Gestur Hovgaard
PhD in Social Sciences (economic sociology) based on an analysis of local coping strategies (2001). The approach is “post-disciplinary”: sociological, socio-economic and human geographic approaches in the development of a practically oriented economic sociology. His empirical studies range from the level of small scale rural communities to regional analysis and to analysis of large scale urban restructuring. Since 2000, he has taken the lead in building up a research unit on local and regional development on the Faros Islands and was appointed director in 2003 (www.region.fo). This is affiliated with the Centre for Urban Studies, Roskilde University (www.bystudier.ruc.dk/english.html).
Skills mobilised
Gestur Hovgaard has worked with empirical studies that range from small scale rural communities, regional analysis and analysis of large scale urban restructuring. He was part of the Danish case study in the URSPIC project in the 4th framework programme on social polarisation and urban planning strategies. He has experiences in comparative case-study work from several nordic countries, typically in international networks, focussing on the social innovation themes: social integration, welfare policy and business development. His scientific approach is post- or crossdisciplinary, ranging from the use of sociological, socio-economic and human geographic approaches in the development of a practically oriented “economic sociology”.
Relevant publications
Phyne, J; Apostle, R.and Hovgaard, G. (2005). Food Safety and Farmed Salmon: Some Implications of The European Union’s Food Policy for Coastal Communities. Chapter 13 in D. Vanderzwaag (ed.) Aquaculture Law and Policy: Towards Principled Acess and Operation; Routledge
Andersen, J. and Hovgaard G. (2003) Welfare and urban planning in transition – A Copenhagen case study. Research Paper no. 8/03 from the Department of Social Sciences. Roskilde University.
Hovgaard, G. (2002) Coping Strategies and Regional Policies – Social Capital in the Nordic Peripheries – Faroe Islands. Nordregio: Working Paper 2002:8.
Hovgaard, G. (2001) Globalisation, Embeddedness and Local Coping Strategies. A comparative and qualitative study of local dynamics in contemporary social change. PhD. Dissertation. Department of Social Sciences: Roskilde: Roskilde University.