Research

My research is about children and childhood, primarily in day care institutions for the 0-6 year olds. I primarily use the perspective of developmental psychology to understand children’s diverse psychological and emotional needs and how institutions can (or, perhaps, cannot) care appropriately for those needs. Methodologically, my research is based on the fieldwork-method, and more specifically the psychodynamic method of infant observation (as developed by Esther Bick).

My recent research has dealt with the emotional interaction and relations between children and adults in day care for the 0-3year olds (Danish: “vuggestue”). The concept of (children’s need for) “intersubjectivity” is central to this research.

The idea of “care” (Danish: “omsorg”) is central to this research, and I have explored the nursery teachers’ (Danish: “pædagoger”) experience based but often “silent” or pre-conscious knowledge about care for young children.

My current research project explores the value of culture as seen from a young-child perspective. Using participant observation in nurseries and kindergartens, I explore children’s experience with fairy-tales. Informed by (psychodynamic) development psychology the goal is to create new knowledge about the role of fairy-tales as similar stories in relation to children’s psychological and emotional development.

As an academic side-project, I have an interest in Jungian Psychology / Analytical Psychology, and especially in exploring how empirical research can inform theoretical development within this field, and vice versa.