Når staten er far og mor

About Cecilie Bjerre

Cecilie Bjerre is an Assistant Professor, Department of Language, Culture, History and Communication at the University of Southern Denmark. As a historian specializing in the political and social history of the Danish welfare state, her research focuses on the role of the family during the twentieth century. She has worked extensively on the topic of the history of child welfare services in Denmark, resulting in the monograph Når staten er far og mor. Børneværnets anbringelser af børn i Danmark, 1905-1975 (2021). This book, which is based on Bjerre’s dissertation, asserts that the Children's Welfare Boards (børneværnene) not only implemented policies in a top-down fashion but, more significantly, shaped policies through their daily routines and administrative practices in cases involving out-of-home placements. She emphasizes the need to examine state mediators who act as intermediaries between the government and citizens, interpreting and implementing official policies. Her article “Making Policies: The History of the Danish Child Welfare System at the Local Level" was published in the Journal of Policy History (2022). Cecilie Bjerre is currently involved in the research project 'Politics of Insecurity'. She also participates in the research program "Neoliberalism in the Nordics - Developing an Absent Theme", with a study about Nordic family policies in the neo-liberalized era, c. 1960-2000s.