Research
My primary area of research is social movements and young people’s political action. I have conducted empirical studies in Peru, Ecuador, and Sweden on sexual and reproductive rights, feminism, and safety/safe public spaces. My research focuses on two main questions: how do social movements influence society and policies, and how do young adults assign meaning to and enact political action. I study the everyday practices, social processes and power relations of activist organizations and their interactions with other social and collective actors. Three theoretical lenses guide my research: cultural and political approaches to social movements, social organization following symbolic interactionism, and the construction of social hierarchies (age, gender, and racialization).
I am a member of the International Sociological Association (RC48 Social Movements, Collective Action and Social Change, and RC34 Sociology of Youth) as well as the Swedish Association of Gender Researchers. I have BA in Sociology and Spanish/Latin American Studies (1989) and MA in Applied Sociology (1999) from American University, Washington D.C. I have a PhD in Sociology (2010) and Associate Professorship in Sociology (2015) from Umeå University.
In addition, I collaborate on research in the health sciences at Umeå University:
- Countering stigma in self-management in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: co-creation and feasibility of an intervention to improve health. PI Sara Lundell, Physiotherapy
- Stigma-related emotions and their impact on self-management in people with COPD. PI Sara Lundell, Physiotherapy
- Harnessing togetherness: perceptions of loneliness and promotion of social participation in the home care context. PI Therese Nordin, Occupational Therapy
- How the adoption of cancer patient pathways shapes access to care. PI Senada Hajdarevic, Nursing
- Participatory approaches to strengthening district health managers' capacity : Ugandan and global experiences. PI Moses Tetui, Epidemiology and Global Health
Teaching
My teaching spans undergraduate and graduate courses on qualitative research methods, sociological theory, gender studies, social categorization, organizational theory and organizational research. Between 2018 and 2023, I was the coordinator of the multidisciplinary Master’s Program in Leadership and Organization at Umeå University, which is a collaboration between five departments: psychology, pedagogy, political science, business administration and sociology. During the same period, I was the coordinator of two PhD courses in qualitative methods offered by the Social Science Faculty, Umeå University.