The research group encompasses a wide range of the institute's research, focusing on the causes and consequences of systematic, durable inequality across various societal areas from local, national, and international perspectives.

The group's approach to social inequality is characterized by a strong theoretical and methodological interest in developing the field, combined with an empirical focus. Questions about social inequality open up analyses of continuity and changes in society and key social institutions from a power and resource perspective. It is also an important topic in mapping and analyzing social divides in different types of welfare benefits and resources among various population groups.

In addition to generating empirical knowledge, this research contributes to a critical understanding of the distribution of power and resources in Norwegian society. There is also a particular interest in identifying and mapping challenges related to goals of welfare, social leveling, and inclusion in and through the Norwegian welfare state.

The research group has expertise in analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data. In addition to more traditional sociological approaches to welfare and social inequality, the researchers are keen on developing the field with a critical view of the organization of the welfare state.

Members of the social inequality research group are often involved in several of the department's academic environments focusing on health, gender, migration, and/or organization, confirming the image of social inequality as a central and diverse research field at the Department of Sociology and Political Science.

• Explorations in Class, Power, and Social Inequality (ongoing book project in combination with PhD course, SOS8539)
• Social Inequalities in Health (see CHAIN/Centre for Global Health Inequalities Research and MA course, SOS3608)
• Social Inequality in Childhood, School, and Upbringing (see research project CODIC/"Comparing the Organisation of Durable Inequality in Childhood: Inequality in childhoods, schools, and associated welfare systems" and PhD course SOS8534)
   

• Gathering of PhD candidates working on questions related to social inequality (Spring 2025)
• Seminar series with internal and external contributors (collaboration with the STAM seminar, Spring 2025)
• Follow-up on initiatives related to university-municipality collaboration with Trondheim municipality (including area investments in Lade and Tempe, and development of living conditions analyses based on register data)
• Nordic university-municipality workshop in Trondheim, May 19-20, 2025
• Book project on the topic of class, power, and social inequality (2024-26)
• PhD course in class, power, and social inequality (Autumn 2025)