Anders Vassenden

Anders Vassenden is Professor of Sociology at the University of Stavanger, Norway, affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Department of Media and Social Sciences. He holds a doctorate from the University of Oslo (2008) and leads the research group The Interactionist Cultural Sociology Group. He teaches cultural sociology at the BA level and qualitative methods at the PhD level.

His research is deeply rooted in microsociological theory, particularly the work of Erving Goffman, and spans areas such as cultural sociology, social class, ethnic relations, ethno-racial stigmatization, national identities, qualitative methods, child welfare, and housing studies. He frequently employs interactionist and situationalist frameworks to analyze social encounters, stigma, and symbolic boundaries.

His recent publications, appearing in journals like The Sociological Review, Acta Sociologica, and Symbolic Interaction, focus on themes such as elite ordinariness, passing, photo elicitation, and the experiences of minority parents with child welfare services. The body of work shows a consistent application of Goffmanian theory to contemporary social issues in Norway, especially around inequality and identity.

There are no scientific awards listed in the provided text.

Anders Vassenden actively supervises and collaborates on research, though specific student names are not listed. His work is supported through academic affiliations and research groups rather than explicitly mentioned grants. He is a key figure in advancing qualitative and interactionist sociology in Norway.

He leads The Interactionist Cultural Sociology Group at the University of Stavanger, a research team focused on applying microsociological theories to cultural and social phenomena.