The aim of the research group CISKO is to contribute to better conditions for vulnerable children, young people and families by creating research-based and practical knowledge of high professional quality within two main themes: living conditions for children, young people and families in vulnerable positions, and professional practice in social and preventive work with children, young people and families.

SOCIAL EXPOSURE AND LIVING CONDITIONS 

CISKO's research focuses on patterns in social exposure among children, adolescents and families, and the underlying causes and mechanisms that create and maintain social exposure. CISKO deals, among other things, with research on the mental health and social well-being of children and young people, the conditions for children and young people with disabilities or chronic illness, and research on living conditions for vulnerable families, for example, the consequences of poverty and social inequality. 

SOCIAL WORK AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 

At the heart of CISKO's research is a strong focus on how social work and professional practice unfold in the meeting between professionals and children, young people and families. When, how and under what conditions and organizational and governance frameworks, does this practice help to reduce exposure and improve the living conditions of the children, young people and families concerned?  

In particular, CISKO's research is concerned with how professionals translate social policies and reforms into concrete actions and how the meeting between professionals and citizens takes place, including how the professionals construct and understand the citizen's problems, how the professionals deem, prioritize and act, and how organizing, managing and political and societal discourses affect practices.

A CRITICAL AND APPLICATION-ORIENTED LOOK AT THE FIELD 

A critical look at the importance of social and organizational structures for the living conditions of children, young people and families as well as for social work in this area is a recurring perspective in CISKO's research. 

CISKO is anchored as a research environment at the Department of Sociology and Social Work and a large part of CISKOs research takes place close to and in cooperation with practice organizations such as municipal actors in the field, which helps to ensure that CISKO’s research is relevant to the everyday practice and that it helps to develop practices with vulnerable children, young people and their families.