Britt-Inger Keisu

My research focuses on understanding how and why inequality emerges, how power can be challenged, and what constitutes an equitable society. My work is driven by a commitment to uncovering the structures that shape people’s living conditions. With a particular focus on working life and education, I examine how power dimensions such as gender and ethnicity/race influence working conditions and work environments – and thereby people’s opportunities for justice and equality.

I supervise doctoral students and have experience with both qualitative and quantitative methods, often in close collaboration with diverse stakeholders. My theoretical and methodological interests lie at the intersection of feminist, organizational sociological, and Indigenous theoretical perspectives. This approach acknowledges the historical injustices experienced by Indigenous peoples while promoting mutual learning and a more equitable relationship between researchers and participants. I frame my empirical research through critical theory, and in my current projects I combine a spatial analytical framework with critical policy analysis and theories of collaborative governance. 

At present, I lead two projects that investigate power dynamics in collaboration and conflict over competing land use, with a particular focus on Indigenous and minority rights. The first project focuses on the relationship between forestry and reindeer herding:

• Changing Northern Landscapes: Forestry and Reindeer Husbandry in Sweden 
(Marcus and Marianne Wallenberg Foundation, 2026–2029)

The second project examines interactions between the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Armed Forces, and various energy companies in relation to reindeer husbandry:

• Conflicts, Collaborations and Coexistence. Interactions and negotiations between Sámi Villages and National, Regional, and Local Actors (FORMAS, 2025–2029)

In addition, I lead a smaller project that examines how state policy contributes to racialized and unequal conditions in Sámi reindeer herders’ working conditions and work environment within concession and forest Sámi reindeer husbandry, titled:

• Working as a Reindeer Herder: A study of gender, race and place within concession- and forest Sámi reindeer husbandry in the northernmost of Sweden
(Umeå University, 2023–2026)

I am also active in the network Gender in the Arctic Six and participate in the project KASUTA – å vokse opp, which focuses on ill-health and education among young people with Kven or Norwegian/Finnish backgrounds in Norway. Furthermore, I have served on review panels for the annual project grant calls at Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare and The Research Council of Norway, and have also been Vice Chair of Forum for Working Life Research.

I have worked and held course responsibility for teaching at all levels, from undergraduate to doctoral education. The teaching has included both standalone courses and programs, within the Department of Sociology and other departments/centres, across the Faculty of Social Sciences, the Faculty of Science and Technology, and the Faculty of Medicine at Umeå University, where I was previously employed. At Karlstad University, I currently teach in the Sociology program, the Urban and Regional Planning program, and the course Feminist Postcolonial Studies and Critical Race Studies.

I have experience of academic leadership both in theory and practice, in various roles where the perspective shifts—from the individual to the collective, and from my own research and teaching to the overall functioning and needs of the organization. My academic leadership experience is therefore broad and includes, in addition to board work in research networks, serving as a strategic advisor and management support on equal opportunities issues for heads of department. I have also held academic leadership positions such as Director of Umeå Centre for Gender Studies. Furthermore, I have been Director of Studies for the doctoral program in Sociology and Program Coordinator for the Master’s program in Leadership and Organization. In addition, I have served as a union representative and gender equality officer.

Collaboration is a central component of my research projects. I have also undertaken assignments on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, reviewing procedural frameworks and the prevalence of sexual harassment at Umeå University, and providing recommendations to improve administrative practices. In addition, I engage in a wide range of activities beyond academia, including delivering presentations, facilitating workshops, and participating in collaborative initiatives, as well as contributing to interviews and other media appearances.

I hold a Master of science in Human Resarch Managent and Development (2003), a PhD in Sociology (2009), and Associate Professor (2017).