“Democracy, equity, and the local community: Welfare and education in a globalized world” is a network partnership that aims to develop research that studies trends in local communities, with a special focus on welfare, democracy, and equity. This has become especially timely in light of structural changes and international development trends, as reflected by the relationship between schools and local communities. 

Researchers in the network has collected data in four different rural communities in Sør-Trøndelag, Nord-Trøndelag, and Nordland, where schools and local communities are, to varying degrees, undergoing processes of change that will affect welfare, democracy, and equity. 
Participants:
Mariann Villa: Research manager Center for Rural Research
Agneta Knutas: Senior researcher Programme for Teacher Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Ragnhild Liland: University teacher Programme for Teacher Education, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Karl Jan Solstad: Professor Nordland Research Institute
Wenche Rønning: Vice-chancellor for research University of Nordland/senior researcher Nordland Research Institute
Tone Magnussen: Senior researcher Nordland Research Institute
Trond Bliksvær: Research manager Nordland Research Institute