Andreea Ioana Alecu

• Bilgrei, Ola Røed; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Kok, Erlend (2025). What are the Costs of Shared parenting? A Scoping Review. Family Transitions. ISSN 2837-5300. p. 1–22. doi: 10.1080/28375300.2025.2596436. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In recent years, Western societies have seen increasing rates of shared parenting after separation or divorce, influenced by family policies promoting gender neutrality and parental equality. While research on post-separation residence has expanded, less focus has been placed on the economic costs of children living in dual residences. There is a need for a current and comprehensive overview of the literature on these shifts and their financial implications. This scoping review aims to (1) map literature on the economic costs of children in dual residence, (2) examine methods studying these costs, (3) explore definitions of shared parenting, and (4) summarize empirical findings on these expenses. Searches across six databases up to October 2024, using terms for “shared parenting” and “economic costs,” identified 8,426 articles after duplicate removal. Screening by two reviewers yielded 7 included articles, plus 2 added through citations, totaling 9 studies. Research on the economic costs of dual residence remains limited and varied by method and discipline. Existing studies indicate cost increases of 25–50%, though estimates differ. As dual residence becomes more common, further systematic research is crucial to guide policy and practice.

• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Roos, Gun (2025). Economic Costs of Raising a Child with ADHD in Norway: A Needs-Based Approach. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. ISSN 1501-7419. 27(1), p. 476–489. doi: 10.16993/sjdr.1283. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article presents an analysis of the everyday costs of caring for a child with a disability guided by the budget standard approach and the theoretical frameworks of human need and capability. The analysis is based on 30 in-depth digital interviews with 15 families raising children with ADHD in Norway. We find that all families interviewed have needs leading to increased economic costs at the household level. However, the estimated cost increase and the associated cost drivers vary substantially between the families, ranging between an approximate 16–67% increase in monthly costs compared to the Norwegian Reference Budget.

• Gjersøe, Heidi Moen; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Bråthen, Magne & Dahl, Espen (2025). Labour Market Programmes, Service Individualisation and Employment Outcomes. Social Policy & Administration. ISSN 0144-5596. 60(1), p. 1–11. doi: 10.1111/spol.13132. Full text in Research Archive
• Drange, Ida; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Underthun, Anders (2025). Kompletterende utdanning: En vei inn i relevant yrke? Søkelys på arbeidslivet. ISSN 1504-8004. 42(2), p. 1–20. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Sadeghi, Talieh & Terum, Lars Inge (2024). Street-level bureaucrats’ attitudes towards clients in discretionary decision-making: Evidence from the Norwegian labour and welfare administration. Public Policy and Administration. ISSN 0952-0767. doi: 10.1177/09520767241299078. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  It is commonly assumed that the attitudes of street level bureaucrats (SLBs) towards bene t recipients in uence the discretionary decisions they make. Although discretion in the policy process has been a contentious issue, the impact of bureaucrats’ attitudes has received limited scholarly attention. This study investigates the impact of attitudes on discretionary decision-making and whether the impact of attitudes is conditioned by the SLBs’ perception of recipients’ conduct, when sanctioning non-compliance of requirements among social assistance recipients. The study employs survey data from 925 bureaucrats within the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration, measuring four attitude components: cognitive, positive affective, negative affective, and behavioral attitudes. A vignette experiment allows assessing how sensitive discretionary decision-making is to SLBs’ perceptions of recipient conduct. The ndings indicate that cognitive attitudes signi cantly impact discretionary decision-making and are sensitive to SLBs’ perceptions of the recipients’ personal responsibility. Prejudiced cognitive attitudes (viewing recipients as dishonest, manipulative, unpredictable, or stubborn) are associated with a greater tendency to attribute non-compliance to a lack of willingness, irrespective of external circumstances. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of discretionary decision-making and sheds light on the complex dynamics between SLBs’ attitudes and their perceptions of client attributes, offering new insight for public policy and administration.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2024). Exploring the Individual-Level Factors Influencing Trust in Consumer Rights Protection: A Cross-National Study in Europe. In Jacobsen, Eivind; Strandbakken, Pål; Dulsrud, Arne & Skuland, Silje Elisabeth (Ed.), Consumers and consumption in comparison. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. ISSN 9781835493151. p. 67–91. doi: 10.1108/S0195-631020240000037004. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Trustworthy institutions are often seen as a way of maintaining high levels of collaboration in society. Yet, what characterizes individuals who trust that authorities will safeguard their consumer rights remains under-explored. This study addresses this gap by examining cross-national variations in trust that authorities protect consumer rights. In doing so, it explores whether and how one's in-market experiences and perception (experiencing problems or detriment and issues with product safety), knowledge of consumer rights, and one's socioeconomic resources are related to having confidence that public authorities protect one's consumer rights. In doing so, it partly accounts for national-level institutional and policy variation, by employing country and year fixed effects. The study employs multilevel hierarchical models on four rounds of surveys covering 30 European countries in the 2014–2020 period. The results support the hypothesis that trust is malleable, as negative experiences and market perceptions correlate with trust. Trust levels vary across groups with different access to socioeconomic resources. Knowledge of consumer rights does significantly correlate with the outcome, with a few exceptions. In sum, the study suggests a link between trust in public authorities and markets, which may lead to virtuous or vicious spirals of trust.

• Brekke, Idunn; Alecu, Andreea I.; Ohrazda, Celestia & Lee, Jiwon (2024). Implications of Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder for Maternal Employment: United States vs. Norway. Maternal and Child Health Journal. ISSN 1092-7875. 28, p. 1707–1715. doi: 10.1007/s10995-024-03961-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objectives A country’s social welfare system may play an important role in maternal employment. This study compared the labor market participation of mothers of children within the United States (U.S.) and Norway to examine whether the child’s age and severity of the ASD affected mothers’ employment differently between the two countries. Methods The 2019 National Survey of Children’s Health was used for the U.S. analysis, and the 2019 administrative register data were used for the Norwegian analysis. A logit model was used to analyze the impact of a child’s age and ASD severity on maternal employment in the U.S. and Norway. We presented the results as average marginal effects obtained from the logistic regression analyses. Results After adjusting for mothers’ sociodemographic variables and the child’s age, U.S. mothers of children with mild ASD and moderate/severe ASD had respectively 12 and 25% points lower probability of being employed than U.S. mothers of children without special health care needs. In Norway, mothers of children with moderate/severe ASD had a 13% points lower probability of employment than mothers without special health care needs. The probability of being employed for mothers caring for a child with ASD was significantly greater as the child got older in both countries. Conclusions for Practice The employment gap was more substantial in the U.S. than in Norway. A general high employment participation rate among women and an elaborated welfare state and policy package seem to benefit employment among mothers of children with ASD in Norway.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Brekke, Idunn; Holmstrøm, Henrik & Syse, Astri (2024). Uptake of cash benefits among children with a disability in Norway: The role of parental socioeconomic characteristics and immigrant background. International Journal of Social Welfare. ISSN 1369-6866. 34(2). doi: 10.1111/ijsw.12705. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Caring for a disabled child involves both indirect and direct economic costs, which in turn may create a financial burden for the family. Using Norway as a case, we examine if public compensatory measures reach those most in need, by assessing whether socioeconomic disadvantages and immigrant background impact adversely on the uptake of a nationally available cash benefits eligible for parents caring for a child with a disability. We take advantage of national administrative register data on children with a selection of well-defined diagnoses born between 2009 and 2017 (N = 14,469). Our results show nonnegligible, but relatively minor, social inequalities in the uptake of cash benefits related to socioeconomic and immigrant background. Our findings indicate that this state's financial support seems to reach those most in need. However, it is essential to deepen our understanding of how socioeconomic and immigrant backgrounds influence access to and utilization of municipal healthcare services. Notably, the application process for these services often involves a greater degree of discretion on the part of welfare professionals. Further research is needed to illuminate the nuanced dynamics of these factors in the context of accessing healthcare services at the local level.

