun er også co-director ved CEIPAMM (Centro Europeo de Investigación. Políticas y Acción Para Los Menores y La Migración). Viggo Krüger er førsteamanuensis ved GAMUT, Griegakademiet ved Universitetet i Bergen.
10.45 Dag Nordanger: Musikk og traumebevisst omsorg
Dag Nordanger er doktor i psykologi og psykologspesialist ved Ressurssenter om vald, traumatisk stress og sjølvmordsførebygging (RVTS Vest). Han er også professor II ved Fakultet for helsevitenskap, OsloMet.
11.15 Unni Tanum Johns: «Det viktige var å bli forstått gjennom stemme, blikk og bevegelse» (gutt, 12 år). Gjensidighet, musikalsk gjenklang og utvidelse.
Unni Tanum Johns er førstelektor i psykologi, UiO. Hennes PhD omhandler emosjonsregulering i et nonverbalt intersubjektivt utviklingsperspektiv. Hun er spesialist i klinisk barne- og ungdomspsykologi og musikkterapeut med videreutdanning i traumepsykologi, og har de siste 20 årene hatt sin kliniske stilling ved BUP Furuset i bydel Alna, A-hus. Hun underviser også ved RBUP og Norges musikkhøgskole, og har skrevet bøker og artikler om barne- og ungdomsterapi.
11.45 Lunsj
12.30 Christine Wilhelmsen: Om arbeidet med «Kom Nærmere Oslo»
Christine Wilhelmsen arbeider som musikkterapeut for Stendi AS og for Velferdsetaten/ Uteseksjonen, Oslo kommune.
12.45 Tatiana Palanca & Stina Ihle Amankwah: Om arbeidet med MIL – Møhlenpris idrettslag
Stina Ihle Amankwah er initiativtaker og student fra Bergen. Hun har en bachelor i internasjonal jus fra The Hague University of Applied Sciences, og holder på med en master i systemdynamikk ved UIB. Hun jobber med forebygging av tvangsekteskap og negativ sosial kontroll gjennom samtalegrupper, rollespill og dialogtrening ved Møhlenpris idrettslag, er mentor mot radikalisering i Bergen kommune, og er ansvarlig for utdanning av juniormentorer ved MIL/RVTS.
Tatiana Palanca er initiativtaker av musikkverkstedet ved Møhlenpris idrettslag. Hun er kjent som artisten Miss Tati og samarbeider med Fargespill Bergen og Oslo som gjesteartist. Hun jobber ellers som vokal instruktør og har bl.a. gjort oppdrag for Kom Nærmere, AKKS Bergen og Oslo, og er mentor for nylig etablerte artister med innvandrer bakgrunn.
13.00 Viggo Krüger: Erfaringer fra ERASMUS+ prosjektet STALWARTS (Sustaining Teachers and Learners with the Arts)
13.15 Maren Metell: En sosial og musikalsk møteplass for utsatte sped- og småbarnsfamilier
Maren Metell er musikkterapeut og synspedagog og for tiden ansatt som universitetslektor ved Griegakademiet, Universitetet i Bergen og doktorgradskandidat ved Nordoff Robbins/ Goldsmiths, University of London.
13.30 Kaffe
13.50 Musikalsk innslag
14.00 Kjersti Johansson: Musikktilbud i Uteseksjonen, Oslo kommune
Kjersti Johansson er musikkterapeut ved Haug skole og ressurssenter og har doktorgrad I musikkterapi fra Norges musikkhøgskole.
14.15 Christine Wilhelmsen & Thomas Barstad: Musikkterapi og erfaringskompetanse i kommunalt arbeid
Thomas Barstad er erfaringskonsulent i Velferdsetaten/Uteseksjonen, Oslo kommune.
14.30 Gisle Fuhr: Relasjonelt perspektiv på musikkterapi med ungdom i barnevernet
Gisle Fuhr er musikkterapeut og stipendiat i musikkterapi ved Norges musikkhøgskole, hvor han skriver om den terapeutiske relasjonen i musikkterapi med ungdom under barnevernets omsorg.
14.45 Ingeborg Nebelung: Musikkterapi som premissleverandør i utviklinga av en barnevernsinstitusjon – et aksjonsforskningsprosjekt
Ingeborg Nebelung er musikkterapeut og stipendiat i musikkterapi ved Norges musikkhøgskole.
15.00 Ingvild Stene: Fra musikkrelasjon til sosiale relasjoner – om å oppnå trygghet og tilhørighet gjennom terapeutisk musikklytting (TML)
Ingvild Stene er musikkpedagog, musikkterapeut, psykoterapeut og stipendiat ved Norges musikkhøgskole. Hun har lang erfaring med ungdom i psykisk helsevern og har utviklet metoden «Terapeutisk musikklytting» (TML).
15.15 Musikalsk avrunding
15.30 Avslutning av konferansen
19.00 Konsert på OsloMet
med ungdom fra Kom Nærmere Oslo, Uteseksjonen, Forandringshuset på Grønland, med flere.
Arrangementet på Facebook
Informasjon om konferansen i Facebook

