Helga Eggebø

Universitetet i Bergen, Sociologisk Institut

PhD-project:
Intimate Citizenship and Immigration Policy

Helga Eggebø is a PhD-candidate at the Department of Sociology, University of Bergen. The PhD-project Intimate Citizenship and Immigration Policy focuses on the regulation of marriage immigration to Norway. The project is affiliated to the European research program FEMCIT. Gendered Citizenship in Multicultural Europe. The Impact of contemporary Women’s Movements.

The aim of this Phd-project is to investigate what norms concerning marriage, gender and sexuality that are underpining immigration policies and regulations. Theoretically, the projects spans from migration law and comparative welfare state theory, to feminist theory and citizenship literature.

The research project is based on qualitative interviews with people who have applied for family immigration on the basis of marriage and bureaucrats at the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration. In addition, the project also analyzes legal documents, policy proposals and case files.