• Fekjær, Silje & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2023). In the Forefront of Female Policing? Women in the Scandinavian Police Forces. In Prenzler, Tim (Eds.), Gender Inclusive Policing: Challenges and Achievements. Routledge. ISSN 9781003283263. p. 1–11. doi: 10.4324/9781003283263-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Ballo, Jannike Gottschalk & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2023). Predicting stable employment trajectories among young people with disabilities. Journal of Education and Work. ISSN 1363-9080. 36(6), p. 408–425. doi: 10.1080/13639080.2023.2254271. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Research aiming to explain disabled people’s inequalities in the labour market has primarily focused on transitional factors between school and work, wage gaps, or socioeconomic background characteristics as expla- nations for (no-)entry in the labour market. There is a lack of longitudinal studies that map how disabled people fare in the labour market over time. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to identify, describe and predict stable employment paths of long-term disabled people. Our study employs detailed longitudinal data with total coverage of the Norwegian population – we focus on 11 birth cohorts (1973–83) of disabled individuals and we follow their employment trajectories between the ages 20 and 34. To describe employment trajectories and create a typology of longitudinal labour market attachments, we employ sequence analysis and subsequently linear probability models to analyse the association between the disability’s severity, gender, educational enrolment, early-work experience and employment trajectories. We iden- tify four main types of trajectories: permanently work-disabled, stable employment, early marginalisation, and unstable employment. Our find- ings indicate that men are more likely than women to have stable employ- ment trajectories. Starting higher education, as well as parental higher education, is linked with the likelihood of stable employment.

• Brekke, Idunn; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Ugreninov, Elisabeth; Suren, Pål & Evensen, Miriam (2023). Educational achievement among children with a disability: do parental resources compensate for disadvantage? SSM - Population Health. ISSN 2352-8273. 23. doi: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101465. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  We examined the impact of child disability on Grade Points Average (GPA) using all children aged 15–16 years who completed their lower secondary education and registered with a GPA score in the period from 2016 to 2020 in Norway (n = 247 120). We use registry data that contain information on the child's main diagnosis, such as physical-, neurological- and neurodevelopmental conditions, and the severity of the condition, additional to the child's family characteristics. First, we examined whether the impact of the child's disability on the GPA scores varied by diagnosis and the severity of the child's condition. Second, we examined whether higher parental socioeconomic status (SES) buffers against the negative impact of child disability on GPA scores. Using longitudinal register data with the school fixed-effect model, the results showed that children with neurological and neurodevelopmental disabilities obtained lower GPA scores than their typically developing peers without chronic conditions, however children with asthma and diabetes had comparable GPA scores. These associations were most evident for neurodevelopmental conditions, such as ADHD and autism but also notable for neurological conditions such as epilepsy. In general, a severe condition impacts GPA scores more negatively than a less severe condition. Moreover, our analysis revealed that children of highly educated parents obtained higher GPA scores than children who had parents with short education. This applied to both disabled and typically developing peers, except children with autism and epilepsy, among whom buffering due to the parent's education did not seem to apply.

• Brekke, Idunn & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2023). The health of mothers caring for a child with a disability: a longitudinal study. BMC Women's Health. 23(1). doi: 10.1186/s12905-023-02798-y. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Raising a child with disabilities requires a significant parental investment that is greater than that required by typically developing children. Previous studies have shown that parents caring for a child with a disability experience a range of health problems, particularly the mothers. However, few of these studies have controlled for maternal health prior to birth. Methods This study used a sample from the Norwegian administrative register that comprised all children born between 2009 and 2015. We followed the mothers and their children for 11 years, between 2009 and 2019. The outcome variable was the mothers’ physical and mental health, which was assessed using specific ICD-10 diagnoses recorded in the Norwegian Patient Register (NPR). The data included information on the mothers’ health before and after the birth of their first child, enabling us to control for maternal health prior to birth in our analysis, in addition to socio-demographic characteristics. The analyses of maternal health were performed using multiple logistic regression, and the results are presented on both a relative scale (odds ratio [OR]) and an absolute scale (average marginal effect [AME]), both with 95% confidence intervals. Results Mothers caring for a child with a disability have higher odds of having a diagnosis of a musculoskeletal disorder, depression, anxiety, sleeping disorder or migraines than mothers of children without a disability. The differences between the two groups of mothers decrease after adjusting for the characteristics of the children, mothers and families, but remain significant for musculoskeletal disorder, depression, anxiety and sleeping disorder, although the absolute differences are modest. Conclusion The findings suggest that mothers caring for a child with a disability are more likely to have health problems than mothers of children without a disability after controlling for maternal health prior to birth. Providing more support for mothers of children with a disability might help to improve their health.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Helland, Håvard; Hjellbrekke, Johannes & Jarness, Vegard (2022). Who you know: The classed structure of social capital. British Journal of Sociology. ISSN 0007-1315. 73(3), p. 505–535. doi: 10.1111/1468-4446.12945. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This article focuses on the social structuring of social capital, understood as resources embedded in social networks. The analysis integrates key theoretical–methodological insights from two distinct approaches concerned with social capital and inequality: the position-generator approach associated with Nan Lin and the spatial approach associated with Pierre Bourdieu. Empirically, we exploit the possibilities of survey data containing detailed information about the social ties of a representative sample of the Norwegian adult population (N = 4007). By means of Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA), we construct a space of social ties, a spatial representation of systematic similarities and differences between individuals' social ties to a set of 33 occupational positions. In this space, social capital is structured according to two primary dimensions: (i) the level of social ties, in terms of individuals' number of contacts; and (ii), the quality of social ties, in terms of a division between being connected to others in high-status positions and others in low-status positions. By means of Ascending Hierarchical Cluster analysis, five clusters are identified within the space of social ties: a homogenous working-class cluster, a well-connected working-class cluster, a cluster of high-status ties, a homogenous high-status cluster and a low-volume cluster. Moreover, the analysis clearly indicates that the structure of social capital is connected to respondents' class positions, their volumes of cultural and economic capital and their class origin. The analysis thus draws attention to the role of social capital in processes of social closure, regarding both resource monopolization and class formation.

• Fekjær, Silje Bringsrud & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2021). Attrition of Police Officers With Immigrant Background. Police Quarterly (PQ). ISSN 1098-6111. doi: 10.1177/10986111211053844. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recruiting police officers with immigrant backgrounds has a limited effect if many of these recruits leave the police service. The dropout and attrition rates among officers with immigrant backgrounds are also an important indicator of the challenges this group faces when joining the police profession. We investigated police education dropout patterns and attrition rates among police students and officers with immigrant backgrounds. Our study is based on detailed longitudinal data with total coverage of the population, which were previously unavailable for police career studies. Using logistic regression and coarsened exact matching, we analysed administrative registry data covering all individuals admitted to the Norwegian police university college (1995–2010, N = 6,570) and all police educated staff employed in the Norwegian police (1995–2014, N = 7,001). Students and police officers with non-Western immigrant backgrounds have a greater tendency to both drop out of education and leave the police service. Prior academic performance can only partly explain these higher educational dropout rates. Female and males with non-Western immigrant backgrounds have similar dropout patterns. Our results provide a rationale for developing policy aimed at not only recruiting, but also retaining police officers with immigrant backgrounds.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2021). Exploring the role of network diversity and resources in relationship to generalized trust in Norway. Social Networks. ISSN 0378-8733. 66, p. 91–99. doi: 10.1016/j.socnet.2021.02.002. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Several studies suggest a positive relationship between social capital and generalized trust. Employing a network understanding of social capital (Lin, 2001), this study questions which aspects of social networks may be linked with generalized trust. It investigates whether the diversity of social networks and the socio-economic status of one’s contacts are linked with generalized trust in the Norwegian, egalitarian context. The analyses examine these patterns in relationship to both kin and non-kin contacts. The study employs data from the first Norwegian survey that includes the position generator (PG). The empirical analyses show that extensive social networks are indeed linked to higher levels of generalized trust, but that this relationship is limited to non-kin contacts. Concerning the link between network resources and generalized trust, there is evidence of a more general association with generalized trust that holds when considering both kin and non-kin contacts. These results are a first step in developing a more nuanced discussion of the mechanisms associated with generalized trust and highlight the importance of employing measures that account for the homophily of networks when investigating their relationship to trust.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Fekjær, Silje Bringsrud (2020). Female attrition from the police profession. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management. ISSN 1363-951X. 43(2), p. 375–389. doi: 10.1108/pijpsm-09-2019-0147. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Abstract Purpose Do female police recruits drop out of police education and/or leave the profession more often than men, and has this changed over time? Can gender differences be explained by the background characteristics and family obligations of the recruits? Design/methodology/approach This paper employs administrative registry data covering all individuals admitted to the police academy (1995–2010, N = 6570) and all academy recruits employed in the Norwegian police (1992–2014, N = 7301). The paper analyses the data using discrete-time logistic regression and coarsened exact matching. Findings The levels of dropout and attrition are generally low. However, female recruits have a somewhat greater tendency both to drop out of education and to leave the force. The gender differences are quite stable, although the percentage of female recruits has risen sharply. Family obligations do not seem to explain female attrition from the police force. Research limitations/implications Because women tend to leave the police more often than men, further research is suggested in investigating female police recruits’ experiences. However, the relatively low level of dropout and limited gender differences also provide a reason to question whether stories of the police as a male-dominated profession not adapted to women are valid across time and in different settings. Originality/value This study provides exhaustive and detailed longitudinal data not previously available in studies of police careers. This study also tracks attrition in a period that has involved both increased numerical representation of women and changes in police culture, while accounting for other observable differences between male and female police officers. Contrary to common explanations, there is limited importance of family obligations and altered gender composition.