Research seminar: Voluntary Care Removals
2019-04-04 14:15 - 15:45 | DIPA-room (17.112), Christies gate 17, University of Bergen, Christies gate 17, Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
Program:

Kenneth Burns: Voluntary Care Removals

Kenneth Burns is a senior lecturer and Deputy Director of the Master of Social Work course at University College Cork. He has worked as a social worker and social work team leader in child protection and welfare and continues to support practice in this area. His main research and teaching interests are in child protection policy and practice, staff retention, career pathways for newly-qualified social workers, child care proceedings in the District Court / child welfare removal systems, professional supervision and community-based research.
The seminar is a collaboration between the Research Group Law, Democracy and Welfare at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the Department of Administration and Organization Theory at the University of Bergen, and the Center for Law and Social Transformation at the University of Bergen / CMI.
Contact: hege.helland@uib.no

Conservative Backlash in Europe
2019-03-14 16:00 - 18:00 | Jekteviksbakken 31, Jekteviksbakken 31, Bergen, Hordaland, 5006, Norway
Date: Thursday 14th March
Time:16:00-18:00
Place: Bergen Global, Jekteviksbakken 31
In recent years, Europe has seen strong conservative mobilization against abortion, LGBT-rights and child protection services. Through the Internet, intensive lobbying and funding from abroad, these movements are gaining new ground – is the seemingly well-established right of abortion under threat in Europe? What are the driving forces behind this mobilization and is there a conservative network driving the movements?
In this seminar we will screen the documentary “Abortion: Backlash in Europe” which focuses on the European pro-life movements and the methods and arguments that these groups use. The screening will be followed by a conversation between Neil Datta, Barbara Ruiken and Siri Gloppen, in which they explore the links between the networks driving anti-abortion, anti-LGBT and anti-child protection service mobilization.
The event is free and open to all. Coffee and snacks will be served. Organized by Centre on Law and Social Tranformation.

Neil Datta is the Secretary of the European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development, a network of parliamentarians from across Europe who are committed to protecting sexual and reproductive health and rights. He has nearly twenty years’ experience in the field of political involvement in population and development, and has conducted in-depth research on anti-choice activity in Europe. He is part of the LawTransform based research project on Sexual and Reproductive Rights Lawfare: Global Battles.
Barbara Ruiken is a scientific assistant at the Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the Department of Administration and Organisation Theory. She holds a master’s degree in Administration and Organisation Theory and works mainly on the projects Discretion and the Child’s Best Interest and The Acceptability of Child Protection Interventions.
Siri Gloppen is the Director of LawTransform and professor of Comparative Politics (UiB). She heads the research projects (supported by the Norwegian Research Council) on Sexual and Reproductive Rights Lawfare: Global Battles; and Political Determinants of Sexual and Reproductive Health, where the conservative networks and their influence in different parts of the world is part of the dynamics under study.

