Dr. Sara Ferlander

Biography

I am associate professor and senior lecturer in sociology at Mälardalen University in Sweden. I have conducted research about social capital for more than 25 years. My current research concerns urban development, intersectionality and social inequality. I am leading the project "A City for Everyone? A study of young women's lives in a transforming suburb", which is financed by the Swedish Research Council. Through qualitative methods and a focus on young women in suburban areas, we want to examine how a more equal and socially sustainable city can be built - i.e. a city for everyone. I am also interested in the association between social capital and health, especially mental health among young people. During many years, I studied different forms of social capital and self-rated health through large surveys in Eastern Europe. My earlier research focused on the impacts of the internet on social relations in local communities. In 2003, I received my PhD from the University of Stirling in Scotland with the doctoral thesis "The Internet, Social Capital and Local Community". My teaching mainly focuses on research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, and supervison at various levels. But I have also been teaching about health, intersectionality, social capital and social sustainabiliy, primarily at advanced levels.

Current Institution

Journal Roles

Social Links