Power, participation and resistance

Across education, governance, and everyday life, these presentations question who truly benefits from initiatives framed as empowering or democratic. From unequal access to teacher empowerment, to the limits of democratic innovations, to Sámi homemaking as subtle resistance, they reveal how power operates beneath inclusive ideals—and how participation can both reproduce and challenge existing inequalities.

What’s on the menu? 🎤

🍎 Empowerment of all teachers, or just an elite? - Trine Soleng Nedregård (Nord University)

Norway is introducing "expert teacher" leader roles, but who gets to lead? Trine’s research explores whether these new roles truly empower the teaching profession or if they risk creating a divide between routine workers and a new "teaching elite."

🗳️ Are Democratic Innovations Democratic? - Christian Lo (Nord University)

When municipalities try to "reform" democracy with new ways for citizens to participate, does it actually lead to more responsive politics? Christian questions if these arenas foster genuine interaction or…