Research seminar: Human Rights and Child Welfare
2019-03-14 14:15 - 15:45 | DIPA-room (17.112), Christies gate 17, University of Bergen, Christies gate 17, Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
Program:

Marius Emberland: Human Rights and Child Welfare

Marius Emberland is a lawyer with the Attorney General’s office, where he has special responsibility for international law and human rights. He is the Norwegian Government’s permanent legal representative (agent) for the European Court of Human Rights and the UN Human Rights Committee. He has conducted a number of cases before the Supreme Court and the EFTA Court, and has been a member of several public committees. In recent years, Emberland has responded to EMD on behalf of Norway in several child welfare cases.
The seminar is a collaboration between the Research Group Law, Democracy and Welfare at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the Department of Administration and Organization Theory at the University of Bergen, and the Center for Law and Social Transformation at the University of Bergen / CMI.
Contact: hege.helland@uib.no

Research seminar: Child Removals
2019-02-28 14:15 - 15:45 | DIPA-room (17.112), Christies gate 17, University of Bergen, Christies gate 17, Bergen, Bergen, 5007, Norway
Program:

Katre Luhamaa: Child removal as a last resort – comparing the state’s support to families at risk in Europe’
Jenny Krutzinna: Breaking the cycle: Towards solidarity with future mothers in care’ which focus on the solidarity aspect of the removal of newborn babies in eight European countries

Katre Luhamaa is researcher at the Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism, and holds a Ph.D. in Law. Her field of expertise include Law and Legal Studies, Human Rights and Democracy, EU and European Studies, and Legal Theory. Her research focuses on international law, EU law and human rights, and in particular children’s rights.
Jenny Krutzinna is a researcher at the Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism, and holds a Ph.D. in Bioethics and Biomedical Jurisprudence. Her main research interest is the role of well-being as justification in ethical and legal argumentation processes, especially in the context of raising and educating children.
The seminar is a collaboration between the Research Group Law, Democracy and Welfare at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Center for Research on Discretion and Paternalism at the Department of Administration and Organization Theory at the University of Bergen, and the Center for Law and Social Transformation at the University of Bergen / CMI.
Contact: hege.helland@uib.no

Adopsjon som barnevernstiltak - lansering av forskningsrapport
2019-02-06 08:30 - 11:00 | Stratos, Youngstorget 2b, 0181 Oslo, Norway
Forskning tyder på at det går bedre med barn som blir adoptert enn de som forblir i fosterhjem. Til tross for det, er det få saker med adopsjon som barnevernstiltak i Norge.
Forskningsprosjektet «Adopsjon som barnevernstiltak» har på oppdrag fra Bufdir sett nærmere på:

Hva kjennetegner adopsjonssakene i barnevernet, inkludert sakene som er gått til Høyesterett og Den europeiske menneskerettsdomstolen?
Hva er utfordringene for økt bruk av adopsjon som barneverntiltak?
Hva kan bidra til at barnevernet vurderer adopsjon som barnevernstiltak på et tidligere tidspunkt?

Bufdir inviterer til lanseringen av forskningsprosjektet, der UiB skal presentere sentrale funn. I tillegg til at organisasjoner på feltet skal presentere sine innspill knyttet økt bruk av adopsjon som barnevernstiltak.
Foreløpig program:
08:30 – 09:00: Dørene åpnes – servering av rundstykker, kaffe og te
09:00 – 09:15: Innledning ved Mari Trommald, direktør i Bufdir
09:15 – 10:15: Presentasjon av funn ved UiB – Marit Skivenes og Hege Stein Helland
10:15 – 10:30: Pause
10:30 – 11:00: Innlegg fra:
– Landsforeningen for barnevernsbarn ved leder Vilde Adolfsen
– Norsk fosterhjemsforening ved styreleder Lene P. Våmartveit
– Organisasjon for barnevernsforeldre ved leder Merethe Løland
– FO ved Christian Wiik Kynsveen, Medlem av arbeidsutvalget og leder for profesjonsrådet for barnevernspedagoger
Endelig program sendes ut i forkant til de påmeldte deltakerne.
Les mer om prosjektet her:
https://www.uib.no/admorg/102265/adopsjon-som-barneverntiltak
Meld deg på seminar om ny rapport her:
https://egencia.qondor.com/Frokost6feb
Deltakelse på seminaret er gratis.
Dato: Onsdag 6. februar
Tid: 08:30 – 11:00
Sted: Stratos – Folketeaterbygningen Youngtorget 2 (kart)

