Svein Atle Skålevåg

Position

Professor, history of science

Affiliation

Research groups

Research

I am a historian of knowledge and my main research interest is the history of psychiatric and medical knowledge. In addition I have a strong interest in the history of historical knowledge. The prime source of inspiration in both fields is the work of Michel Foucault on power, knowledge and government, and more broadly what is referred to as historical epistemology. For many years I have worked on the history of psychiatric knowledge in court, or the history of forensic psychiatry. This work has resulted in the monograph Utilregnelighet. En historie om rett og medisin (Criminal responsibility. A history of law and medicine), published in 2016. The book is based on a broad range of source material emanating from legal and medical practice, and examines how legal, criminological, psychological and psychiatric knowledge has been infiltrated in the nexus that is the problem of criminal responsibility.

Currently I am working on the history of intelligence testing in criminal law (20th century), and on the history of anthropology (19th century). In all projects my main concern has been the everyday production of knowledge in different disciplines and contexts, what tools does it take to produce knowledge and how does it move the world?

Projects
  • Intelligence testing in criminal law (20th century)
  • Photography and anthropological constructions of race (19th century)
  • Knowledge of Morocco in 18th century Europe