• Sadeghi, Talieh; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Fekjær, Silje Bringsrud; Meldalen, Sindre Granly & Thørrisen, Mikkel Magnus (2019). Ruskjøring: Straffes menn og kvinner ulikt? Retfærd: Nordic Journal of Law and Justice. ISSN 0105-1121. p. 9–24. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2019). Which doctors do we trust? A vignette experiment of how gender and ethnicity influence trust. Ethnicities. ISSN 1468-7968. p. 1–20. doi: 10.1177/1468796819877737. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Is people’s trust in doctors affected by their ethnicity or gender? It is often assumed that highly skilled migrants are protected from the worst effects of discrimination. Yet, they also report high degrees of discrimination. This study examines whether ethnic and gendered stereotypes influence trust in general practitioners in Norway. The question is investigated using a survey experiment. Respondents receive a brief resume of a general practitioner where the ethnicity and gender of the physician are randomly varied. Thereafter, the study focuses on investigating the interaction between the respondents' and fictive GPs' ethnicity and gender. The results show that while the majority population is indifferent to the ethnicity of the physicians, they prefer females. Non-Western minorities have a bias in favour of Pakistani-named GPs but are indifferent to the GP's gender.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2019). Putting a Face to Institutions: Professionals and Generalized Trust. Professions and Professionalism. 9(2). doi: 10.7577/pp.3100. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The central role institutions play in the development of generalized trust is well established by previous research. Yet, the role of the professionals employed in these institutions has received considerably less attention. This paper explores whether confidence in welfare state professionals is important in maintaining a high level of generalized trust in the Norwegian context. It is hypothesized that professionals may influence people’s generalized trust both via their formal role as gatekeepers and in informal settings as part of social networks. The results are based on novel cross-sectional data, and indicate that confidence in welfare professionals is correlated with generalized trust, while the presence of welfare professionals in a social network is not significantly associated with generalized trust. The relationship between confidence in professionals and generalized trust indicates that alongside good institutions, good service provision is important in maintaining a high level of generalized trust.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Drange, Ida (2019). Barriers to Access? Immigrant Origin and Occupational Regulation. Nordic Journal of Migration Research. 9(1), p. 37–59. doi: 10.2478/njmr-2019-0001. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  European labour markets have become increasingly accessible to foreign workers because of increased global migration and the implementation of international labour mobility agreements. Yet, skilled immigrants have lower occupational attainment. The regulated occupations, however, are more inclusive of immigrants than unregulated occupations. This article investigates immigrants’ likelihood of gaining access to licensed occupations in Norway, as well as how this varies between regions of origin and between immigrants with a foreign or domestic degree to determine whether employment outcomes are due to different impacts of regulatory frameworks. The empirical investigation uses administrative register data that cover the years 2003–2012. The results show that there are no significant differences between the immigrant groups with a domestic degree, while the results for immigrants with foreign degrees signal that without international agreements on mutual recognition of education credentials, those who are educated for a licensed profession are somewhat restricted in performing it.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Drange, Ida (2016). Hvilken betydning har regulering av yrker for yrkesmobilitet i Norge? Søkelys på arbeidslivet. ISSN 1504-8004. 33(1/2), p. 101–121. doi: 10.18261/issn.1504-7989-2016-01-02-06. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Yrkesregulering har fått økende internasjonal oppmerksomhet, da forsking har vist at lisensierings- og sertifiseringsordninger har betydning for rekruttering til yrket, for kvalitet i yrkesutøvelsen og for lønnsnivået. I denne artikkelen undersøker vi betydningen av lisensiering og sertifisering for yrkesmobilitet i Norge. Vi har kartlagt omfanget av yrkesregulering og tilrettelagt opplysningene i et datasett på yrkesnivå. Ved å koble dette til opplysninger om arbeidsmarkedsdeltakelse fra arbeidsgiver- og arbeidstakerregisteret til NAV, har vi fremskaffet en oversikt over forekomsten av yrkesregulering mellom 2003–2007. Omtrent 20 prosent av arbeidstakerne er underlagt lisensordninger og 12 prosent er underlagt sertifiseringsordninger. Arbeidstakere i lisensierte yrker har lavere mobilitet enn yrkesutøvere i åpne yrker, mens de som er i yrker med sertifiseringsordninger, har noe høyere mobilitet.

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• Gjersøe, Heidi Moen; Bråthen, Magne; Dahl, Espen & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2026). Does collaboration between welfare services and employers bring jobless people with complex needs back into work? Full text in Research Archive
• Drange, Ida; Underthun, Anders; Hansen, Per Bonde; Nortvedt, Line; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Koumenta, Maria [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2025). Sluttkonferanse Reconnect. Full text in Research Archive
• Drange, Ida & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2025). OCCUPATIONAL REGULATION AND HIRING PREFERENCES OF EMPLOYERS IN HEALTH, EDUCATION AND ENGINEERING. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hiring discrimination against ethnic minorities is pervasive in Western labour markets. Surveys and field experiments consistently reveal a lower hiring preference for minority ethnic groups, albeit the rate of discrimination varies across industries, occupations and sectors. Simultaneously, other research suggests that occupational licensure shelters immigrants from labour market discrimination due to lower immigrant-native gaps in earnings and employment in licensed compared with non-licensed occupations. So far, it has not been investigated whether employers who recruit to licensed occupations display less negative bias against ethnic minorities or if preferential outcomes are due to supply restrictions. In this research, we examine if employers display less negative bias towards ethnic minorities in hiring decisions when the occupation is subjected to legal regulations/licensure. We use a choice-based conjoint experiment, completed by 1065 Norwegian hiring managers across health, education, and engineering sectors. To isolate the role of the license on employers’ decision-making, we compare pairs of licensed and non-licensed occupations that regularly appear within the same employer, serve the same client group and have similar employment requirements. We find that licensure protects against discrimination to a limited degree, and that credential recognition increases the chances of being selected more in licensed occupations, which underscores the formalities of recruitment to those occupations.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Antonsen, Katrine & Lohne, Kjersti (2025). Descriptive statistics from penality on the move. Part 3: Danish Penal Aid | Oxford Law Blogs. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  How does penal power travel beyond the nation state? This question has concerned border criminology for some time now, which have helped uncovered various ways in which humanitarianism has been put to work on and for penal power in legitimating its transfer beyond the nation state (see themed series on ‘penal humanitarianism’). In our current research project, we have set out to map the intersections of humanitarian reason and penal governance in detail, focusing on the forms of penality leaving Denmark, Norway, and Sweden through development aid—indeed, as a form of ‘penal aid’ handed over to other states, societies, and citizens and as part of the ‘crime-development’ nexus. In three country-specific blog entries, we present descriptive statistics and visualizations from our datasets on Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish penal aid from 1990 to 2022, focusing on ‘what’ Scandinavian penal aid is, ‘where’ it is delivered, ‘how’ it is categorized and funded, and through ‘who’, meaning, which actors are involved in this form of penal transfer.

