Marit Haldar

Marit Haldar is a Professor of Sociology at Oslo Metropolitan University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Sciences. She specializes in Service organization and innovation in social work and child welfare. Her research spans childhood studies, gerontology, gender studies, family sociology, social inequality, and welfare state studies.

Professor Haldar's research interests focus on qualitative methodology, medical sociology, and care technology. She is particularly known for her work on the relationship between politics/ideology and the implementation of presence technology in welfare contexts. Her research examines how digital communication technologies are both perceived as causes of and solutions to loneliness problems. She discovered untapped data sources within qualitative methods and has developed new methodologies referenced in international methodological literature.

Her recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on loneliness, technology, and welfare systems. The research shows increasing interdisciplinary work connecting sociology, medical humanities, and technology studies. Key themes include telepresence robots in education and healthcare, loneliness as a policy issue, and the social implications of welfare technology implementation across different institutional settings.

Scientific recognition includes:

• OsloMet's Research Prize (2019)

Professor Haldar leads the research center CEDIC and the interdisciplinary research group Welfare Access Through Technology (WATT). She is actively involved in several research projects including the Evaluation of the Stay Safe at Home reform, Easy and safe contact with relatives (an innovation project with loneliness-reducing technology in elderly care in Oslo), and Virtual Presence: A cultural analysis of loneliness. Her work bridges theoretical sociological frameworks with practical welfare technology implementation.

Her research groups include Big city children (research on childhood in big cities), Service organization and innovation in social work and child welfare, and Welfare Access Through Technology (WATT).