Allan Westerling

Allan Westerling is an Associate Professor at Roskilde University, Department of People and Technology. He is affiliated with the Childhood, Youth and Family Life Research group and contributes to interdisciplinary centers like the Danish Centre for Research in Early Childhood Education and Care and the Center for Everyday Life of Families in the Welfare State. Internationally, he collaborates through networks such as the Oxford Network of Fatherhood Researchers (ONEFAR) and serves as President of the European Society on Family Relations since 2018. His work bridges social psychology and family studies, focusing on parenthood dynamics, fatherhood practices, and the interplay between families and welfare institutions.

Education: Allan Westerling holds an MA and a PhD in Social Psychology or related fields, though the specific institutions granting these degrees are not detailed in the provided text.

Research Interests: Westerling’s primary focus is on family studies, with an emphasis on social psychology perspectives. Key themes include the evolving roles of fathers, institutional collaboration in early childhood education, and the impact of individualization and welfare policies on family life. He examines topics like authority dynamics, gender and ethnic identities, and work-life balance, often using mixed-method approaches (qualitative and quantitative) across Denmark, Singapore, and New Zealand.

Articles Trends: Recent work (2022–2025) explores transformative trends in fatherhood and parenthood, including boundary negotiations between families and childcare institutions, policy-driven changes in parental roles, and cross-cultural comparisons of care practices. These studies highlight the shift toward redefining parental collaboration and the societal pressures shaping modern family structures.

Scientific Awards: No scientific awards or fellowships are explicitly mentioned in the provided information.

Advising and Grants: Westerling coordinates educational programs such as the A-sporet track in the humanities bachelor’s program and psychology bachelor projects. He actively participates in research projects like '(Re)configuration of parenthood' (2022–2026) and 'Passende Parathed' (2019–2020), emphasizing project-based learning and institutional partnerships. His grants and project involvement reflect his commitment to applied and theoretical research in social psychology and family dynamics.

Labs/Teams: He is affiliated with the Childhood, Youth and Family Life Research group and collaborates with the Danish Centre for Research in Early Childhood Education and Care. His international networks include ONEFAR and the European Society on Family Relations, where he has held leadership roles since 2010. These collaborations facilitate cross-cultural studies and policy analyses.