Kia Ditlevsen

Kia Ditlevsen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Food and Resource Economics at the University of Copenhagen, specifically within the Section for Consumption, Bioethics and Governance. She holds a PhD in Sociology and has been with the department since 2012, progressing from PhD student to Postdoc, Assistant Professor (2017-2022), and currently Associate Professor (since 2022). Her academic journey also includes serving as an External Lecturer at the Sociological Institute at the University of Copenhagen in 2011-2012.

Dr. Ditlevsen's research centers on social inequality and its expression in food consumption, lifestyle, and health behavior. Her primary research interests include: social inequality in consumption patterns, everyday food practices, eating and diet-related health among underprivileged groups, contemporary food and consumption culture, gendered norms, and qualitative research methods. She examines how socioeconomic status shapes food choices and health outcomes, with particular attention to gender dynamics.

Her current research portfolio includes four major projects: 'Food as distinction and practice' (2023-2025), 'Eating up the crisis' (2024-2027), 'Fremtidens økologiske forbruger' (2024-2027), and 'Proper food under economic constraints' (2019-2022). These projects, funded by prestigious organizations like the Independent Research Fund Denmark, Carlsberg Foundation, and ICROFS, investigate how social class, economic constraints, and cultural factors influence food practices and sustainability considerations.

• Highly Commended Award, Emerald Publishing (2017)

Dr. Ditlevsen teaches at both the master's and PhD levels, coordinating and lecturing in the Master's course 'The Sociology of Food and Eating' and the PhD course 'Qualitative Research Methods.' She has published extensively across sociology, food studies, and public health journals, with her work gaining significant attention in both academic and public spheres. Her research often employs qualitative methodologies to explore the complex relationships between social position, food practices, and health outcomes, with particular attention to vulnerable populations.