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Department of Sociology

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Two siblings playing i the woods
Swedish Institute for Social Research

We follow our older siblings' choice of higher education

Older siblings’ choice of higher education has a big impact on what their younger siblings apply for, even when it leads them to worse* education. This is the result of a new study with data from four countries, including Sweden and USA. The study is published in the highly ranked scientific journal The Quarterly Journal of Economics.

We follow our older siblings' choice of higher education - Read the full article
Two parenst and a doughter walkning hand in hand in a summer park

Do biological factors explain the unequal division of parental leave?

Parents who have adopted a child share their parental leave in much the same way as families who have a biological child. A new study from the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) which has compared adoptive and biological parents’ leave use shows that biological factors may not explain the unequal division of parental leave.

Do biological factors explain the unequal division of parental leave? - Read the full article
Gender and Equality - Theme page Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page Children and Young People - Theme page
Grave with candles

Greater risk of dying for widowers with high income and education

Previous studies have shown that widows and widowers run a higher risk of dying themselves, compared to those of the same age whose partner is still alive. This is often referred to as the ‘widowhood effect’. A new thesis from Stockholm University shows that excess mortality is higher among widowers with a higher socio-economic status compared to other widowers. For widows, it is the other way around – the risk of dying is greater among those who are worse off.

Greater risk of dying for widowers with high income and education - Read the full article
Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page Health and Living Conditions - Theme page Gender and Equality - Theme page
Swedish Institute for Social Research

Can your class predict your lifetime income?

What you earn in a given year says more about how your lifetime income will develop than your social class does. This is the finding of a new study from the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) at Stockholm University published in the journal European Sociological Review.

Can your class predict your lifetime income? - Read the full article
Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page Organization and Working Life - Theme page
Michael Gähler, professor in Sociology and head of the Department of Sociology.
Department of Sociology

“It’s important not to fall in love with a given theory or result”

Michael Gähler is a professor of sociology and head of the Department of Sociology at Stockholm University. Among other things, he has focused his research on labour-market discrimination on the grounds of gender, ethnicity and parenthood, and the impact of divorce on children and adults. According to Michael Gähler, it is vital for researchers to remain humble in the face of reality and avoid falling in love with a given theory or result.

“It’s important not to fall in love with a given theory or result” - Read the full article
Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page
Girl using a smartphone

Why do privileged families not follow experts’ advice on screen time anymore?

In a new study from Stockholm University and several US universities, the researchers found that children in the US aged 9-13 from different social classes spent roughly the same number of hours in front of a screen, on average. However, there were class differences in how the children spent their screen time and in parenting rules related to digital technology use.

Why do privileged families not follow experts’ advice on screen time anymore? - Read the full article
Children and Young People - Theme page Culture and Media - Theme page Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page School, Education and Learning - Theme page
Newborn baby put on a scale.

Swedes with non-western background falling behind in terms of birthweight

In a new study, the researchers found large birthweight inequalities among the descendants of non-western immigrants compared to the descendants of Swedes. The largest differences were found in the third generation. The researchers warn inequalities may continue to widen in subsequent generations.

Swedes with non-western background falling behind in terms of birthweight - Read the full article
International Relations and Migration - Theme page Health and Living Conditions - Theme page Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page
Eleonora Mussino, researcher in Demography.
Department of Sociology

Sweden – an ideal environment for immigrants to meet their childbearing ideals?

A recent study from Stockholm University investigates how immigrants’ childbearing – their age at first birth and number of children – are associated with norms and family support in their destination country. Is it easier for immigrants from countries with low fertility rates to achieve their childbearing ideals in Sweden, a country with strong support for childbearing and parenthood?

Sweden – an ideal environment for immigrants to meet their childbearing ideals? - Read the full article
Gender and Equality - Theme page International Relations and Migration - Theme page Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page
Shadow of a child with parents
Department of Sociology

Only children have worse health outcomes in later life

In a recent study researchers examined the relationship between a series of later health outcomes and family size in the sibling group that you grew up in, with a particular focus on ‘only children’ – children without any siblings. The researchers found that only children on average seem to do a little bit worse even after adjustments for other factors.

Only children have worse health outcomes in later life - Read the full article
Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page Health and Living Conditions - Theme page
Ann-Zofie Duvander
Department of Sociology

“The fundamental goal is to question what we believe to be truths”

Ann-Zofie Duvander is driven by the desire to contribute to the development of society. Trying to look behind what we see as “truths,” and find what needs to be questioned. At the same time, it is important to distinguish between research and political policy decisions, stresses Ann-Zofie Duvander, Professor of Demography.

