Emma Lamberg

My current research focuses on two areas. First, I use a social reproduction lens to ethnographically study the interconnections between the state, market and household sectors of the economy. In particular, I focus on the strains on social reproductive work, studying how these strains are lived, managed and felt by different households and their members in Finland, a withdrawing welfare state, in the context of austerity. Second, I apply debates on feminist politics, knowledge production and gendered institutions to study feminist networks and initiatives that seek to advance transformative economic thinking and policies.

My research has been published in journals such as Gender, Work & Organization, International Political Sociology and The Sociological Review.

I am one of the four writers of the monograph Feminismiä talouteen: Opas kriittiseen talouslukutaitoon [Feminism and the economy: a guide to critical economic literacy], written by Hanna Ylöstalo, Heini Kinnunen, Emma Lamberg and Inna Perheentupa (Gaudeamus, 2024). Peer-reviewed yet also intended for a broader audience, the book engages with and develops further feminist, intersectional theorising on the economy, economic thinking and economic policy. Together with Hanna, Heini and Inna we have also created a five-episode podcast Feminismiä talouteen!, which discusses the themes of the book in an accessible manner.

As a researcher, I enjoy collaborating with the academic community, policy makers, non-governmental organisations and grassroots groups. I also strive to combine research and activism to imagine and enact alternative, socially just and ecologically sustainable futures.