Apply by October 1st.
Equality is a theme that can be linked to and used as an analytical tool in all fields of study. We are awarding seven master's scholarships to students who wish to illuminate topics related to equality and discrimination.
It is not a requirement that equality is the main theme of the thesis, but it should be a central perspective brought into the analysis. It is desirable that the theses, where possible, has a focus on Agder.
Two of the seven scholarships are reserved for the field of gender and sexual diversity.
Equality is about more than gender equality, and at the Centre for Gender and Equality we work within a broad equality perspective. This means that we are concerned with all grounds for discrimination covered by current legislations: Gender, ethnicity, religion and belief, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and age.
Additionally, pregnancy, and leave for childbirth or adoption, as well as caregiving responsibilities, are also protected as grounds for discrimination in current legislation.
Relevant topics
1. Equality challenges:
Within this theme, one can, for example, examine topics related to family, education, leisure, work, health, violence, sexual harassment, and negative social control.
2. Boys' and men's equality challenges throughout the lifespan:
Important topics may include family, leisure, health, violence and sexual harassment, education and employment, retirement life, integration, and the living conditions of queer individuals. For more inspiration, see the comprehensive overview and proposed measures of the Men's Committee.
3. Digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence:
Digital solutions can contribute to increased welfare and democratic participation, while also raising new equality challenges and questions, including those related to discrimination, privacy, and exclusion.
4. Religion and ethnicity:
Unfortunately, racism and discrimination based on ethnic and religious background are still significant challenges in today's society. Norway currently has three national action plans that commit us to actively combat racism and discrimination, specifying that antisemitism and hostility towards Muslims require particular efforts. Areas of focus within this topic may include attitudes, health and quality of life, education, politics and society, and interactions with public services.
5. Disability (CRPD convention ratified by Norway in 2013):
A relevant topic may be to examine success factors related to, for example, education and employment, as well as structural barriers in the daily lives of those of us with disabilities.
6. Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act (ARP):
All employers in Norway have a statutory obligation to promote equality and prevent discrimination, and to document and report on their work. An approach to this topic could be to analyze selected companies' annual reports to examine how the duty to act and report is upheld by public authorities and/or private companies. A qualitative study could also be conducted to gain insight into employers' work and understanding of the ARP duty. Read more here.
7. The Duty of Public Sector (LOS):
The public sector in Norway has a statutory obligation to work promote equality and prevent discrimination in all its tasks and services. An approach to this topic could be a quantitative or qualitative analysis based on, for example, the knowledge of public authorities or entities about the LOS duty, awareness and knowledge of discrimination grounds that may result in bias in service provision to citizens, the measures that can promote equal service provision for the entire population, or a review of strategies/plans and policy documents that illuminate how public actors relate to the LOS duty. Read more here.
8. Gender balance, diversity, and equality in education and academia:
For this topic, it may be relevant to examine who applies for scholarships/positions and who is awarded funds. It would also be of interest to qualitatively investigate why some do not apply for these funds/positions and what causes this may be due to.
9. School trips with a focus on human rights:
So far, 140,000 Norwegian youth/students have visited places where human dignity has been violated, such as the concentration camps Auschwitz in Poland and Sachsenhausen in Germany, and to places in Norway like Falstad Prison Camp near Trondheim and Utøya. The aim of these class trips is to inspire critical thinking and reflection. We want to know more about the actual effects of such class trips.
Interesting approaches within this topic could be:
- Parent-led versus school-led trips - a comparative analysis. Are there differences in how these trips are anchored in the classroom and among the students? Is there a difference in pre-/post-work?
- Students' attitudes and values, changes as a result of the trip?
- Students' perception of themselves as participants in a larger society, is this influenced by such a trip?
- Students' perceived agency in connection with school trips. How is students' perceived agency affected by going on such a knowledge journey?
- Didactic approaches on the trip - how are different learning tools used on the trips.
- Volunteer work - does the form and participation in volunteer work influence students' views of the trip?
- Classroom environment before and after the trip.
- Gender perspective on voluntarism, what is the gender composition of contacts, parents accompanying the trip, and similar.
Since 1992, “Hvite busser” have organized knowledge journeys and class trips as described above for Norwegian youth. On this occasion, they wish to be available for students choosing to write relevant assignments on this topic. They can do so by providing organizational support, tips for literature, access to conversations/interviews with tour guides, classes, teachers, and more, and participation in the trip (where “Hvite busser” cover accommodation and travel expenses along with the group).
10. Optional topic related to equality
11. Gender and sexual diversity:
- The history of queer individuals in Agder: A relevant approach could be a deep dive into archives or life history interviews to find out more about how gender and sexual diversity have been discussed or lived in Agder throughout history. A good source of information could be the Queer Archive at the University of Bergen.
- The mental health and illness of queer individuals in Agder: From the quality of life survey The Living Conditions of Queer Individuals in Agder, we see that especially those of us who are bisexual and/or trans (and/or in other ways diverge from gender norms) report higher rates of mental illness and discrimination. How does belonging to a minority affect mental and physical health?
- The competence in gender and sexual diversity in the healthcare system, schools, child welfare services, or other public services. We see that particularly transgender individuals among us report a lack of competence when dealing with public authorities.
- Optional topic related to gender and sexual diversity
- The Centre for Gender and Equality can help with suggestions for relevant sources and resources.
How to apply
- Write an application. In the application, you can briefly introduce yourself, mention which master's program you are enrolled in, what you intend to write about, and your motivation for this topic. You can also describe why it is a relevant topic and how you connect it to equality.
- Include a project outline of maximum 3 pages describing the topic of the master's thesis, research question, choice of theory and method, and work schedule.
- Attach a confirmation of admission to the master's program at UiA.
Applications, and any questions about scholarships or applications, can be sent to Claudia Klostergaard:
- claudia.klostergaard@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 14 85
The application deadline is October 1, 2024.
For those who are granted a scholarship, half of the scholarship will be paid when thesis writing begins and a supervisor is in place, and the second half upon submission of the thesis. Approval of the thesis is a requirement for the final disbursement of the scholarship.
Scholarship recipients will be offered the opportunity to present their work to UiA upon completion of the thesis.
Scholarship recipients will be offered participation in collaborative forums, for a shared academic dialogue among scholarship recipients about their projects.