Wenche Hovland

Wenche Hovland is an Associate Professor in Social Pedagogy at the Department of Social Sciences, University of Stavanger. Her work focuses on child welfare systems, sibling relationships, refugee integration, and poverty studies. She has contributed to academic discourse through multiple peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations since 2006.

Her research emphasizes qualitative methodologies, exploring topics like sibling dynamics in separated families, refugee youth expectations of social workers, and child participation in legal processes. Notable recent work includes studies on Norwegian child welfare practices (2024) and mechanisms shaping sibling relationships post-care placement (2023).

Dr. Hovland has presented at conferences such as the European Society of Family Relations (2023) and SWSD World Conference (2016). She engages in public outreach through projects like Kafé Sosial, a platform discussing social welfare topics. Her publications frequently address systemic challenges in child welfare, emphasizing the need for policy reforms and interdisciplinary collaboration.