Sara Uhnoo
Senior Lecturer
Department of Sociology and Work ScienceAbout Sara Uhnoo
SARA UHNOO is Associate professor in sociology. She has worked at the Department of Sociology and Work Science since spring 2002, currently as a researcher and teacher. She is a part of the research group in criminology and the sociology of law at the Department of sociology and Work Science.
In 2023 she was granted the title 'Excellent Teacher' by the Faculty of Social science, and in 2014 she was, , She has been awared the Pedagogical prize from the Faculty of Social science 2014, together with her colleagues Christel Backman and Mattias Wahlström, and 2024 together with Christel Backman.
Specialist Fields
Application of rape legislation, feminist criminology, crime prevention, disaster volunteering, crisis management, voluntary policing, youth crime, youth violence, school fires, co-offending, gender and crime, the police and ethnic minorities, diversity work within the police, ethnic humour, social control, social problems, fear of crime, victimology, crime prevention, qualitative methods.
Current research
Sara is currently working in two research projects.
- Autonomy of the judge in theory and practice- Strengthening the independent judiciary (PI: Moa Bladini)
- The real rape - the application of Swedish rape laws 1965-2022, (PI: Sara Uhnoo)
Recently completed research
- Rape or consent? Effects of the new rape legislation on legal reasoning and practice (PI: Åsa Wettergren)
- Between Resignation and Future Prospects. A Research Program on Educational Pathways and Learning Processes Among Young People in Stigmatized Urban Settings in Gothenburg (PI: Over Sernede). The research program consist of three projects and have the overall purpose of generating knowledge about the conditions for young people’s learning in poor and stigmatized neighborhoods. The project Culture and informal learning as a second chance: Young People's self-directed communities of practice and learning in stigmatized neighborhoods was lead by Sara Uhnoo and focuses on the new youth movements based on culture and popular education and the ambition is to investigate the informal learning that takes place within young people’s own associations.
- The working group Nordic himpathy – the social construction of responsibility and sympathy in cases of sexual violation and rape (PI: Sara Uhnoo)
Teaching and tutoring
Application of rape legislation, fear of crime, victimology, gender and crime, feminist criminology, constructions of social problems, crime prevention, social control, ethnic minorities and diversity work within the police, voluntary policing, youth and crime, school fires, youth violence, co-offending, disaster volunteering, crisis management, qualitative methods, teaching and learning in higher education.
Selected publications
Wettergren Å, Bladini M, Uhnoo, S. (in print, 2025) Challenging legal core values: Consent-based rape legislation in practice, Bristol: Bristol University Press. https://www.degruyter.com/document/isbn/9781529237542/html
Uhnoo, S, Wettergren, Å, & Bladini, M. (2024) It could be my son! Himpathy and the male fear defence in rape trials.Journal of Law and Society, 51 (4): 562-585 https://doi.org/10.1111/jols.12508
Uhnoo, S., Erixon, S. & Bladini, M. (2024) The wave of consent-based rape laws in Europe, International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S175606162400020X
Bladini, M., Uhnoo, S. & Wettergren Å. (2023) 'It sounds like lived experience' –on empathy in rape trials, International Journal of Law, Crime and Justice. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756061623000010?via%3Dihub
Uhnoo, S. & Persson, S. (2022) Samverkan mellan professionella och frivilliga vid katastrofhantering – skogsbranden i Västmanland, Arbetsliv i omvandling, nr 2, https://journals.lub.lu.se/aio/issue/view/3385/828
Uhnoo, S. & Sernhede, O. (2022) Shout out! Ortenpoddar som folkbildning, motoffentlighet och underhållning, Sociologisk forskning, 59 (1-2): 149-176. http://du.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1676013/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Uhnoo, S. & Persson, S. (2021) The flip side of the coin: perils of public–private disaster cooperation, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 1–11. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1468-5973.12387
Persson, S., & Uhnoo, S. (2021). Dilemmas and Discretion in Complex Organizations: Professionals in Collaboration with Spontaneous Volunteers During Disasters. Professions and Professionalism, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.7577/pp.3961