Norway in the European Court of Human Rights
2019-02-01 10:15 - 11:00 | Jusbygget, Auditorium 2, Universitetet i Bergen
The lecture is part of the event FP-dagen, hosted by the University of Bergen
The last few years have seen a massive uproar and negative media attention on child protection interventions internationally, with Norway having a prominent place in this spotlight. Several cases against Norwegian child protection has been or is under review of the European Court of Human Rights. At this lecture, we take a look at one of these cases that has received much attention: “Strand Lobben vs. Norway”. We will also present new knowledge on children’s situation in Norway, and discuss how the Norwegian child protection system performs compared to other European countries.
(in English)
Jenny Krutzinna and Katre Luhamaa, Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism
Jusbygget, Auditorium 2, 10.15 – 11.00

Book launch: "Og viktigst er barnets beste"
2018-11-21 10:30 | Akademika, Studentsenteret, Parkveien 1, Bergen, Norway
Prof. Karl Harald Søvig and prof. Marit Skivenes will present on children’s rights and child protection at the launch of a new book by Geir Kjell Andersland.
The book lunch is open for everyone interested. Information from the Norwegian announcement by publisher Bodoni:
Geir Kjell Andersland (f. 1948) er jurist og politiker med særlig interesse for barns rettigheter og menneskerettigheter. Han har blant annet arbeidet som advokat, administrerendedirektør på Haukeland Universitetssykehus, regiondirektør i Bufetat og er nå avtroppende fylkesnemndsleder. Andersland har forfattet en rekke fagartikler i antologier, aviser, fagtidsskrifter og var redaktør for, og medforfatter i, antologien De Castbergske barnelover 1915–2015 (2015). I 2017 utga Andersland Sviket mot barndommen. Om Gunnar Staalesen, Varg Veum og barnevernet – sannhetsvitner og hjelpere for forsømte og sviktede barn.
Bokens forfatter runder 70 år 22. november i år. Dette har foranlediget den foreliggende samlingen av utvalgte artikler, debattinnlegg og kronikker, tidligere publisert i fagtidsskrifter og aviser gjennom de ti siste årene. I tillegg blir samlingens innledende og avsluttende artikkel, samt to andre tekster, publisert for første gang. Bokens viktigste budskap er kampen for å gi alle barn en god oppvekst og sikre dem deres grunnleggende rettigheter. For å oppnå dette kreves det kompetente fagfolk, engasjerte, handlingsrettede politikere og andre viktige medspillere, det være seg kunstnere eller samfunnsborgere. Boken inneholder også de av forfatterens mange bokanmeldelser som sterkest berører bokens tre hovedtema: barns rettigheter, barnevernets utfordringer og politikkens betydning.

Norsk barnevern sett med internasjonale øyne
2018-10-22 15:00 - 17:00 | Amalie Skram, Litteraturhuset i Oslo, Wergelandsveien 29, Oslo, Norway
Prof. Marit Skivenes and researcher Katre Luhamaa are presenting at a seminar on the critique of Norwegian Child Protection. The seminar is held at Litteraturhuset i Oslo, and organized by the Ministry of Children and Equality.
The Ministry plan to video stream the seminar. We will share the link on this page when available.
Agenda (in Norwegian)