• Gjersøe, Heidi Moen; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Bråthen, Magne & Dahl, Espen (2025). Fører koordinering av arbeids- og velferdstjenester til at personer med sammensatte behov kommer i arbeid? doi: https:/www.oslomet.no/om/arrangement/trygdeforskningsseminaret-2025. Full text in Research Archive
• Antonsen, Katrine; Lohne, Kjersti & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2025). Descriptive statistics from penality on the move. Part 2: Swedish Penal Aid | Oxford Law Blogs. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  How does penal power travel beyond the nation state? This question has concerned border criminology for some time now, which have helped uncovered various ways in which humanitarianism has been put to work on and for penal power in legitimating its transfer beyond the nation state (see themed series on ‘penal humanitarianism’). In our current research project, we have set out to map the intersections of humanitarian reason and penal governance in detail, focusing on forms of penality leaving Norway, Sweden and Denmark through development aid—indeed, as a form of ‘penal aid’ handed over to other states, societies, and citizens and as part of the ‘crime-development’ nexus. In three country-specific blog entries, we present descriptive statistics and visualizations from our datasets on Norwegian, Swedish and Danish penal aid from 1990 to 2022, focusing on ‘what’ Scandinavian penal aid is, ‘where’ it is delivered, ‘how’ it is categorized and funded, and through ‘who’, meaning, which actors are involved in this form of penal transfer.   

• Lohne, Kjersti; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Antonsen, Katrine (2025). Descriptive statistics from penality on the move. Part 1: Norwegian Penal Aid. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  How does penal power travel beyond the nation state? This question has concerned border criminology for some time now, which have helped uncovered various ways in which humanitarianism has been put to work on and for penal power in legitimating its transfer beyond the nation state (see themed series on ‘penal humanitarianism’). In our current research project, we have set out to map the intersections of humanitarian reason and penal governance in detail, focusing on forms of penality leaving Norway, Sweden and Denmark through development aid—indeed, as a form of ‘penal aid’ handed over to other states, societies, and citizens and as part of the ‘crime-development’ nexus. In three country-specific blog entries, we present descriptive statistics and visualizations from our datasets on Norwegian, Swedish and Danish penal aid from 1990 to 2022, focusing on ‘what’ Scandinavian penal aid is, ‘where’ it is delivered, ‘how’ it is categorized and funded, and through ‘who’, meaning, which actors are involved in this form of penal transfer.   

• Rørvik, Tone S.; Ansteensen, Ann-Kristin & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2025). Derfor varierer prisene i grønnsaksdisken. [Internet]. TV2.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2025). Why the state comes out ahead: Judicial decision-making in disability cases in the Norwegian National Insurance court in disability cash-benefit cases. Full text in Research Archive
• Solhjell, Randi; Lohne, Kjersti & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2025). Penal Policy Beyond the State: Examining police export as foreign aid. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  To address regional development, political and conflict issues in the Global South, Global North donors have engaged in police reform and sent police officers through foreign aid since the 1990s. While donors generally agree on democratic policing and principles of human rights, there is little consensus on how these norms are implemented (Ellison & Pino, 2012, p. 2), especially when applied to different histories and contexts (Watson & Kerrigan, 2018). Scholars have shown that such policing model and their exports have failed to establish democratically response and locally accountable policing (Blaustein, 2015; Ellison & O'Reilly, 2008; Ellison & Pino, 2012). But less is know about the origin of these exports situated in foreign aid projects from the Global North. We take a closer look at foreign data from 2000 to 2022, from three relatively generous donors considering aid per capita, namely Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Our data shows the variety of project themes, actors involved and geographical location, that together illustrates who gets funded, where, when and topic priorities of donors.

