Research at the Level of Living-unit includes studies of individuals' living conditions, social stratification and economic and social inequality. Here we study what living conditions in society look like today for both adults and children, and how the standard of living in society has changed over time and between generations.
Photo: Daniel Rossetti
Examples of living conditions are family life, health, education, working life, financial conditions and social support. The level and distribution of these conditions, as well as changes in levels and distribution, are central study objects in living standard research. Differences in living conditions between different population groups (defined by, among other things, gender, age, family type, country of birth, place of residence, education and occupation) are important themes, both empirically and theoretically. Several of the researchers at the department analyze these issues in an international comparative perspective.
An important part of the unit's activities is to carry out the Level of Living Survey (Levnadsnivåundersökningen – LNU), which is a recurring survey in which a nationally representative sample of Sweden's adult population is interviewed or answers questionnaires about their living conditions in a number of areas. The LNU survey was first implemented in 1968 and has since then been implemented another six times with intervals of approximately 10 years, the latest round in 2020-22 . To a large extent, the same persons have been interviewed in the survey on repeated occasions. Together with the american Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID ) is LNU the world's longest still ongoing longitudinal survey.
A large proportion of immigrants in Sweden face difficulties in getting employed, and the situation is especially problematic for some country of origin groups. Two explanations that have been found to be important by previous research are education and discrimination.
Laborocto is a network collaboration between eight Forte-funded programs on work-life research. The network is aimed at long-run promotion of work-life research. Around 100 researchers at all career stages from more than 10 disciplines take part in the network.
Young people in immigrant families have on average markedly higher educational and occupational aspirations than others, something often referred to as ‘immigrant optimism’. In this project, we assess whether higher aspirations are a help or a hindrance for young people with foreign-born parents.
In this project, we investigate how the flexibilization of working life shapes the maneuvering space of women (and men) in work and family and how this, in turn, contributes to gender and class inequality in wages and (un)health
By examining the United States, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany, researcher found that welfare systems play a significant role in whether children born into poverty will remain poor as adults.
Three researchers at SOFI have been awarded research grants from Forte to study inequality, discrimination and young people's future prospects in Sweden.
The Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) at Stockholm University is seeking a postdoctoral researcher in sociology. Suitable candidates are dedicated researchers who wish to delve into areas such as social policy, welfare, inequality, and the labor market.
Welcome to SOFI, Martin Hällsten! Martin is a Professor of Sociology who studies social mobility across one or several generations. He examines aspects such as class, occupation, education, wealth, and other inherited factors to trace inequality back through generations. We asked him a few questions to get to know him and his research.
SOFI professors Jan O. Jonsson and Carina Mood, recently presented their research findings at a lecture at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Their research focuses on the integration of children and youth with immigrant backgrounds in Swedish schools.