Marta Bivand Erdal
Research Professor in Migration Studies
Additional positions:
Co-Director PRIO Migration Centre
Email: marta@prio.org
Mobile phone: +47 452 17 648
Twitter: @bivanderdal
Website: martabivanderdal.org
Research Interests
- Interactions of migrant transnationalism and integration
- Remittances, migration and development
- Return mobilities
- Belonging, citizenship and diversity
- Migration and religion
I am a Human Geographer and have conducted research in South Asia (mainly Pakistan), Norway and Poland. I combine research on migration processes and transnational ties, with research on living together in culturally and religiously diverse societies, focusing on citizenship and nationhood.
My research is mainly based on qualitative methods, using semi-structured interviews and focus groups, focusing on innovative approaches to sampling and data collection in migration research. I have also worked with surveys, in Pakistan and in Scandinavia, including survey instrument development, sampling consideratons, and analysis.
You can read more about my research interests on my personal website: martabivanderdal.org
Personal profiles on other sites:
Languages spoken:
Proficient: English, Norwegian, Polish.
Working experience:
2019- 2022: Research Director, Social Dynamics dept, PRIO
2017- Research Professor, PRIO
2012-2017 Senior Researcher, PRIO
2007-2012: Researcher, PRIO
2003-2007: Children's and youth officer, Association of young catholics in Norway (NUK).
Education:
2012: PhD (Human Geography), University of Oslo
2006: MA (Human Geography), University of Oslo
2002: BA with honours (Geography), University College London, University of London
Latest publications
All publications
External Voting: The Patterns and Drivers of Central European Migrants' Homeland Electoral Participation
Monograph
Migrant transnationalism, remittances and development
Book Chapter in Handbook on Transnationalism
Theorising voluntariness in return
Book Chapter in Handbook of Return Migration
External Voting among Central European Migrants Living in Western Europe
PRIO Paper
Living Here, Owning There? Transnational Property Ownership and Migrants’ (Im)Mobility Considerations Beyond Return
Journal Article in Central and Eastern European Migration Review
En mangfoldig befolkning stiller nye krav til boligmarkedet
Popular Article in Utrop
On the formation of content for 'political remittances': an analysis of Polish and Romanian migrants comparative evaluations of 'here' and 'there'
Journal Article in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
The Lifelong Peace Advocate: Marek Thee (1918–99)
Book Chapter in Lives in Peace Research: the Oslo Stories
Staying Rather than Leaving? Displacement and Conflict-Exposure in Ukraine
Popular Article in PRIO Blogs
Different Responses to Mobility at Europe’s Borders
Popular Article in Border Criminologies blog
Latest news
All news
Academic workshop: ‘Holding Aid to Account. The Role of Local Humanitarians’
PRIO to co-host academic workshop in Kampala on the role of local humanitarian actors and their accountability practices. Abstracts deadline: 15 January.
Successful PhD Defence by Rojan Tordhol Ezzati
Rojan Tordhol Ezzati defended her PhD successfully on 10 October 2022 at the University of Oslo. The title of her thesis is: Debating diversity, affirming unity: Contestations over we-hood in post-terror Norway.
Congratulations from all at PRIO!
Next Steps toward New Insights on Migration, Development and Policy from MIGNEX
Successful MIGNEX consortium meeting in Istanbul, with inspiring discussion as the project members continue to build new knowledge on migration, development and policy.
The History of PRIO and Peace Research: New Open Access Book
The new open access
book Lives
in Peace Research: The Oslo Stories explains how PRIO, the world's
oldest independent peace research institute, was founded and how it survived
through crises.
Call for Bids: Developing Comics and Educational Kit on Migration and Social Mobility
As part of the European Research Council funded 'Migration Rhythms in Trajectories of Upward Social Mobility in Asia' project, PRIO invites bids to develop comics based on family history interviews to be collected in four Asian cities in 2023.
Kelly Fisher Is the New Coordinator of the PRIO Migration Centre
Kelly Fisher takes over from Mathias Hatleskog Tjønn as the coordinator of the PRIO Migration Centre. He holds an MA in Gender Studies and is a Research Assistant working on several migration-related projects.
Ledig stilling: Forskningsassistent
Hvordan opplever barn og unge å delta i aktiviteter i sine trossamfunn, og hvordan er forholdet mellom dette og det de lærer på skolen? FAITHED-prosjektet søker etter en forskningsassistent som skal bidra med datainnsamling i to katolske menigheter i Oslo-området, skoleåret 2022-2023. Kan dette være av interesse for deg?
Islamic Finance and Lived Religion in Denmark and Norway
Studies of lived religion among Muslims in Europe increasingly analyse how Muslims’ everyday practices are informed by religious beliefs, norms and values. This includes studies about food preparation, hijab fashion and shopping. Yet, religious influence on the economic aspects of Muslims’ everyday lives remains largely unexplored.
Ukraine: PRIO Expertise
The most relevant PRIO researchers to comment on aspects relevant to the Russia-Ukraine War are listed here.
New PhD-Level Course: 'Migration Theory: Perspectives on Time and Temporalities'
PRIO invites applications for this course, which will be taught in person in Oslo in June 2022. The application deadline is 18 April.
Latest events
All events
What Do Good Solutions to Internal Displacement Look Like?
Marek Thee: My Story - A Journey through the 20th Century
Integrering av arbeidsinnvandrere i Norge: Er det behov for en ny politikk?
It Depends: Unpicking the Development Impacts of Migration in Asia
Seeking Refuge in Greece: Local and EU Responses, Taking Stock and Looking Ahead
Book Launch - Documenting Displacement
Transnational lives: the meanings and implications of living in two countries
Webinar: Migrants, politics, and external voting in Europe
Ensuring comparability in cross-national research on migration
Missing Ingredients in Diaspora Engagement in Development
Current projects
All projects
Non-Formal Faith Education, the Public School, and Religious Minorities in Norway (FAITHED)
Migration Rhythms in Trajectories of Upward Social Mobility in Asia
Geographies of Conflict-Induced Migration (CONMIG)
Holding Aid Accountable: Relational Humanitarianism in Protracted Crisis (AidAccount)
QuantMig: Quantifying Migration Scenarios for Better Policy
MIGNEX - Aligning Migration Management and the Migration-Development Nexus
International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion in Europe (IMISCOE)
Latest blog posts
All blog posts
Faith, Hope and a Home of One’s Own
Staying Rather Than Leaving? Displacement and Conflict-Exposure in Ukraine
Different Responses to Mobility at Europe’s Borders
People on the Move in the Face of War in Ukraine
Migrants Are Dying in the Forests on the EU’s Eastern Borders
What a Year with No Travel Taught Us about the Future of Fieldwork
The State and Its Nation-Builders
How Relevant is #StopAsianHate in Norway?
The Debate on Structural Racism Is Far More Polarized Than It Needs to Be
Closed Borders, but Continued Migration?