Åpning ved Statsråden
Barne- og likestillingsminister Linda Hofstad Helleland om synet på og verdsettingen av barn i Norge og norske velferdstjenester, og hvordan dette legger føringer på barnevernet.
Norsk barnevern og det internasjonale perspektivet
Mari Trommald, direktør i Barne-, ungdoms- og familiedirektoratet, ønsker velkommen og etablerer dagens problemstilling.
Ungdommer om synet på barns rettssikkerhet og barnevernets rolle
Innlegg fra tre ungdommer fra Forandringsfabrikken.
Barnevern over landegrenser
Siri Sletner – nylig tilbakevendt ambassadør ved den norske ambassaden i Praha – vil formidle sine erfaringer fra å stå i mediestorm og kritikk i Tsjekkia.
Barnevernet i internasjonale medier
BBCs Tim Whewell, reporteren bak Norway’s Silent Scandal og Maciej Czarnecki, forfatter av boken Norsk barnevern sett utenfra og Egil Espen Hansen, sjefsredaktør i Aftenposten, deltar i debatt som bl.a. vil belyse framstillinger av norsk barnevern, kildekritikk og hensynet til personvern og informasjon om substansen i barnevernssaker.
Hva kjennetegner norsk barnevern, og hva skiller Norge fra andre land?
Professor Marit Skivenes fra Universitetet i Bergen snakker om hva som kjennetegner norsk barnevern basert på egne sammenlignende studier av barnevern i ulike land.
Katre Luhamaaa fra Universitetet i Bergen snakker om barnerettigheter og menneskerettighetsdomstolens avgjørelser om barn og barnevern.
Hvordan kan rettssikkerheten i barnevernet styrkes?
Innledning fra Barneombudet om hva hun mener må gjøres for å styrke rettssikkerheten.
Debatt: Inga Bejer Engh (barneombud), Marit Skivenes (UiB), Jan Storø (OsloMet), Thea Totland (BARNAS- Stiftelsen barnas rettigheter og Barneadvokatene) og Pernille Pettersen Smith (fylkesnemda).

Barne- og likestillingsminister Linda Hofstad Helleland inviterer til seminar for å diskutere det norske barnevernet sett med utenlandske øyne.
Seminaret er mandag 22. oktober, kl. 15.00 – 17.00 på Amalie Skram, Litteraturhuset i Oslo. Siri Lill Mannes er ordstyrer.

Breakfast forum: The Social and Political Challenges of Migration
2018-09-14 08:30 - 10:00 | Cafe Christie, Museplassen 3, Bergen, Norway
Migration is one of the major political issues in Europe today, challenging the cohesion of the European Union and affecting national elections. How should Europe handle the increasing immigration?
We are bringing together some of the world’s leading experts on the topic to provide a better understanding of the social and political consequences of migration to Europe. Mark Lopez from Pew Research Centre presents new results on European populations attitudes on immigration, national identity and religion. Following the presentation, Mark Lopez will be accompanied by Sagrario Segado, Frøy Gudbrandsen and Christine Jacobsen in a panel discussion that will focus on the political and social consequences of migration to Europe. The panel will also address the complex and morally challenging question of how to deal with unaccompanied migrating minors.
Immigration to Europe has increased over the last decades, and became an urgent issue after the “refugee crisis” in 2015 and 2016, when the number of Asylum seekers from predominantly Muslim countries multiplied. Nationalist and anti-immigrant attitudes have been prevalent in many recent national elections. European governments have struggled to handle the large number of refugees, and to agree on an acceptable distribution of burdens between the different national states. Poland and Hungary flat out reject to contribute to EU´s migration plan. Italy has recently refused boats with refugees to dock, and thus Spain is now the main port to Europe for the refugees. The political and social consequences of the influx of refugees, is not yet known.
However, as war, natural disasters, famine and poverty are constant risks, it is not likely that the challenge will vanish in the near future. This means that European countries must find better ways to handle the reception of new asylum seekers, and to integrating immigrants into the society.
PARTICIPANTS
– Mark Lopez, director of Global migration and demography research at Pew Research Center (USA). He is a renowned expert on global migration and demography research.
– Sagrario Segado, professor in psychology at UNED and director of European Research Center in Policies and Action on Minors and Migration (Spain). Segado has firsthand experience with the influx of migrants to Melilla, a Spanish city at the tip of north Africa.
– Frøy Gudbrandsen, political editor in the newspaper Bergens Tidende. She holds a PhD in Comparative Politics on Scandinavian Immigration Policy.
– Christine M. Jacobsen, professor in anthropology at SKOK, UiB and member of the Migration Unit at LawTransform. She is an expert on International Migration and Ethnic Relations.

