Support for social science research in Greenland from 1950 to 1960

A research project at Ilisimatusarfik has been awarded funding from the Greenland Research Council.

The research project is about social science research in Greenland from 1950 to 1960.

This period was an important part of the construction of the Greenlandic welfare society - and the research was initiated by the Danish state and the its scientists.

Previous work with this period has created additional questions about the internal relationships in the work of researchers - especially their methods, analyses and the practical organization of the research work.

To some extent, the answers can be found via archive studies at the National Archives and the Polar Library.

It is expected that our new research project will strengthen our knowledge in Greenland on how internal decisions in the research committees were made.

It could e.g., be:  

• the geographical boundary of the Disko Bay
• on the choice of survey methods rather than long-term studies
• interaction with Greenlandic experts

All this has put an impression on the modernization and building of the welfare system that we know in Greenland today.

A renewed knowledge of this Greenlandic science sociology will therefore be able to qualify for debate on early social research and social policy efforts in Greenland.

Results of our research will be part of the research project ”Social policy Massakkut” at Ilisimatusarfik.