“The fundamental goal is to question what we believe to be truths” - Read the full article
Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page Gender and Equality - Theme page
Colombian soldiers.
Department of Sociology

Link between armed conflict and intimate partner violence

There is a connection between armed conflict and violence in intimate relationships, according to a PhD thesis in Sociological Demography from Stockholm University. The study is based on data from Colombia and shows that the risk for women of victimization to violence from their partners or ex-partners increases in areas with higher levels of conflict. The study also shows that women in these areas are more likely to stay in violent relationships.

Link between armed conflict and intimate partner violence - Read the full article
Gender and Equality - Theme page Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page International Relations and Migration - Theme page Law, Crime and Justice - Theme page
Two female muslims walking down the street.
Department of Sociology

Immigrants who experience discrimination are less likely to vote

Immigrants who are active in religious organizations in Sweden are less likely to participate in politics compared to immigrants who are not active in such organizations, a new PhD study from Stockholm University shows. Those who have experienced societal discrimination based on religion are even less likely to participate in politics or to vote. The greatest impact is seen among Muslims in Sweden.

Immigrants who experience discrimination are less likely to vote - Read the full article
Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page Worldviews, Ethics and Philosophy - Theme page International Relations and Migration - Theme page
Södertälje hospital during the pandemic.
Department of Sociology

Report analyzes excess mortality in Sweden during the pandemic

Gunnar Andersson and colleagues from Stockholm University and the Karolinska Institute have analyzed mortality and morbidity patterns in Sweden during the Covid-19 pandemic in a report for the Swedish Corona Commission.

Report analyzes excess mortality in Sweden during the pandemic - Read the full article
Corona Research - Theme page Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page Health and Living Conditions - Theme page
Sunnee Billingsley. Photo: Elin Sahlin
Department of Sociology

Occupation alone not linked to a higher risk of dying from Covid-19

A new study from Stockholm University shows that occupation on its own was not linked to a higher risk of dying from Covid-19 in Sweden. However, older people who lived with adults in working age who could not work from home had a higher risk of dying from Covid-19.

Occupation alone not linked to a higher risk of dying from Covid-19 - Read the full article
Corona Research - Theme page Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page Health and Living Conditions - Theme page
Jelena Jovičić
Department of Sociology

How is ”refugeeness” constructed in Swedish newspapers – and are counter-images possible?

In Swedish newspapers, people fleeing are often depicted as victims or as a security threat to the Swedish nation state, a new PhD thesis in sociology shows. As a reaction to this visual framing limited to stereotypes, the author Jelena Jovičić participated in a project where people with experiences of flight created their own counter-images. Here is what she found out.

How is ”refugeeness” constructed in Swedish newspapers – and are counter-images possible? - Read the full article
Culture and Media - Theme page
Siddartha Aradhya. Photo: Leila Zoubir/Stockholm University
Department of Sociology

Language barriers do not explain why immigrants have higher mortality from COVID-19

Language barriers or lack of institutional awareness do not explain why immigrants in Sweden have a higher mortality from COVID-19. These are the conclusions of a new population-based study from Stockholm University that analyzed intermarried couples--immigrants partnered with Swedes.

Language barriers do not explain why immigrants have higher mortality from COVID-19 - Read the full article
Eleonora Mussino
Department of Sociology

How population development in Sweden would have been without the war in Syria

What would Sweden’s population development have been like if it wasn’t for the uprising against Assad and the following war in Syria? A new study in demography published in the academic journal PLOS ONE has the answer. In the study, the authors have created and calculated hypothetical scenarios to determine the demographic development in Sweden and Norway – without the immigration following the Syrian war.

How population development in Sweden would have been without the war in Syria - Read the full article
International Relations and Migration - Theme page Society, Democracy and Welfare - Theme page
Ben Wilson. Photo: Leila Zoubir/Stockholm University
Department of Sociology

New ERC grant to study the lives of children and grandchildren of refugees

A lot is known about the inequalities experienced by refugees, but much less is known about their children’s lives. Ben Wilson, a post-doctoral researcher at the Stockholm University Demography Unit (SUDA), Department of Sociology, receives a new ERC Starting Grant to study the inequalities that are faced by the children and grandchildren of refugees living in Sweden.

New ERC grant to study the lives of children and grandchildren of refugees - Read the full article
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