MODERATOR
– Marit Skivenes, professor at Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism, UiB, and head of the Child Rights Unit at Lawtransform.

IN COLLABORATION WITH
Bergen Resource Center
Centre on Law and Social Transformation (Lawtransform)

The event is free.

Photo Credit: Dimi Katsavaris/Unsplash

PhD Seminar on Systematic Reviews
2018-09-13 09:00 - 16:15 | Jekteviksbakken 31, Jekteviksbakken 31, Bergen, Hordaland, 5006, Norway
What works and what doesn’t work in social and economic policy?
Systematic reviews have a long tradition in medicine and health sciences, and is now gaining popularity in social sciences and economics. The aim of a systematic review is to provide a complete, exhaustive summary of current literature on a given topic – and thus establish evidence based advice’s for intervention.
This PhD Course is held by some of the worlds leading experts on systematic reviews. The course covers what a systematic review is, how to conduct a systematic review and how such reviews can be used to affect policy.
Registration
The seminar is open and free of charge for PhD students and post-doctoral researchers at UiB, CMI, NHH and HVL.
The course consist of a closed seminar for PhD and postdoctoral students, giving an introduction to systematic reviews, and the open session “Systematic reviews –
Better Policy Implementation?”.
Citations from University of Maryland are issued to participants at the course (attendance at both sessions required). Preregistration is needed, as there are limited spots at the course. Please contact: Daniel.Nygard@uib.no (Research coordinator)
Agenda
Part 1: Systematic reviews – Better Policy Implementation? (09.00 – 12.15)

Welcome and Introductions
Marit Skivenes, University of Bergen
Douglas Besharov, University of Maryland
Neil Gilbert, UC Berkeley
What are Campbell Collaboration systematic reviews? How are they used?
Howard White, Campbell Collaboration
Other systematic (and non-systematic) literature reviews for policy and planning
Jacob Klerman, Abt Associates
Adding a formal policy analysis
Martin Potucek, Charles University
Establishing National and Regional Centers for Systematic Reviews
Howard White, Campbell Collaboration
Personnel, Funding, Auspice and Structure

Part 2: Introduction seminar to Systematic Review (13.15 – 16.15)

Developing a Protocol
Howard White, Campbell Collaboration

Selecting a topic and deciding its scope
Search strategy, including software and data bases
Inclusion/exclusion criteria, including methodologies
Quality assessments
Data extraction
Evidence gap maps

Synthesis
Jacob Klerman, Abt Associates

Qualitative
When appropriate
Order for presenting findings (thematically, chronologically, etc.)
Degree of study quality assessment
Quantitative (Meta-analysis)
When appropriate
Dealing with heterogeneity (fixed vs random effects)
Meta-regressions

Discussion/Analysis
Douglas Call, University of Maryland

How the findings fit within the program context (e.g., program theory, program design, implementation, and the possibly changing counterfactual)
Generalizability to other contexts
Implications for policy

Publication
Howard White, Campbell Collaboration
Jacob Klerman, Abt Associates

The Campbell process
Journal publication

Organizers
Main organizers
Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism (UiB)
University of Maryland, School of Public Policy
Collaborating partners
UC Berkeley Social Welfare
Bergen Resource Centre
International Network for Social Policy Teaching and Research