Wallin, W., Uhnoo, S., Wettergren, Å., & Bladini, M. (2021) Capricious credibility – legal assessments of voluntariness in Swedish negligent rape judgements, Nordic Journal of Criminology, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/2578983X.2021.1898128
Uhnoo, S. & Persson, S. (2020) Emotion management of disaster volunteers: the delicate balance between control and recognition, Emotions and Society, 2 (2): 197-213. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/bup/eas/2020/00000002/00000002/art00006;jsessionid=5o7oso32lrqqg.x-ic-live-01
Hansen Löfstrand, C. & Uhnoo, S. (2020) Blurred boundaries and legal uncertainty in police–volunteer partnerships, Policing and Society, 30:8, 950-965, https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2019.1628754
Persson, S. & Uhnoo, S. (2019): Deliberate firesetting: hotspot schools as arenas and preventive actors, Nordic Journal of Criminology, doi.org/10.1080/2578983X.2019.1625614
Uhnoo, S. (2019). Ethnic Police Humor As Ethnic Boundary-Making In The Swedish Police Force, Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice & Criminology, 7 (3): 173-188. https://www.qualitativecriminology.com/pub/v7i3p3/release/1
Persson, S. & Uhnoo, S. (2018), I spänningsfältet mellan institutionella logiker - professionella och frivilliga vid Västmanlandsbranden, Arbetsmarknad & Arbetsliv, 62-79. journals.lub.lu.se/index.php/aoa/article/download/18019/16338/
Uhnoo, S. & Hansen Löfstrand, C. (2018). Voluntary policing in Sweden: media reports of contemporary forms of police–citizen partnerships, Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention, 19 (1): 41-60. www.tandfonline.com/eprint/D6UuzVjev9Ptvmh5XIJs/full
Uhnoo, Sara (2015). Starting a fire together: The dynamics of co-offending in juvenile arson, European Journal of Criminology, 13 (3): 315 -331. journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1477370815617189
Ekbrand, Hans & Uhnoo, Sara (2015). Juvenile Firesetting in Schools, Journal of Youth Studies, 18 (10):1291 -1308 doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2015.1039970
Uhnoo, S., Persson, S., Ekbrand, H., Lindgren, S.-Å. (2014). Juvenile school firesetting in Sweden: Causes and countermeasures. Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology and Crime Prevention. 16 (1): 25-40. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14043858.2014.989668
Hansen Löfstrand, C. & Uhnoo, S. (2014) Diversity Policing - Policing Diversity: Performing Ethnicity in Police and Private-Security Work in Sweden, Social Inclusion, 2(3): 75-87. http://www.cogitatiopress.com/ojs/index.php/socialinclusion/article/view/40
Uhnoo, S. (2013). Within the ’tin bubble’. The Police and Ethnic minorities in Sweden. Policing & Society: An International Journal of Research and Policy, 25 (2): 129-149. www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10439463.2013.817995
Peterson, A. & Uhnoo, S. (2012). Trials of loyalty: Ethnic minority police officers as 'outsiders' within a greedy institution. European Journal of Criminology. 9 (4): 354-369. http://euc.sagepub.com.ezproxy.ub.gu.se/content/9/4/354.full.pdf+html
Uhnoo, S. (2017) Utvärdering av BODIL-projektet: Ett lokalt Bostad först-projekt i SDF Askim-Frölunda-Högsbo, Göteborgs stad 2014-2016. Göteborg: Institutionen för sociologi och arbetsvetenskap, Göteborgs universitet. www.boendeportalen.goteborg.se/prod/fastighetskontoret/boendeportal/dalis2.nsf/vyFilArkiv/BODIL_slutrapp_170222.pdf/$file/BODIL_slutrapp_170222.pdf
Persson, Sofia & Uhnoo, Sara (2015). Brandutsatta högstadieskolor- problembilder, orsaker och åtgärder. Göteborg: Göteborgs universitet &Brandforsk. Brandforsk.www.brandskyddsforeningen.se/globalassets/brandforsk/rapporter-2000-2015/brandutsatta-hogstadieskolor-orsaker-preventiva-faktorer-och-effektiva-motatgarder/bf_203_131_rapport.pdf
Lindgren, S.-Å., Björk, M., Ekbrand, H. Persson, S. & Uhnoo, S. (2013). Barn/ungdomar som anlägger brand – orsaker och motåtgärder. Göteborg: Institutionen för sociologi och arbetsvetenskap. http://www.anlagdbrand.se/sv/Documents/Barn_ungdomar%20som%20anl%C3%A4gger%20brand_orsaker%20och%20mot%C3%A5tg%C3%A4rder.pdf
Persson, S., Uhnoo, S., Ekbrand, H., Thodelius, C., Lindgren, S.-Å. (2013). Utvärdering av kommuners arbete mot anlagda skolbränder. Göteborg: Institutionen för sociologi och arbetsvetenskap/Brandforsk. http://www.anlagdbrand.se/sv/Documents/Utv%C3%A4rdering%20av%20kommuners%20arbete%20mot%20anlagda%20skolbr%C3%A4nder.pdf
Uhnoo, S. & Peterson, A. (2011). Utvärdering om diskriminering, trakasserier och särbehandling av anställda med utländsk bakgrund inom polismyndigheten i Västra Götaland. Göteborg: Institutionen för sociologi och arbetsvetenskap/Polismyndigheten i Västra Götaland.
