New PhD candidate at NORCE

Rune Søholt has started as a PhD candidate at the Media Poverty research project at NORCE lead by Torgeir Uberg Nærland. His Social Media Poverty project explores social media practice among citizens living in conditions of poverty and how poverty affects public connection. Together with the other members of the Media Poverty research group Søholt will conduct 60 in-depth interviews of poverty-stricken citizens from a selection of sociodemographic groups in the municipalities of Bergen and Ullensvang. 

Søholt’s background is in social anthropology, and he has his master’s degree from NTNU. He has previously conducted research on the effects of economic crises on social inequality and visions of the future. While Søholt is a member of the Media Poverty group at NORCE, he is also affiliated with the Bergen Media Use Research Group. 

“I am most excited to find out what really goes on among people. We have limited knowledge about the connection between poverty and use of social media. I believe strongly in what this project can contribute with, and am looking forward to getting to work”, Rune says.