• Gjersøe, Heidi Moen; Dahl, Espen; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Bråthen, Magne (2024). The impact of inner-organisational factors of welfare and employment offices’ provision of activation services to long-term health beneficiaries. Full text in Research Archive
• Lohne, Kjersti; Solhjell, Randi & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2024). Policing the global borderlands: a mapping of Scandinavian police aid. Full text in Research Archive
• Brekke, Idunn; Vedeler, Janikke Solstad; Früh, Elena Albertini; Alecu, Andreea I.; Anvik, Cecilie Høj & Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik [Show all 19 contributors for this article] (2024). Svikter velferdsstaten kvinner? Fontene. ISSN 0805-5432. Full text in Research Archive
• Roos, Gun; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik (2024). Economic costs to households raising a child with cerebral palsy. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Alecu, Andreea I. & Roos, Gun (2024). Economic costs of raising a child with ADHD: A needs-based approach. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik & Alecu, Andreea I. (2024). Playing the Snakes and Ladder Game: Caregivers' Experiences in Applying for Cash Benefits when Caring for a Child with ADHD in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Roos, Gun; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik (2024). Everyday household costs of raising a child with cerebral palsy. Full text in Research Archive
• Brekke, Idunn; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Celestia, Ohrazda & Lee, Jiwon (2023). Implications of Childhood Autism Spectrum Disorder for Maternal Employment: United States vs. Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Brekke, Idunn & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2023). The health of mothers caring for a child with a disability: a longitudinal study. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Roos, Gun & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2023). Everyday household costs of raising a child with ADHD. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Lynum, Markus & Roos, Gun (2023). Estimating direct and out-of-pocket costs of living with a disability: A review of the literature. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Ansteensen, Ann-Kristin (2023). The Norwegian reference budget - what we are working on in 2023. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Brekke, Idunn (2023). Uptake of cash benefits among children with a disability in Norway: the role of parental characteristics. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Roos, Gun & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2023). Incremental costs of raising a child with ADHD. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2023). Kan skeive stole på politiet? [Radio]. Nrk P2. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2023). Hva koster det å leve? Referansebudsjett som et verktøy for velferdsstaten. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2023). Playing the snakes and ladder game. Caregivers experiences in applying for cash benefits when caring for a child with ADHD in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea I. & Ingrid, Schou (2023). Mange sliter med å unngå «abonnements­fella»: – Her er det penger å spare, sier forsker. [Internet]. Forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik & Roos, Gun (2022). Mind the gap – household costs and consequences associated with disability. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Poppe, Christian (2022). Flere aleneboere sliter økonomisk. De med boliglån har det verst. [Journal]. Aftenposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Dulsrud, Arne; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Lassen, Kjersti (2022). Vanskeleg å seie opp abonnement på nett. [Internet]. oslomet.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Roos, Gun & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2022). WP 2: Measuring the household costs of child disability. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Skuland, Silje Elisabeth (2022). Det norske referansebudsjettet. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2022). Funksjonshemmedes arbeidslivsdeltakelse. Forskjeller i utdanning, yrke, lønn og tilknytningsforløp. Full text in Research Archive
• Brekke, Idunn & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2022). Health of mothers caring for a child with a disability. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Brekke, Idunn (2022). Socioeconomic variation in uptake of cash benefit for children with a disability in Norway. Full text in Research Archive
• Fekjær, Silje & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2022). Minoriteter velger bort politiyrket. Politiforum. ISSN 1500-6921. Full text in Research Archive
• Sadeghi, Talieh; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Terum, Lars Inge (2022). Deservingness Theory and Social Obligation Orientations: A Study on Street-level Bureaucrats’ Attitudes and Discretionary Decision-making. Full text in Research Archive
• Frøyland, Kjetil; Leseth, Anne; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Ballo, Jannike Gottschalk & Sadeghi, Talieh (2022). "Fell" for mange unge utanfor skule og arbeid? Full text in Research Archive
• Brekke, Idunn; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Evensen, Miriam; Ugreninov, Elisabeth & Suren, Pål (2022). Educational Attainment among children with a Disability: the impact of family characteristics. Full text in Research Archive
• Leseth, Anne; Frøyland, Kjetil; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Ballo, Jannike Gottschalk & Sadeghi, Talieh (2022). Stadig flere unge faller utenfor skole og arbeid. Hvorfor lar vi det skje? Full text in Research Archive
• Frøyland, Kjetil; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Sadeghi, Talieh (2022). Inkludering av unge i skole, arbeid og samfunn - en sammenstilling av kunnskap fra nordisk forskning. Full text in Research Archive
• Ballo, Jannike Gottschalk & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2021). Disabled people’s stable labour market attachments: A sequence analysis of employment trajectories. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Laitala, Kirsi & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2020). WP 2: Direkte kostnader forbundet med å ha omsorg for barn med nedsatt funsjonsevne. Full text in Research Archive
• Fekjær, Silje Bringsrud & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2020). Politiet: Et sted å bli. Politiforum. ISSN 1500-6921. Full text in Research Archive
• Osland, Oddgeir; Helland, Håvard & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2018). Profesjonsutdanninger som integreringsmekanismer. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Drange, Ida (2016). Barriers to Access? Immigrant origin and occupational attainment. Full text in Research Archive
• Hjellbrekke, Johannes; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Helland, Håvard (2016). The Structure of Social Capital. Full text in Research Archive
• Helland, Håvard; With, Mari Lande; Mausethagen, Sølvi & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2016). Lærernes status. Bedre Skole. ISSN 0802-183X. p. 12–16. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Drange, Ida (2016). Hvilken betydning har regulering av yrker for yrkesmobilitet i Norge? Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2015). Bør ha utdanning i dagens samfunn. [Radio]. P5 Stavanger. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Osland, Oddgeir & Bringedal, Berit (2015). Management growth in higher education and health care? Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Lassen, Kjersti (2014). Kort vei til relevant jobb for lærere og sykepleiere. [Internet]. forskning.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Ansteensen, Ann-Kristin (2026). SIFOs referansebudsjett for forbruksutgifter 2026. Forbruksforskningsinstituttet SIFO, OsloMet. ISSN 9788270636013. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I denne rapporten presenterer vi referansebudsjettet for 2026 og hvordan vi har arbeidet med årets oppdatering. I 2026-versjonen av referansebudsjettet har grunnlaget for forbruksområdene «mat og drikke» og «møbler» blitt revidert. Vi har også hentet inn nye priser for forbruksområdene «mat og drikke», «andre dagligvarer», «møbler», «barnehage», «skolefritidsordning» og «kollektivtransport». Kostnadsestimatene for de resterende forbruksområdene er justert i tråd med konsumprisindeksen. De nye tallene viser at de individspesifikke utgiftene totalt har økt med 1 223 kr per måned fra februar 2025 til februar 2026. Samlet sett har de husholdningsspesifikke utgiftspostene, ekskludert barnehage, hatt en månedlig økning på 1 343 kr. Det vil at årskostnadene, utenom barnehage, har økt med 16 116 kr. Hvis vi legger inn barnehage - hvor kostnaden har blitt betydelig redusert - er den årlige økningen 7 316 kr, mens den månedlige økningen er på 610 kr.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Gyüre, Krisztina & Holtar, Lasse (2026). Når arbeid ikke er nok? Forholdet mellom inntekt og nivået i referansebudsjettet blant yrkesaktive aleneboende og enslige forsørgere, 2015–2023. Forbruksforskningsinstituttet SIFO, OsloMet. ISSN 9788270635993. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rapporten undersøker forholdet mellom husholdningenes inntekt etter skatt og nivået i referansebudsjettet i perioden 2015–2023, med særlig fokus på aleneboende og enslige forsørgere som er lønnet arbeid i denne perioden. For aleneboende utgjør referansebudsjettet om lag en tredel av disponibel inntekt for etablerte aldersgrupper (31–66 år), med små endringer over tid. Andelen aleneboende under nivået i referansebudsjettet ligger jevnt rundt 8–10 prosent, med topp i 2020 og noe lavere nivåer mot 2023. For aleneforsørgere, er den tilsvarende andelen på omkring 4–5 prosent av utvalget i perioden 2015 til 2023. Blant enslige forsørgere utgjør referansebudsjettet en langt større andel av inntekten enn for enslige. Samlet viser analysene at éninntektshushold, spesielt enslige forsørgere med små og/eller flere barn, har strammere økonomiske rammer for nødvendige ikke-boligutgifter målt i referansebudsjettet, og at mye av variasjonen kan forstås gjennom livsfase, husholdningsstruktur, utdanning og yrkestilknytning.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Gyüre, Krisztina (2026). Stordriftseffekter i referansebudsjettet: Store familier, lavere kostnader? Forbruksforskningsinstituttet SIFO, OsloMet. ISSN 9788270635986. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rapporten undersøker forbrukstilpasninger i norske husholdninger med vekt på stordriftseffekter etter husholdningsstørrelse og -sammensetning, med sikte på å vurdere om stordriftseffekten i referansebudsjettet bør justeres. Basert på SSBs forbruksundersøkelse 2022 (publisert 2024) analyseres individspesifikke utgifter til mat og drikke, klær og sko, personlig pleie, lek, medier og fritid (individ og hushold) samt totalt konsum. I overgangen fra fire til fem personer anslås stordriftseffekten til om lag 7 prosent for totalt konsum og 8 prosent for mat og drikke. Vi finner ikke stordriftsfordeler for personlig pleie og klær og sko, eller ytterlige stordrifteffekter for lek, medier og fritid i tråd med dagens referansebudsjett. Datagrunnlaget for barnefamilier er noe usikker, og ser vi svake indikasjoner på stordriftseffekter mat og drikke for parfamilier, men ikke ellers.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Brekke, Idunn & Ugreninov, Elisabeth (2026). Betydningen av koronapandemien for barn med funksjonsnedsettelser og deres foreldre. En registerbasert studie om helse- og omsorgstjenester, arbeidsdeltakelse og sykefravær. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788278949085. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Notatet undersøker om koronapandemien påvirket bruk av helse- og omsorgstjenester blant barn med funksjonsnedsettelser, og foreldrenes arbeidsdeltakelse og sykefravær. Analysene dekker perioden 2018–2022 og benytter registerdata for barn født i perioden 1998-2022 og deres foreldre. Resultatene tyder på at koronapandemien i liten grad endret bruk av helse- og omsorgstjenester blant barn med funksjonsnedsettelser. Studien viser videre at mødre til barn med funksjonsnedsettelser hadde betydelig lavere arbeidsdeltakelse og høyere sykefravær enn andre mødre. Blant fedre var forskjellene langt mindre. Notatet er utarbeidet på oppdrag fra Bufdir.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2025). Forbrukernes tillit på prøve? Utfordringer og utvikling i norske og europeiske forbrukerforhold 2014–2024. Forbruksforskningsinstituttet SIFO, OsloMet. ISSN 9788270635894. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  De siste ti årene har norske forbrukere hatt høyere tillit til markedsaktører og bedre kjennskap til forbrukerrettigheter enn europeiske, men flere indikatorer viser en negativ utvikling. Tilliten til forbrukerorganisasjoner og selgere har falt, mens tilliten til offentlige myndigheter har holdt seg stabil. Problemer med varer og tjenester har økt fra 17 % i 2014 til 30 % i 2024, og tilliten til tvisteløsningssystemer har svekket seg kraftig. Samtidig har økonomisk trygghet forbedret seg i 2024 fra 2022, og noen digitale handelspraksiser, som falske anmeldelser, har blitt mindre utbredt. Likevel gjenstår utfordringer som villedende markedsføring og lotterisvindel. Dette peker på behovet for tiltak som styrker forbrukernes tillit og forbedrer klagehåndtering.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Ansteensen, Ann-Kristin (2025). SIFOs referansebudsjett for forbruksutgifter 2025. SIFO-rapport 2-2025. Forbruksforskningsinstituttet SIFO, OsloMet. ISSN 9788270635801. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I denne prosjektrapporten presenterer vi referansebudsjettet for 2025 og hvordan vi har arbeidet med årets oppdatering. I 2025-versjonen av referansebudsjettet har grunnlaget for forbruksområdet «klær og sko» blitt revidert. Vi har også hentet inn nye priser for forbruksområdene «mat og drikke», «barnehage», «skolefritidsordning» og «kollektivtransport». I tillegg har vi inkludert nøkterne kostnader forbundet med bursdagsfeiring for barn i forbruksområdet «lek og mediebruk». Kostnadsestimatene for de resterende forbruksområdene er justert i tråd med konsumprisindeksen. De nyetallene viser at kostnader har økt innenfor de alle forbruksområder unntatt «barnehage», hvor kostnadene har blitt redusert.