INSP Symposium on Social Policy
2018-09-13 00:00 - 23:59 | Jekteviksbakken 31, Jekteviksbakken 31, Bergen, Hordaland, 5006, Norway
What works and what doesn’t work in social and economic policy?
Systematic reviews aims to provide a complete, exhaustive summary of current literature on a given topic – and thus establish evidence based advices for intervention. How should systematic reviews be used? And is systematic reviews the best way to affect and improve policy?
Part 1: Systematic reviews – Better Policy Implementation? (09.00 – 12.15)

Welcome and Introductions
Marit Skivenes, University of Bergen
Douglas Besharov, University of Maryland
Neil Gilbert, UC Berkeley
What are Campbell Collaboration systematic reviews? How are they used?
Howard White, Campbell Collaboration
Other systematic (and non-systematic) literature reviews for policy and planning
Jacob Klerman, Abt Associates
Adding a formal policy analysis
Martin Potucek, Charles University
Establishing National and Regional Centers for Systematic Reviews
Howard White, Campbell Collaboration
Personnel, Funding, Structure, etc.

Part 2: PhD Course: Introduction to Systematic Reviews (13.15 – 16.15)
See event for this part. Participation require preregistration.

Developing a Protocol
Howard White, Campbell Collaboration
Synthesis
Jacob Klerman, Abt Associates
Discussion / Analysis
Douglas Call, University of Maryland
Publication
Howard White, Campbell Collaboration
Jacob Klerman, Abt Associates

About
The symposium is organized as part of International Network for Social Policy Teaching and Research (INSP) annual meeting. The symposium is free of charge and open for everyone.
The venue at Jekteviksbakken 31 (Bergen Resource Centre) is next to the Faculty of Law at UiB, where it is possible to purchase refreshments in the cafeteria.
Organizers:
International Network for Social Policy Teaching and Research
Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism
UC Berkeley Social Welfare
University of Maryland – School of Public Policy
Bergen Resource Centre

Bergen Exchanges: Rights of the child
2018-08-23 00:00 - 2018-08-24 23:59
CONFERENCE: Two days of presentations and discussions on topics related to rights of children. Events are open and free of charge, and are also streamed live.
The Bergen Exchanges on Law & Social Transformation is a meeting place for scholars and practitioners who seek to understand how law serves as an instrument of change and how it shapes, and is shaped, by power relations. During a week of public discussions, the strategic use of rights, law and how legal institutions function as arenas for political contestation (lawfare) is examined.
The two last days of Bergen Exchanges 2018 will have a special focus on “Rights of the Child”. Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism is co-organizer for the event through our involvement in the Child Right Unit at Centre for Law and Social Transformation. Events are open to the public and free of charge, and no preregistration needed.
Thursday 23. August
09:00-10:30
Children’s Right to child-friendly Justice
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/213113346028887/
Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fYmUZ1MK8A
10:40-12:10
Changing the system from within: Influencing front-level practice and politicians’ mindset
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/250235265619022/
Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKxXBs3ZZPc
12:20 – 13:20
Child Rights – Making professional decisions and judgments
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/222161255160147/
Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEzF79fapnQ
13:30 -14:30
Chr. Michelsen Prize Lunch with Maja Janmyr
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/185345615661165/
14:30-15:30
Children’s right to health: Childhood obesity
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/248225175771336/
Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oKDk7U3vzk
18:00-19:30
Children on the run (Key note address by Helen Stalford, followed by panel debate)
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/313749789168894/
Stream: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsZUur3SucrmTiECYZvuLlw (NOTE: New link to stream)
Friday 24. August
09:00-10:00
Child’s best interest principle
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/292012174712332/
Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB8EdY_0r-Q
10:10-11:10
The European Court of Human Rights and Child Rights
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1862593287383166/
Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uYygEMkevU
11:20-12:20
International Rights and cultural practices?
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1896334143781296/
Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT3wTlWun-I
12:30-13:30
The critique of Child Protection and Children’s Rights
Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2019557168077239/
Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPKx_1ysC48
Presenters and discussants
Tarja Pösö, Kenneth Burns, Katre Luhamaa, Staffan Höjer, Conor O’Mahony, Asgeir Falch-Eriksen, Marit Skivenes, Karl Harald Søvig, Helen Stalford, Lara Cortes, Pilar Domingo, Roberto Gargarella, Malcolm Langford, Maja Janmyr, Kirsten Sandberg, Hilde Liden, Sagrario Segado, Hilde Danielsen, Christine M. Jacobsen, Katrin Kriz, June Thoburn, Thomas Meysen, Henriette Sinding, Liv Tønnessen, Bertil Tungodden, Alexander W. Cappellen, Henning Müller, Geir Kjell Andersland (Hordaland County Board), Svanhild Alver (Bergen Child Protection Service), the Pro’s & Marit Sanner (The Change Factory).
Venue
Most sessions will be held at Bergen Rescource Centre for International Development facilities at Jekteviksbakken 31. The venue is in walking distance from hotels in the city centre.

