Episode 5:  It’s All in a Name? Fairness and Bias in Welfare Decisions 

Can a name influence access to welfare support? In this episode, Assoc Prof Heidi Lie Eriksen and Prof Cornel Maria Nesseler from the University of Stavanger, discuss with Prof Sarah Hean, their field experiment with Norwegian frontline workers, exploring how welfare assessments are made and what their findings reveal about fairness, discretion, and equality in public services. 

 

EXTRA READING

• Eriksen, H.L.;and Nesseler  C.M.(2026) Is welfare support distributed evenly? Assessments from a field experiment with frontline workers in the Norwegian context. I: European Journal of Social Work. ISSN 1369-1457. s.1-14. DOI: 1080/13691457.2026.2693481

 

• Skippervik, L.J., Eriksen, H.L. & Oltedal, S. (Red.) (2026). Handlingsrom i Nav-kontor. Gyldendal

 

CONTRIBUTORS AND CREDITS  

     

Content:  

• Prof Cornel Maria Nesseler, University of Stavanger  
• Assoc Prof Heidi Lie Eriksen, University of Stavanger  
• Prof Sarah Hean, University of Stavanger

 

Editors:  

• Sarah Hean University of Stavanger, Norway  
• Wenche Hovland University of Stavanger, Norway  

 

Episode transcription

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