Ingrid Smette

Ingrid Smette is a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Welfare and Labour Research (NOVA) at Oslo Metropolitan University, specializing in childhood, family, and child welfare within the context of Norway's culturally diverse welfare state. Her research focuses on how welfare institutions navigate religious and cultural differences, particularly in relation to parenting practices and youth development.

Dr. Smette holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Oslo (2015) and primarily employs qualitative research methods. Her academic journey includes a postdoctoral project at the University of Oslo examining parenting ideals and practices among second-generation immigrants.

Her research interests span multiple interconnected domains including:

• Multicultural parenting practices and family dynamics
• Religious diversity within educational institutions
• Youth experiences with social control and autonomy
• Minority-majority relations in the Norwegian context
• Violence prevention and child welfare systems
• Educational experiences of students with minority backgrounds

Dr. Smette's scholarly contributions reveal consistent engagement with issues of cultural diversity in Norwegian society, particularly examining how welfare state institutions respond to religious and ethnic differences. Her recent work has increasingly focused on parental restrictions within minority communities and their relationship to domestic violence, alongside examining how schools navigate religious exemptions and accommodations.

Her significant research projects include:

• Descendants of Immigrants and the Concerned Welfare State
• Inequality in Youth – A Qualitative, Longitudinal Research Database
• Parental Restrictions and Violence – A Study Based on UngVold 2023
• The Domestic Violence Research Programme
• Tomorrow's Inequalities in the Making (LIFECHANCES)

Dr. Smette actively contributes to policy discussions through her research on minority counselors in schools, religious exemptions in education, and parenting in religious minority contexts. Her work bridges academic research and practical welfare policy considerations in Norway's multicultural society.