معرفی
Maria Bennich is a Senior Lecturer at Örebro University's School of Behavioural, Social and Legal Sciences. She holds a PhD in sociology with a focus on work and working life, which she defended in 2012 at Linköping University. Her academic career is complemented by extensive practical experience in social work, having worked as an administrator in social services, treatment assistant and information officer, care assistant within psychiatric care, and care assessor within elderly care.
Maria Bennich's educational background includes:
- PhD in Sociology (2012, Linköping University) - Thesis focused on elderly care and competence development for care staff
Her research interests center on social work, particularly in the context of elderly care. She investigates older people's opportunities for self-determination and influence over care interventions, issues concerning care staff's competence and learning, and how new governing principles like the Swedish Public Procurement Act (LOU) and the Act on System of Choice in the Public Sector (LOV) affect the organization of care work. Her work addresses the dilemmas that arise in elderly care systems exposed to rapidly increasing societal demands.
Maria Bennich's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on elderly care, client influence, and social work practice. Her research spans topics from indigenous approaches to elder abuse prevention in Uganda to the impact of the pandemic on social services. She has been particularly active in examining sexuality in elderly care, user influence in aging matters, and the professionalization of social work. Her work often takes an organizational perspective, examining how structural and policy changes affect both care recipients and providers.
Maria Bennich is actively involved in research leadership and collaboration:
- Research leader of the research group "Social work and care across the life course (SAOL)" since 2020
- Member of the National research network for client influence on ageing matters since 2009
- Representative of the HR faculty and the BSR institution at Örebro University at the Cooperation Forum for the Elderly since autumn 2023
- Involved in the INSURE project (Innovative ideas for competence provision in welfare) in 2024
Maria Bennich contributes significantly to the academic community through her teaching and supervision. She teaches primarily in the Social Work Programme, focusing on advanced-level courses such as organization and management, perspectives on the elderly and aging. She supervises degree projects at both undergraduate and advanced levels, as well as doctoral students. Her practical experience in social work informs her teaching approach, creating a bridge between theory and practice.
Maria Bennich is affiliated with several research groups and projects:
- Social work and care across the life course (SAOL)
- Profession and Organization in Social Work (PrOSA)
- Ongoing project: Older people's sexuality in elderly care
- Completed projects: Indigenous social work practices to better address elder abuse in Uganda, Theory and practice in social work in times of pandemic
