Elian Eve Jentoft

Elian Eve Jentoft is a Research Fellow at Oslo Metropolitan University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Work, Child Welfare and Social Policy. She is affiliated with the research groups "Globalisation and Social Sustainability" and "Service organization and innovation in social work and child welfare".

Her research interests encompass:

• Loneliness and social isolation, particularly in aging populations and youth
• Gender identity, transgender studies, and queer theory
• Health policy and social politics in welfare states
• The impact of communication technology and ehealth on social well-being
• Global mental health and social sustainability

Recent publications (2023-2025) critically analyze loneliness as a policy problem across Nordic and UK contexts. Jentoft examines how political discourse constructs loneliness through telepresence technologies, revealing paradoxical narratives where digital solutions both address and exacerbate social isolation. Her work demonstrates consistent methodological rigor in discourse analysis and comparative policy studies, with particular attention to aging populations and youth. Key trends include cross-national comparisons of policy frameworks and critical interrogation of technology's role in welfare state responses to social fragmentation.

Dr. Jentoft actively contributes to her department's research groups, focusing on innovative approaches to social work and child welfare services through projects like "Virtual Presence: A Cultural Analysis of the Emergence of 'Telepresence Technologies' as a Solution to Loneliness".