More information
Bergen Exchanges 2018 is organized from Monday 20th – Friday 24th of August, by Centre for Law & Social Transformation. Se the conference web page: lawtransform.no/bergen-exchanges-2018/

PhD Course: Effects of Lawfare (Child Rights)
2018-08-15 00:00 - 2018-08-24 23:59
During Bergen Exchange, Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism will contribute to the PhD Course “Effects of Lawfare: Courts and law as battlegrounds for social change“.

The course combines lectures specifically designed for the course and participation in lectures, panels, round-tables, and workshops of the Bergen Exchanges on Law & Social Transformation. In addition to the general track, there are two options of specialization: Effects of Lawfare concerning Child Rights and Health Rights.
Course content
The course offers an introduction to the debates on the potential and limits of law as an instrument of social change, and opportunities to engage with some of the foremost scholars in the field, and international research projects currently seeking better answers to these questions.
Credit
Students will receive 3 ECTS for participating in the course (80% of seminars), submission of paper abstract (150-300 words), and presentation of their own work to the other participants.
Students who submit a publishable journal article (4,000-6,000 words, with an additional reading list of 500 pages, which can be from the elective reading list) by 14 October 2018 are awarded an additional 7 ECTS. (Postdoctoral researchers and MA level students will be accepted if space permits).
Free course
The PhD course is free of charge and open to applicant from Norwegian and international institutions on a first-come first serve basis. Participants do, however, have to cover their own travel and accommodation costs, as there unfortunately are no scholarships available.
More information at: hwww.lawtransform.no/bergen-exchanges-2018/phd-course/

Consultation Meeting on Family Sensitive Social Protection (Doha, Quatar)
2018-06-26 00:00 - 2018-06-27 23:59
Prof. Marit Skivenes will participate as an expert at this meeting, to discuss the findings of the reports by The Family Sensitive Social Protection (FSSP). This project is a join collaborative project between the Doha International Family Institute (DIFI) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA).

Guest lecture: Michael Lipsky (Bergen)
2018-06-08 12:15 - 14:00
Reflections on Street Level Bureaucracy

LINK TO RECORDING: https://youtu.be/plVzG0UQ8L0
Michael Lipsky is well known in the field of public administration for his classic book about street-level bureaucracy (1980). Here, he claim that state employees (such as police, social workers and legal-aid lawyers) should be seen as part of the policy-making community and as exercisers of political power, as they wield their considerable discretion in the day-to-day implementation of public programs.
Lipsky argues that these relatively low-level public service employees labor under huge caseloads, ambiguous agency goals, and inadequate resources. When combined with substantial discretionary authority and the requirement to interpret policy on a case-by-case basis, the difference between government policy in theory and policy in practice can be substantial and troubling.

Read more: Street-Level Bureaucracy

In this lecture, Lipsky will draw on ideas and concerns he has with the way the field of public administration is developing, and share some of his newer thoughts and reflections on dimensions of street level bureaucracy.
Michael Lipsky is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos, and a former professor of political science at MIT.
The lecture is open to the public. For questions about the event, contact daniel.nygard@uib.no.
