NOVA  -Norwegian Social Research –  is a research institute under the auspices of the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.  The aim of  NOVA is to develop knowledge and understanding of social conditions and processes of change. It focuses on issues of life-course events, level of living conditions and aspects of life-quality as well as on programmes and services provided by the welfare system.  Its’ strategic position is to provide a research environment with emphasis on a broad-based social science approach combined with a life-course perspective.

NOVA has a highly competent and multidisciplinary staff. At the turn of 2002, the research staff consisted of 92 researchers. Psychology and sociology are the most common disciplines among the research staff, NOVA is the leading national research institute on child welfare, youth, ageing and the elderly, and social security.

Contact Details 

Address:

Norwegian Social Research  

NOVA

P.O. Box 3223

Munthesgt. 29

N-0208 Oslo

NORWAY

Tel.:

 + 47 22 54 12 00

Fax.:

+ 47 22 54 12 01

E-mail:

guro.odegard@nova.no

Web-page:

http://www.nova.no/

About Guro Ødegård

from NOVA

Guro Ødegård is a Ph.D student at Norwegian Social Research (NOVA), who is presently (2005) a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley. The theme of her thesis is youths' experiences of power and influence in political structures. She has carried out research on voluntary youth organizations, local youth councils, and different ways of acting politically among youth. She also co-edited a book about power and influence among youth that is part of the Norwegian Power and Democracy Assessment.

In recent years, Guro Ødegaard has published about the engagement of youth in Norwegian society, questions of youth, power and opinion as well as participation in politics at the local level. Moreover, she has contributed to the evaluation of youth participation in civil society at the local level in Norway.