David Cardell

David Cardell is a Lecturer at Stockholm University's Department of Child and Adolescent Studies (BUV), where he has been active since 2017. His interdisciplinary research bridges cultural studies, STS, and sociology with a focus on childhood and family life. Cardell holds a Lic thesis (2009) from Malmö University/Örebro University and a Doctoral thesis (2015) from Linköping University.

His research interests center on critical childhood studies, ethnographic approaches to children's consumption, family life, and institutional practices. Cardell actively contributes to developing critical childhood studies as a field, examining how children interact with commercial spaces, media, and educational systems. His work often employs ethnographic methods to understand children's everyday experiences within commercial sports camps, theme parks, and digital environments.

Current research projects include a Swedish Research Council-funded ethnographic study on fathers' interactions at child health centers (2022-2025), research on Swedish sexual education history (2020-2023), and investigations into children's relationships with social media influencers at the Swedish Media Authority (2023-2024). His publications span ethnographic studies of theme parks, children's consumption patterns, academic writing pedagogy, and historical analyses of sexuality education.

At BUV, Cardell has taught across all educational levels including teacher education programs and the Center for Children's Cultural Research. He served as Director of Studies (2020-2023) with responsibility for courses, programs, and personnel, and was an educational ambassador in 2020. Cardell has also been an elected member of the departmental board (2020-2023) and held deputy assignments within CBK. His interdisciplinary approach draws on cultural studies, STS, and sociological theories to examine children's experiences in diverse institutional and commercial contexts.