Karianne Nyheim Stray

Karianne Nyheim Stray

Associate Professor
Department of Health, Social and Welfare Studies
Faculty of Health and Social Sciences
Campus Vestfold
+47 31 00 95 10 / +47 901 79 929
I conduct research and teach on topics related to work inclusion, health promotion, migration, career guidance, labour and welfare organisations, and innovation in the public sector. I have extensive work experience from the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) as an Inclusive Advisor, and public sector in general. I am primarily interested in qualitative research perspectives, especially the methodology of Institutional Ethnography, which is often associated with Dorothy Smith. In my free time, I coach a volleyball team with individuals aged 13-60 who have various cognitive functional differences. This activity is one of the most fun and meaningful things I do!

Responsibilities

  • I teach various subjects in the specialization track Health Promotion in the master's program in Society and Health.
  • I also teach project work in the program Psychosocial Work with Children and Youth.
  • I serve as a representative in the working committee for collaborative research under the Cooperation Agreement between USN and NAV.
  • Until September 2025, I was a postdoctoral researcher affiliated with the Research Council of Norway project Migrant Work Inclusion.
  • I have been employed in a public sector PhD employed by NAV and admitted to the doctoral program Person-Centred Health Care Research. Title of dissertation: The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV)’s follow-up of employees on sick leave. New context – new roles?
  • I established and am a leader of the alumni association of in the research school PROFRES 2.0. In this role, I am a member of the reserach schools' interdisciplinary and international Think Tank. I am a former candidate and PhD representative in the research school.
  • I am a member of the research group HENÆR at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, USN.
  • I am also an external member of the research group in Social Analysis at USN School of Business.
  • I am a member of the Nordic Network for Institutional Ethnography.
  • I participate in the KAI seminar at the Competence Center for Work Inclusion (KAI). The KAI seminar is a network of researchers from OsloMet, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, and NAV.

For more information about my experience and competence, please visit my LinkedIn profile. 

 

Competences

Research project experience from the NFR-project Migrant Work Inclusion (2021-2025).

International experience from a 3-month visiting scholarship at Brunel Business School, Brunel University, UK. I was affiliated with the research group of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI).

Experience in work inclusion processes through various positions in the Labour and welfare Services (Nav), including supporting people outside the regular labour market, particularly emphasising work and mental health issues.

Experience with Supported Employment (SE) and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) methodologies.

Experience in collaborating with employers on inclusion processes in the workplace.

Lecturer, course- and process management within Health, Safety and Environment and health promotion programmes.

Career guidance of students.

CV

For more information about my experience and competence, please visit my LinkedIn profile. 

Publications

Stray, K. N., & Jacobsson, K. (2025). Storytelling in street-level bureaucracies: a two-country narrative ethnography. Journal of Organizational Ethnography, Emerald 

Stray, Sadeghi & Sønderskov (2025). Navs metodeveiledere må få en tydeligere rolle, KAI-kronikken, Kompetansesenter for arbeidsinkludering, OsloMet. https://www.oslomet.no/om/nyheter/kai-kronikken/nav-metodeveiledere-tydeligere-rolle

Stray, K. N., Sadeghi, T., & Sønderskov, M. (2025). Metodeveilederen i Nav. Støttespiller, kunnskapsmegler og fanebærer. Tidsskrift for velferdsforskning, 27(4), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.18261/tfv.27.4.3 

Sørensen, J. L., Mortelmans, L., Gray, L., Khorram-Manesh, A., Hertelendy, A. J., Stray, K. N., Kupietz, K., Peyravi, M. R., Ranse, J., & Achour, N. (2024). “Fight or flight”—A study of frontline emergency response workforce's perceived knowledge, and motivation to work during hazards. Risk, Hazards & Crisis in Public Policy, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/rhc3.12314 

Stray, Wegener, Gripsrud & McGuirk (2024) Vi må tenke annerledes om  offentlig innovasjon. Khrono.no, publisert 12.7.2024.

Gripsrud, Stray & McGuirk, Khrono (2024) Fellesskap som motgift mot stipendiaters ensomhet. Khrono.no, publisert 1.1.2024.

Stray, K.N (2023), KAI-podden, episode 33: NAVs vurdering av sykmeldtes arbeidsevne. Kan alle stort sett gjøre noe? OsloMet, Komptansesenter for arbeidsinkludering

Stray, K.N (2023), KAI-kronikken: NAVs vurdering av sykmeldtes arbeidsevne - et moralsk oppdrag? OsloMet, Komptansesenter for arbeidsinkludering

Stray, K. N., & Thomassen, O. J. (2023). Frontline discretion from a Bourdieu-inspired field perspective: an ethnographic case study of a Norwegian activation measure for sick-listed employees. European Journal of Social Work, 26(6), 1109-1122. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2023.2167069 

Stray, K.N (2022), Den norske arbeids- og velferdsforvaltningen (NAV) sitt arbeid med oppfølging av sykmeldte arbeidstakere. Ny kontekst - nye roller?, PhD. thesis

Stray, K. N; Thomassen, O.J & Vike, H (2022), Assessing sicklisted clients' work ability. A moral mission?, Critical Social Policy,  https://doi.org/10.1177/02610183221113171.

Stray, Karianne Nyheim; Ljungblad, Linda Wike. Kokt frosk-syndrom i akademia: Stressmestringskurs og "Full yogic breathing" kan ikke være hele løsningen. Forskersonen.no, publisert 13.12.2020

Ljungblad, Linda Wike; Stray, Karianne Nyheim; Joranger, Line. Viktig praksiskunnskap gjøres irrelevant når tellekanter er viktigere enn kunnskap. Khrono.no, publisert 17.12.2019.

Stray, Karianne Nyheim. Å forske på sine egne. Pecha Kucha presentasjoner under Forskningsdagene 2019; Campus Bakkenteigen og Campus Drammen, september 2019