Uhnoo, S. (2008). Ungdomars tal om rädsla för våld. Göteborg: Tryggare och mänskligare Göteborg. http://www.tryggaremanskligare.goteborg.se/pdf/publikation/Ungdomars_tal_om_radsla_for_vald.pdf
Book Chapters
Uhnoo, S. och Backman, C. (2025, in print). Using external informal networks to inform learning and teaching development: A case study from Sweden. I: Academics in Higher Education and Informal Professional Development: An Authentic Approach, (red.) Lin Norton and Namrata Rao. London: Bloomsbury Press.
Backman, C. & Uhnoo, S. (2025). Att (o)synliggöra det kollegiala lärarskapet i pedagogisk meritering, I: Pedagogisk meritering i och för förändring, Ryegård, Åsa & Winka, Katarina (red.). Mälardalens universitet. Nedladdningsbar fulltext.
Uhnoo, S. (2025). Stirra rasismen i (vit)ögat – antirasistisk och feministisk poddaktivism. I: Aspán, M. (red.) Bak och fram, upp och ner, ut och in. Barnkulturens egna vägar. Stockholm: Centrum för kulturstudier.
Uhnoo, S. (2024) På förortstjejers villkor - separatism som strategi. I: Bruno, L. Ungas villkor och vuxenblivande: en introduktion till kritiska ungdomsstudier. Malmö: Liber. https://www.liber.se/webshop/product/ungas-villkor-och-vuxenblivande-9789147149490
Bruno, L. & Uhnoo, S. (2024). Kritiska ungdomsstudier - en introduktion. I: Bruno, L. Ungas villkor och vuxenblivande: en introduktion till kritiska ungdomsstudier. Malmö: Liber. https://www.liber.se/webshop/product/ungas-villkor-och-vuxenblivande-9789147149490
Uhnoo, S. Bladini M, & Wettergren Å (2023). Negotiating Access, In: Flower, L., Klosterkamp, S. (eds.), Courtroom Ethnography. Exploring Contemporary Approaches, Fieldwork and Challenges, Palgrave Macmillian. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-37985-7_3?fbclid=IwAR3vimle6hXOCOWwAlvL3bitRHvR92sD_V79Zrp-bSsYKU1lxTBBLuE1DSg
Uhnoo, S. & Backman, C. (2022). Medskapande, forskning och artikelskrivande, I: Alfredsson, V. Asker, N, Backman, C. & Uhnoo, S. (red.) Använd rummet. Högskolepedagogiska metoder för aktiva lärosalar. Lund: Studentlitteratur.
Backman, C. & Uhnoo, S. (2022) Kursintroduktion - reflektion, gemenskap och entusiasm, I: Alfredsson, V. Asker, N, Backman, C. & Uhnoo, S. (red.) Använd rummet. Högskolepedagogiska metoder för aktiva lärosalar. Lund: Studentlitteratur.
Alfredsson, V. Asker, N, Backman, C. & Uhnoo, S. (2022). Studentaktiva salar - en (r)evolution för högskolepedagoger? I: Alfredsson, V. Asker, N, Backman, C. & Uhnoo, S. (red.) Använd rummet. Högskolepedagogiska metoder för aktiva lärosalar. Lund: Studentlitteratur.