• Ansteensen, Ann-Kristin & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2024). Det er sluttsummen på kassalappen du betaler. Kostnadsutviklingen for mat og drikke og andre forbruksområder i referansebudsjettet august 2021 – august 2024. SIFO-notat 5-2024. Forbruksforskningsinstituttet SIFO, OsloMet. Full text in Research Archive
• Bilgrei, Ola Røed; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Kok, Erlend Hua Lun (2024). Kostnader ved barn i delt bosted. En scoping review av norsk forskningslitteratur. Forbruksforskningsinstituttet SIFO, OsloMet. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I løpet av de siste tiårene har det vært store endringer i bosteds- og samværsløsninger for barn med foreldre som ikke bor sammen. Selv om fast bosted hos mor fortsatt er den mest utbredte løsningen, har andelen som velger delt bosted vært økende. Denne økningen skyldes blant annet en bevisst familiepolitikk som har støttet kjønnsnøytralitet og likestilling mellom foreldre. Forskning viser også at delte bostedsløsninger som oftest er positivt for barna det gjelder. Mindre forskning er imidlertid viet de økonomiske kostnadene og materielle behovene som følger med barns delte bosted. Målet med dette notatet er å kartlegge den norske forskningslitteraturen med henblikk på de økonomiske kostnadene og materielle behovene ved barns delte bosted. Vi har gjennomført en scoping review av norsk forskningslitteratur for å 1) identifisere de tilleggsbehov og økonomiske kostnader som er forbundet med barn i delt bosted; 2) kartlegge de ulike definisjonene av delt bosted i forskningslitteraturen; 3) vurdere om variasjoner i barns bostedsordninger påvirker disse behovene og kostnadene; og 4) utforske hvilke metoder som brukes i studier av behov og kostnader relatert til delt bosted. I samarbeid med bibliotekarer ved ressursgruppe for litteratursøk ved OsloMet, har vi gjennomført søk i den elektroniske databasen Oria. Søket inneholdt ulike definisjoner av delt bosted, variasjoner av disse, samt andre relevante begreper. Vi inkluderte alle typer studiedesign, inkludert kvalitative og kvantitative metoder, og søket resulterte i totalt 109 treff. To forskere har gjennomgått publikasjonene for mulig inkludering, uavhengig av hverandre. Videre utvikling og rapportering i studien har fulgt sjekklisten og retningslinjene i PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews). I dette notatet redegjør vi for bakgrunnen for prosjektet, gjennomgår deler av den internasjonale litteraturen på feltet, beskriver det metodiske designet som ligger til grunn for studien, og presenterer funn fra litteratursøket. Konklusjonen er at det per i dag ikke foreligger norske studier som studerer de økonomiske kostnadene og materielle behovene ved barns delte bosted. Majoriteten av studiene utforsker omfang og familiekarakterstikker i tilfeller der delt bosted praktiseres, og hva som er barn og unges erfaringer med slike bostedsordninger. Selv om slike bostedsordninger kan ha store konsekvenser for den enkelte husholdningens økonomi, er det imidlertid et fraværende element i den identifiserte forskningslitteraturen. Det er derfor behov for ytterligere studier for å belyse denne problemstillingen. Forskningsgruppen ved SIFO arbeider parallelt med en internasjonal versjon av litteratursøket. Så vidt vi vet vil denne litteraturgjennomgangen være den første til å syntetisere de materielle og økonomiske kostnadene ved barn i delt bosted. Denne oversikten er derfor viktig for å informere beslutningstagere, veilede fremtidig forskning og potensielt påvirke politikkutvikling, juridiske rammeverk og støttetjenester for familier med barn som har delt bosted.

• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Ansteensen, Ann-Kristin & Alecu, Andreea I. (2024). SIFOs referansebudsjett for forbruksutgifter 2024. SIFO-rapport nr. 3-2024. Forbruksforskningsinstituttet SIFO, OsloMet. ISSN 9788270635696. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I denne prosjektrapporten presenterer vi referansebudsjettet for 2024 og hvordan vi har arbeidet med årets oppdatering. I 2024-versjonen av referansebudsjettet har grunnlaget for forbruksområdene «lek og mediebruk» og «mediebruk og fritid» blitt revidert. Vi har også hentet inn nye priser for forbruksområdene «bilkostnader», «barnehage», «skolefritidsordning» og «kollektivtransport». Kostnadsestimatene for de resterende forbruksområdene er justert i tråd med konsumprisindeksen. De nye tallene viser at kostnader har økt innenfor de fleste forbruksområdene, foruten for «lek og mediebruk» for enkelte aldersgrupper, hvor kostnadene har blitt redusert, og for «barnehage» og «Aktivitetsskolen AKS», hvor kostnadene har blitt redusert for utvalgte grupper.

• Skuland, Silje Elisabeth; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Kok, Erlend Hua Lun; Ansteensen, Ann-Kristin; Roos, Gun & Lynum, Markus [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). Utredning av kunnskapsgrunnlaget for sosialhjelpssatser. SIFO-rapport nr. 5-2024. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788270635719. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  samlet inn og analysert: Nasjonale råd og anbefalinger som har betydning for hva som bør inngå i et forsvarlig livsopphold, spørreundersøkelsedata av 1511 nåværende og tidligere mottakere av økonomisk sosialhjelp, 20 dybdeintervjuer med sosialhjelpsmottakere, seks intervjuer med Nav-veiledere. En behovsbasert tilnærming har blitt brukt for å operasjonalisere behov som bør dekkes for å ha et forsvarlig livsopphold og for å beregne budsjetter for personer som mottar sosialhjelp som hovedinntektskilde i inntil ett år. Vårt foreslåtte budsjett omfatter utgifter til helt grunnleggende behov som mat, personlig hygiene, klær og skotøy, kommunikasjon og husholdningsartikler i hjemmet, og som tar også høyde for løpende utgifter som fritid og grunnleggende sosiale behov. Andre nødvendige utgifter som varierer mye eller har for høy pris er ikke inkludert vårt foreslåtte budsjett. Vår vurdering er at dagens veiledende satser er for lave å opprettholde et forsvarlig livsopphold. Vi anbefaler vi å gjøre mer presise og hyppigere prisjusteringer av sosialhjelpssatsene, gjøre nye vurderinger av forbruksområdene ytelsen omfatter hvert femte år og dele opp brukergruppen «Barn 11-17 år» i to undergrupper: Barn 11-14 år og Barn 15-17 år.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Lynum, Markus & Berg, Lisbet (2023). Tillit, opplevde problemer og (nett)handel: Endringer blant forbrukere i Norge og EU i perioden 2010 til 2020. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788270635498. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this report, we analyze data on the trust in, and the experience of, markets that consumers in Norway and the EU have. By drawing on data collected through the European Commission's Scoreboard surveys, we provide an overview of consumer welfare in Norway and the EU over the past ten years. The proportion of consumers who use online shopping has increased considerably since 2010, and that Norwegian consumers are among those who shop online the most. Our results indicate that around 70 percent of Norwegian consumers state that they have bought goods and services from Norway over the internet. Our analysis also shows that Norwegian consumers consistently have a high level of trust in consumer authorities and sellers in the period 2011 to 2020, and that this remains fairly stable. One of the more worrying findings in the report is that relatively few consumers know their rights in both Norway and the EU. Depending on which consumer rights are in question, 4 to 6 out of 10 Norwegians do not know their rights. In the survey of market-specific indicators for 13 markets, we further see that the proportion of consumers who have experienced problems in the period between 2012 and 2017 has increased for almost all of the investigated markets, with the exception of internet delivery (which also had a very high starting point in 2012). The markets for electricity and internet delivery appear to be rather problematic in this period for Norwegian consumers. Norwegian consumers have relatively lower trust in these markets and find it quite difficult to compare goods and services. The bank account market enjoys a consistently high level of confidence among Norwegian consumers, while confidence in the market for loans, credit and credit is comparatively lower. Although the data from Consumer Scoreboards has some limitations, this data is highly valuable for understanding developments in consumer behavior, attitudes, and trust.

• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Ansteensen, Ann-Kristin; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Blomberg, Lilli Mathilde Sofie Wolland (2023). SIFOs referansebudsjett for forbruksutgifter 2023. Forbruksforskningsinstituttet SIFO, OsloMet. ISSN 9788270635535. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I denne prosjektrapporten presenterer vi referansebudsjettet for 2023 og hvordan vi har arbeidet med årets oppdatering. I 2023-versjonen av referansebudsjettet har grunnlaget for forbruksområdet «husholdningsartikler» blitt fullstendig revidert, mens grunnlaget for forbruksområdet «andre dagligvarer» har blitt delvis revidert, og nye priser er samlet inn. Vi har også hentet inn nye priser for budsjettpostene «mat og drikke», «personlig pleie», «reisekostnader», «spedbarnsutstyr», «møbler», «bilkostnader», «barnehage» og «aktivitetsskolen AKS». Kostnadsestimatene for forbruksområdene «klær og sko», «lek og mediebruk» og «mediebruk og fritid» er justert i tråd med endringer i konsumprisindeksen. De nye tallene viser at kostnadene har økt innenfor alle forbruksområdene, foruten for «barnehage» og «andre dagligvarer» hvor kostnadene har blitt redusert. Det er kostnader til «husholdningsartikler», «mat og drikke» og «bilhold» som har økt mest i referansebudsjettet i perioden mellom februar 2022 til februar 2023.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Jacobsen, Eivind (2023). Noen hovedpunkter fra EU-kommisjonens Consumers Conditions Survey (CCS) 2022. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788270635580. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  I denne enkle tabellrapporten har vi sett på norske og europeiske borgeres opplevelse av å være forbruker, kjennskap til rettigheter, samt borgeres erfaringer på tvers av markeder. Rapporten er basert på tallmateriale fra EU-kommisjonens Consumers Conditions Survey (CCS). Der det har latt seg gjøre har vi sammenlignet utviklingen i Norge med EU for perioden 2014 til 2022.

• Frøyland, Kjetil; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Ballo, Jannike Gottschalk; Leseth, Anne; Sadeghi, Talieh & Abdelzadeh, Ali [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2022). Inclusion of young people in school, work and society - a review of Nordic research literature. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788276094350. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In autumn 2019, the Norwegian Ministry of Labour and Social Inclusion and the Nordic Council of Ministers commissioned a literature review from the Centre for Work Inclusion (KAI) at OsloMet based on relevant Nordic research literature on vulnerable young people, exclusion and inclusion. Responsibility was assigned to a group of researchers at OsloMet/KAI who have collaborated with an external research group, reference group and user group, all comprising representatives from the Nordic countries/areas. A strategic literature search was conducted comprising a systematic search and subsequent identification of relevant studies based on input from the research group. A total of 84 studies were included. The main focus has been on studies from the social sciences on inclusion in work, school and society. The literature review identified many common challenges between the Nordic countries, but also contextual differences. The studies describe positive effects from various initiatives targeting vulnerable young people. We find consensus in the literature when it comes to what it takes to improve opportunities for inclusion. Facilitating good interaction, good relationships, establishing community arenas, providing sufficiently close individual follow-up by support personnel with inclusion competence and facilitating participation are all key factors. Factors at the structural level are also important, such as coordination and cooperation, flexible pathways through the education system, and parallel and simultaneous assistance and efforts. It is a key point that a certain continuity and duration of measures and efforts is required. We consider it a weakness in the effect studies from the Nordic context that they do not study inclusion as a phenomenon and that they are unclear about the effects of the various measures targeting vulnerable young people.

• Frøyland, Kjetil; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Ballo, Jannike Gottschalk; Leseth, Anne; Sadeghi, Talieh & Abdelzadeh, Ali [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2022). Inkludering av unge i skole, arbeid og samfunn - en sammenstilling av kunnskap fra nordisk forskning. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788276094343. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Kompetansesenter for arbeidsinkludering (KAI) ved OsloMet fikk høsten 2019 i oppdrag fra AID og Nordisk Ministerråd å utarbeide en kunnskapssammenstilling av relevant nordisk forskningslitteratur om utsatte unge, utenforskap og inkludering. Ansvaret ble lagt til en gruppe forskere ved OsloMet/KAI som har samarbeidet med en ekstern forskergruppe, referansegruppe og brukergruppe, alle med representanter fra de nordiske landene/områdene. Et strategisk litteratursøk ble gjennomført bestående av et systematisk søk, og en innhenting av relevante studier basert på innspill fra forskergruppa. 84 studier ble inkludert. Hovedfokuset har vært på samfunnsvitenskapelige studier om inkludering i arbeid og skole, og samfunn. Litteraturgjennomgangen viser mange felles utfordringer i de nordiske landene, men også kontekstuelle forskjeller. Studiene beskriver en rekke positive virkninger for utsatt ungdom av ulike innsatser. Vi finner en samstemthet i litteraturen om hva som skal til å forbedre mulighetene for inkludering. Sentralt er det å legge til rette for «gode møter», gode relasjoner, etablere fellesskaper, tilby passe tett individuell oppfølging fra hjelpere med inkluderingskompetanse, samt å legge til rette for medvirkning. I tillegg er forhold på strukturelt nivå viktige, så som koordinering og samarbeid, fleksible veier gjennom utdanningssystemet, samt parallellitet og samtidighet i bistand og innsatser. Et hovedpoeng er at det kreves kontinuitet og varighet i tiltak og innsatser. Vi finner en svakhet i effektstudiene for den nordiske konteksten ved at de ikke studerer inkludering som fenomen og er utydelige på virkningen av ulike innsatser for utsatt ungdom.

• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Lynum, Markus (2022). SIFOs Referansebudsjett for forbruksutgifter 2022. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788270635429. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This report presents the Norwegian reference budget for 2022, a summary of the most important changes that have been made compared to the reference budget for 2021 and a summary of the basis on which these changes are made. The consumption area “Other everyday household items” has been revised and updated. Additionally, new prices have also been collected in 2022 for the budget items “Travel costs (commute)”, “Car costs”, “Kindergarten” and “Day care facilities for schoolchildren”. For the other consumption areas in the reference budget, prices are adjusted in accordance with changes in the consumer price index (CPI).

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Dulsrud, Arne (2022). Consumer dissatisfaction, complaints, and experiences in Norwegian e-commerce. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788270635405. Full text in Research Archive
• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik & Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2022). SIFOs Referansebudsjett for forbruksutgifter – andre halvår 2022. SIFO Rapport 7-2022. Forbruksforskningsinstituttet SIFO. ISSN 9788270635436. Full text in Research Archive
• Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Drange, Ida & Underthun, Anders (2022). Evaluering av kompletterende utdanning for ingeniører, lærere og sykepleiere ved OsloMet. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788276094473. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Kompletterende utdanning for flyktninger ble etablert ved OsloMet i 2017. Utdanningene ble tilbudt til ingeniører, sykepleiere og lærere med utdanning fra et land utenfor EU/EØS-området. Utdanningene skal lede fram til autorisasjon som sykepleier, yrkesgodkjenning som lærer og forenkle overgangen til arbeid i yrket for ingeniørene. Rapporten bygger på intervjuer med uteksaminerte kandidater, intervjuer med praksisveiledere og arbeidsgivere og spørreundersøkelser til tidligere og nåværende studenter i utdanningene. Resultatene viser at kandidatene er godt fornøyde med utdanningstilbudet, og at flertallet av kandidatene er i jobb eller i etter- og videreutdanning. Det er forskjeller mellom utdanningene med tanke på arbeidsmarkedsutfall. Sykepleierstudentene rapporterer at det har vært lett å finne seg en relevant jobb etter studiet, mens lærere og ingeniører rapporterer at det har vært mer utfordrende. Det kan forstås i lys av etterspørsel, formelle og uformelle kvalifikasjonskrav i arbeidsmarkedene som utdanningene kvalifiserer til.

• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Borgeraas, Elling Martin (2021). Oppdatering av forbruksområdet "Personlig pleie". Vurdering av vare- og tjenestegrunnlaget i referansebudsjettet. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788270635214. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne rapporten er en rapportering av arbeidet med å oppdatere forbruksområdet «Personlig pleie» i referansebudsjettet. Oppdateringen innebærer å sjekke om det som ligger inne i budsjettposten fremdeles er relevant og om det trengs endringer eller justeringer når det gjelder hvilke varer eller tjenester som skal ligge inne i budsjettet, hvilke mengder av varene eller tjenestene som ligger inne eller levetiden varene er beregnet å ha. En rekke informasjonskilder benyttes i oppdateringsarbeidet. Anbefalinger fra offentlig myndigheter, fra eksperter og fagpersoner innenfor de ulike forbruksområdene legger tydelige føringer for innholdet i budsjettposten. Videre benyttes informasjon samlet inn gjennom fokusgruppeintervjuer, og informasjon om det empiriske forbruket der hvor det er tilgjengelig. Innholdet i budsjettposten har også blitt vurdert opp mot resultater fra en undersøkelse om behov for produkter og tjenester til personlig pleie som konsumentverket i Sverige har gjennomført i forbindelse med oppdateringen av det svenske referansebudsjettet, og opp mot anbefalingene for innholdet i denne budsjettposten i et pilotprosjekt for utvikling av et felleseuropeisk referansebudsjett. Oppdateringsarbeidet har resultert i at en del varer- og tjenester har blitt lagt til, noen varer har blitt tatt ut og endringer er gjort når det gjelder mengder, varetyper og/eller forventet levetid for en rekke varer i budsjettposten. Noen varer og tjenester i budsjettposten er uendret. Nye priser er samlet inn for alle varer og tjenester i budsjettposten.

• Austgulen, Marthe Hårvik; Alecu, Andreea Ioana & Naterstad, Anders (2021). SIFOs Referansebudsjett for forbruksutgifter 2021. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788270635238. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Denne rapporten presenterer referansebudsjettet for 2021, en oppsummering av de viktigste endringene som er gjortsammenlignet med referansebudsjettet for 2020 og en oppsummering av grunnlaget disse endringene er basert på. I forbindelse med at tidligere versjoner av referansebudsjettet blir tilgjengeliggjort i kalkulatoren for forbruksutgifter, presenterer vi i denne rapporten også en kortfattet oversikt av hvordan referansebudsjettet som helhet, og de ulike forbruksområdene hver for seg, har utviklet seg over tid. I forbindelse med publiseringen av 2021-versjonen av referansebudsjettet har grunnlaget for to forbruksområder blitt revidert og oppdatert, og nye priser er samlet inn i 2021. Disse forbruksområdene er «Spedbarnsutstyr» og «Personlig pleie». I forbindelse med oppdateringen av budsjettposten Spedbarnsutstyr» ble også kostnader spesifikt knyttet til spedbarn (< 1 år) revidert for forbruksområdene «Lek og mediebruk» og «Personlig pleie». Nye priser er også hentet inn i 2021 for budsjettpostene «Reisekostnader», «Bilkostnader», «Barnehage» og «SFO/AKS». For de øvrige forbruksområder i referansebudsjettet er prisene justert i henhold til endringer i konsumprisindeksen (KPI). Videre er beregningen av stordriftseffekt for de individspesifikke forbruksområdene justert og denne beregnes i 2021-versjonen av budsjettet kun for forbruksområdet «Mat og drikke» og kun for parfamilier med mer enn to barn. Størrelsen på denne effekten er en reduksjon på 12%.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2021). Hvordan vurderer norske forbrukere utvalgte markeder? Hovedresultater fra Markets Monitoring Survey runde 1 og 2. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788270635344. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sett under ett har norske forbrukere et noe høyere nivå av tillit til markedene sammenlignet med forbrukere i EU27. Andelene av forbrukere i Norge som opplever problemer er - for de fleste markedene – på omtrent samme nivå som i EU27 og i de øvrige nordiske landene. Andelene som synes det er vanskelige å sammenligne varer og tjenester er derimot betydelig høyere i Norge enn i EU27. Halvparten, eller flere, av forbrukerne som har besvart MMS runde 1 eller 2, synes det er vanskelig å sammenligne internettjenester, mobiltelefontjenester, TV-abonnementer, produkter for barn, ulike typer bankkontoer, lån, kredit og kredittkort, forsikringstjenester for hjem og kjøretøy, elektrisitetstjenester, kosmetiske produkter og posttjenester.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2020). Linking social capital and interpersonal trust: Do birds of a feather flock together? OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. ISSN 9788283642704. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This dissertation examinessocial divisions in accessing social capital and their influence on generalized trust. On the one hand, theories focusing on the benefits of social capital for individuals emphasize that homogeneity fosters social contact, which can be beneficial for individuals. On the other hand, having contacts with diverse backgrounds is associated with increased inclusiveness toward out-groups and higher levels of generalized trust, while homogeneity may have the reverse impact. This brings forth the question: How and in which ways can social networks influence interpersonal trust? By analyzing Norwegian novel survey data, I address the following questions: How do social networks correlate with trust, and what is the relative importance of various aspects of a social network for different forms of interpersonal trust? Does trust in professionals or in strangers (i.e. generalized trust) vary with social position (e.g. social class, gender and ethnic background)? The scholarship on stratification draws attention to the way in which the social structure can both shape preferences and contribute to segregation (e.g. residential or school), influencing with whom a person is likely to establish contact, yet the empirical evidence on the topic remains relatively meager. The findings in Article 1 show that despite the egalitarian norms and culture of equality, social capital in Norway is rooted, partly, in class structure, evidenced in that the prestige of contacts varies with the social position of the individuals. These differences are hierarchical: people in stable service class positions have access to contacts with higher prestige than the contacts of people in stable working-class positions, while the mobile groups are in between. Nevertheless, the findings also show that individuals have comparable network extensivity across social mobility trajectories. Furthermore, homophilous preferences are largely absent towards high-status professionals, further discussed in Article 2. While this does not preclude that individuals may prefer others similar to themselves in other contexts, it highlights that homophilous preferences are not prevalent. I, thereafter, investigate several possible links between social capital and generalized trust: (a) the occupational diversity of a person’s contacts; (b) the average prestige of the contacts; (c) the kinship relationship with the individual; and (d) differentiate between their personal role (e.g. friends) and their professional role. Article 3 shows positive and independent correlations between diverse and prestigious contacts outside the family and trust. More specifically, the results of the study show that while kin contacts are immaterial for generalized trust, having diverse and socioeconomically prestigious non-kin contacts is positively and independently linked with higher levels of generalized trust. By focusing on professionals in their professional capacity (e.g. physicians) and other informal roles (e.g. friends), this dissertation suggests the importance of accounting for and reconsidering this dual role. As shown in Article 4, knowing professionals employed in the core welfare occupations in Norway seems immaterial in relationship to generalized trust, but considering core welfare state occupational groups as trustworthy is linked with one’s perception of others being helpful, fair and trustworthy. In sum, this dissertation illustrates several ways in which social capital may be linked with increased interpersonal trust. More specifically, the findings illustrate the positive association between diverse networks and prestigious contacts with generalized trust. However, these findings are contingent on several factors, such as the development of friendships and acquaintances outside the family, the overall level of social inequality, and the strength of ingroup favoritism and homophilous preferences. In Norway, where access to social capital, at least in terms of extensivity, is not linked with one’s social position and where individuals have a generally trustworthy outlook, even toward those different from themselves, social capital appears to be positively correlated with the level of generalized trust. Thus, it is important to reflect on ways in which access to social capital may be strengthened and increased.

• Hatlevik, Ida Katrine Riksaasen; Leseth, Anne; Osland, Oddgeir; Alecu, Andreea Ioana; Hougaard, Peter Forde & Nordberg, Tanja Haraldsdottir [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2015). Utdanningskvalitet i sykepleieutdanningene ved Høgskolen i Oslo og Akershus. OsloMet - storbyuniversitetet. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Hvordan er studenters tilfredshet med sykepleieutdanningen ved HiOA og hvordan kan studietilbudet forbedres? Det er hovedspørsmålene i denne rapporten. Et sentralt utgangpunkt er det som har vært kjent gjennom flere studentundersøkelser: Sykepleierstudentene ved Kjeller skårer generelt høyere på tilfredshet sammenlignet med sykepleiestudenter ved andre studiesteder i Norge, mens for Pilestredets vedkommende er det omvendt.

• Alecu, Andreea Ioana (2014). Arbeidsmarkedssituasjon for høgskoleutdannede. Høgskolen i Oslo og Akershus. Full text in Research Archive

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