How do we balance care and control? When does protection become coercion – and who has the right to define the boundaries?
The research group for Welfare and Community Studies (WELCOM) invite researchers, students, and engaged members of the public to a one-day symposium on coercion in institutions, with a particular focus on early childhood education and care, schools, child welfare institutions, foster care, hospitals, psychiatry, youth detention centres, prisons, and nursing homes. The aim of the symposium is to shed light on and discuss the many faces of coercion, and how it is experienced, recorded, and justified across different institutional contexts.
Key themes include:
- The extent of coercion across different institutional settings
- The relationship between experienced coercion and recorded coercion
- The boundary between coercion, freedom, and consent
- The role of parents and next of kin in decision-making processes
- The function and presence of the police in institutional interventions
- The state’s responsibility to provide protection versus the individual’s right to self-determination
- The right to self-harm (ethical and legal dilemma)
Format and contributions
Each presentation will be 20 minutes long, followed by 10 minutes of discussion with the audience.
Call for abstracts
We encourage all interested participants to submit an abstract of no more than 250 words by 27 February 2026. Contributions may be empirical, theoretical, or practice-based. Abstracts should be sent to Associate Professor Esben Olesen (esben.s.olesen@nord.no).
Feedback on abstracts, registration details, and further information about the programme will be published on this webpage in March and sent to participants by email.
Participation is free. Food and drinks will be served.
Welcome to an important and challenging conversation!
Photo: Nordlandsmuseet
