After passing the psychologist exam I worked for a short period as a
clinical psychologist when one of my former supervisors, Berthel Sutter,
asked me to return to the university and join a group of researchers and
practitioners who were meeting at the Department of Applied Psychology, Umeå
university. So I did and the following years I participated in several
projects in social services. The research program of the group and a
description of methodology was published in the Multidisciplinary Newsletter
for Activity Theory 15/16 1994: Developmental Work Activity Within the
Social Sector: The Approach of a Research Group in Umea/Lulea, Sweden by
Berthel Sutter and Lars-Ake Lindberg.
I'm now working at the Department of Applied Psychology and partly teaching
on the psychologist education. In Sweden this is a five year education. My
main contribution to the education is in the field of organizational work, a
course where the students do investigations and analyses of different
organizations. Recently I've finished an evaluation of a network project
concerning work development and productivity in municipal kitchens. I use
Activity Theory as a tool for evaluation and particularly Yrjo Engeström`s
models.
At the moment (and some years ahead) I'm working on a dissertation thesis
focusing the work of female leaders in home care service. The theoretical
ground for this is also AT which gives the possibility to see this kind of
leadership from quite a different angel than traditional leadership
theories. It is also important to understand the division of labor based on
gender which is constant in social service.
Kristina Westerberg
Department of Applied Psychology
Umea university
s-901 87 Umea, Sweden
e-mail: Kristina.Westerberg@apsy.umu.se