Dr. Femmianne Bredewold

In the research for my dissertation which I wrote at the UvA (PhD in 2014), I focused on the question under which conditions neighbours are willing to support people with intellectual and mental disabilities and whether they are socially included in urban neighborhoods. In recent years I have been able to deepen and broaden this thematic interest at the University of Humanistic Studies (UvH) in Utrecht (first as an assistant professor (2015-2019) and then as an associate professor (2019- till date), by securing various NWO and ZonMW grants.

Firstly, I started to use a more interdisciplinary lens with regard to social inclusion by making use of methodologies like Empirical Ethics of Care and Moral Anthropology which make it possible to focus on moral and normative questions  related to social inclusion. 

Secondly, I was able to further explore the theme of social inclusion by broadening my lens and investigating the social inclusion of and urban care for other groups of citizens (e.g. people with profound intellectual disabilities, people with dementia, elderly). 

Thirdly, I have paid attention to practical ways of enabling community building by studying various citizens’ projects and  initiatives in urban and rural areas which are designed to encourage contact and solidarity between citizens, but also between citizens and the government.

With these projects I aim to contribute to a strong and inclusive ‘social fabric’ in which people are encouraged to engage with ‘difference’, without erasing this difference.

2019 –till date Multi-annual research project entitled ‘Participative or dignified citizenship? An empirical ethical study of social inclusion of people with profound and multiple disabilities living in sheltered living institutions’. In this project we have a specific focus on how place  influences the idea of social inclusion, as sheltered living institutions are most times situated in predominantly rural areas and are in some ways secluded from ‘mainstream’ society. Grant ZonMW Ethiek en Gezondheid 3. Projectleader and coordinator. 

2020-2021 Impact Covid-19 on people with ID and their caregivers. I am a member of a large international project called ‘Comparative Policy and Practice’ and with this group of academics we investigated the Impact of Covid-19 on individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers. Project leader Christine Linehan UCD Ireland. 

2018-2019 Dependency and people with ID. This project investigated experiences of
dependency amongst people with intellectual disabilities and their relatives on support
workers and care organizations. Subsidised by Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports. 

2015 -2018 The promise of proximity. Multi-annual research-project (in Dutch cities Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Zwolle, Leeuwarden, Eindhoven and Sittard-Geleen) on active citizenship and welfare state reform. We investigated how the decentralisation with a focus on self-reliance affects people in need of care and their caregivers. In collaboration with colleagues of the UvA prof. dr. J.W. Duyvendak and dr. Loes Verplanke. Subsidised by Institute GAK.

2016 – 2017 Recognition and people with Intellectual Disabilities. Research project on the recognition of people with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities in social employment projects. Grant ZonMW Vakkundig aan het werk. 

2015 – 2017 Convivial encounters in neighbourhood projects. Multi-annual research-project how projects in neighbourhoods contribute to meaningful encounters between people with and without disabilities in various Dutch rural and urban areas. Grant Provence of Overijssel. 

Research Portal University of Humanistic Studies

-          2020 – till date Member of Academic board KOOS Youth Care Organisation Utrecht
-          2020 - till date Member of board Recognition and Rewards NLU and UvH
-          2019 -till date Member of IASSIDD SIRG Comparative Policy and Practice Stream
-          2018 - till 2021 Member of University Council UvH (Universiteitsraad)