Research
Research areas
My research is mainly focused on the turn of the 20th century, and often deals with the birth of the welfare state, with a focus on health and personal hygiene. Other areas I focus on are the sports movement, gender roles, housing and the history of education.
My research
In my thesis from 2018, Bad mot Lort och Sjukdom, the research questions were guided by the ambition to explain and understand how the need for improved personal hygiene emerged, was formulated, communicated, anchored as well as implemented in Sweden in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. But why was it considered important for people to practise better personal hygiene? Who were the driving forces behind the idea? Who was the idea of a better personal hygiene aimed for? What arguments were used? And finally: How did this process lead to the financing and construction of around 10,000 small public saunas in Sweden?
Since finishing my PhD, I have widened my research to include, among other things, the other Nordic countries. This research has been published in the anthologies Med tvål, vatten och flit and Någonting på spåret: Femton texter om ett närgånget nyss. My chapters address Nordic developments as well as school bathing.
I have been interviewed, mostly in swedish, about my research in radio, podcasts, newspapers, magazines and popular science books. However, you can read little about my research in Emma O'Kellys book Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat from 2023.
I also frequently give lectures for the general public and within the field of bathing, sauna, and health. For example, I will be speaking at ISC26 (International Sauna Congress) this autumn.
Bio
PhD in Economic history from Uppsala university in 2018. After that, I worked as a university lecturer and researcher at Mid Sweden University (2020–2022) and at Karlstad University (since 2019).
Since June 2025, I am expert in sauna history at the Swedish Sauna Academy.