Alfredsson, V. Asker, N, Backman, C. & Uhnoo, S. (2022). Avslutning: Lärande om rummet - spatial kompetens i praktiken. I: Alfredsson, V. Asker, N, Backman, C. & Uhnoo, S. (red.) Använd rummet. Högskolepedagogiska metoder för aktiva lärosalar. Lund: Studentlitteratur.
Uhnoo, S. (2019). The Rules of Violence: Young People’s Moral Work around Violence and Fighting. I: Policing Schools: School Violence and the Juridification of Youth, Lunneblad J. (red.), s. 153-172, Cham: Springer.
Backman, C., Uhnoo, S. & Wahlström M. (2018). Lärarpoddar i kriminologi, I: Hrastinski. S. (red.) Digitalisering av högre utbildning. Lund: Studentlitteratur.
Backman, C., Uhnoo, S. & Wahlström M. (2018). Medskapande pedagogik på en introduktionskurs, I: Uhnoo, D. & Scherp, H.-Å. (red.) Medskapande högskolepedagogik. Lund: Studentlitteratur, s. 45-69.
Uhnoo, S. (2017) "Gratis är gott men stulet är godast"– moralarbete om snatteri på Flashback. I: Andersson, B., Pettersson, F. & Skårner, A. Den motspänstiga akademikern: festskrift till Ingrid Sahlin. Malmö: Égalité. www.egalite.se/currentBooks.asp
Uhnoo, S. & Ekbrand, H. (2017). Flashback för kriminologer. I: Mallén, A. (red.) Kriminologiska metoder och Internet. Stockholm. Liber. www.liber.se/Hogskola/Samhallsvetenskap/Sociologi/Kriminologi/Kriminologiska-metoder-och-internet/
Uhnoo, S. (2016). Ungas moralarbete om legitim våldsanvändning. I: Edling, C & Rostami, A. (red.), Våldets sociala dimensioner: Individ, relation, organisation. Lund: Studentlitteratur. www.studentlitteratur.se/#9789144115085/Våldets+sociala+dimensioner
Uhnoo, S. (2014). Genus i rätten – gestaltningar av kvinnors brottslighet tillsammans med män i mordbrandsdomar. I: Finstad, L. & Lomell, H. (red.), Motmaele. En antologi til Kjersti Ericsson, Cecilie Høigård og Guri Larsen. Oslo: Novus forlag. http://novus.mamutweb.com/Shop/Product/FinstadLomell-(red)-Motmæle/102646
Peterson, A & Uhnoo, S. (2013). The problem of Loyalty in Greedy Institutions, I: Miller, L. B. & Moore, W.C. (red.), The Psychology of Loyalty. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Full text: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286233725_The_problem_of_loyalty_in_greedy_institutions
Uhnoo, S. (2013). Inom den egna plåtbubblan. Polisen och etniska minoriteter. I: Peterson, A. & Åkerström, M. (red.), Den sorterande ordningsmakten. Studier av etnicitet och polisiär kontroll. Bokbox. bokbox.se/peterson-akerstrom-978-91-86980-60-3/
Uhnoo, S. (2012). Våldtagbara och (o)slagbara. I: Heber, A.,Tiby, E, & Wikman, S. (red.), Viktimologisk forskning. Brottsoffer i teori och metod, pp. 75-93. Lund: Studentlitteratur. www.studentlitteratur.se/#9789144073439/Viktimologisk+forskning
Uhnoo, S. (2011). Våldets regler. Om kompiskontroll vid ungdomsbråk. I: Larsson, B. & Engdahl, O. (red.), Social kontroll – övervakning, disciplinering och självreglering. Malmö: Liber. www.liber.se/Hogskola/Juridik/Offentlig-ratt/Kriminologi/Social-kontroll/
Uhnoo, S. (2010). Young and (un)safe. The Geography of Fear, Social Darkness and Spatial Confidence. I: Holgersson, H., Thörn, C., Thörn, H. & Wahlström, M. (red.), (Re)searching Gothenburg: essays on a changing city. Göteborg: Glänta.