Department of Sociology and Human Geography, University of Oslo
The Department of Sociology and Human Geography at the University of Oslo is Norway’s oldest and largest sociology research and education institute. It began on 7 January 1950 as the Department of Sociology, originally part of the Faculty of Humanities. In 1963 it joined the new Faculty of Social Sciences. In 1996 it merged with the Department of Human Geography to become the current Institute of Sociology and Human Geography, based in Harriet Holters hus on the Blindern campus.
The department has played a key role in shaping sociology in Norway and has produced notable scholars such as Vilhelm Aubert and Erik Grønseth. In its early years it was strongly influenced by American sociology, though that influence has diminished over time. Early research topics included social stratification, social change, basic forms of behaviour, communication research, industrial psychology, and the psychology of law.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 11:51 (CET).