Maren Toft

Maren Toft is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Human Geography at the University of Oslo's Faculty of Social Sciences. Her academic career has progressed from Research Assistant (2013-2014) to PhD Candidate (2014-2018), Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2022), Associate Professor (2022), and now Professor.

Her research focuses on:

• Class theory and theory of elites
• Social mobility and class structuration
• Segregation and urban inequality
• Social capital and networks of power
• Advanced quantitative methods including social sequence analysis and correspondence analysis

Toft's publication record shows a consistent focus on elite formation, wealth accumulation, and class reproduction. Her work frequently employs longitudinal approaches to examine how social origins influence life trajectories, particularly among the upper classes. She has made significant contributions to understanding how class structures persist in Scandinavian welfare states, challenging assumptions about equality in these societies.

Her major scientific awards include:

• His Majesty the King's Gold Medal for her 2018 PhD dissertation 'Biographies of privilege'
• Norwegian sociological association's award for best international publication in 2020/2021
• Norwegian sociological association's award for best international publication in 2017
• Kunnskap Oslo's award for best Oslo-related Research in 2015
• Norwegian sociological association's award for research dissemination in 2018

Toft actively supervises PhD students including Iselin Hewitt (studying urban planning and gentrification), Marte Lund Saga (examining business-politics networks), and Stian Uvaag (researching sibling similarities in mobility). She serves on the board of both the Department of Sociology and Human Geography and the Norwegian Sociological Association.

She is involved in several major research projects including HISTCLASS, The Oslo Register Data Classification (ORDC), The Salmon Elite (SALELITE), and Weaving the fabric of Elite Bonds (WEB), which collectively examine various dimensions of elite formation, power structures, and social inequality in Norway and internationally.