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Lena Gunnarsson

Position: Senior Lecturer School/office: School of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences

Email: bGVuYS5ndW5uYXJzc29uO29ydS5zZQ==

Phone: +46 762 313679

Room: F3254

Research subject

Gender Studies

Research environments

Centre for Feminist Social Studies (CFS)

About Lena Gunnarsson

I am head of Gender Studies and research and teach in the area.

Research Areas

Gender and feminist theory
Philosophy of science for the social sciences
Critical realism
Love and intimacy
Sexuality, sexual consent, sexual violence
Gender and health

Current Research
I currently lead a research project on involuntary celibacy and singlehood, which links these phenomena to broader configurations of the conditions of intimacy in postindustrial societies. I also work in a project that examines alternative knowledge claims about the health risks of the copper IUD, which are disseminated and discussed in social media. Recently finished research projects include a study on dynamics of sexual consent and a project on sugar dating in Sweden.

Active projects

Completed projects

Research groups

Critical Studies on Men and Masculinities

Publications

Articles in journals

Gunnarsson, L. & Wemrell, M. (2024). Assessing the validity of counter-authority knowledge: The case of Swedish women’s epistemic patchworking around the risks of copper IUD use. Journal of Critical Realism. [BibTeX]
Johansson Wilén, E. , Maria, W. & Gunnarsson, L. (2024). Gender knowledge production and epistemology in the incelosphere. Journal of Gender Studies. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2024). The Allure of Transactional Intimacy in Sugar Dating. Sociological perspectives, 67 (1-3), 25-41. [BibTeX]
Johansson Wilén, E. & Gunnarsson, L. (2024). Who knows? On the epistemic status of experience in sugar-dating research. Feminist Theory, 25 (3), 359-375. [BibTeX]
Wemrell, M. & Gunnarsson, L. (2023). Claims in the clinic: A qualitative group interview study on healthcare communication about unestablished side effects of the copper IUD. PLOS ONE, 18 (9). [BibTeX]
Jónasdóttir, A. G. & Gunnarsson, L. (2023). Love Power in the Rear-View Mirror: Interview with Anna G. Jónasdóttir. NORA: Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research, 31 (4), 309-319. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Wemrell, M. (2023). On the verge between the scientific and the alternative: Swedish women’s claims about systemic side effects of the copper intrauterine device. Public Understanding of Science, 32 (2), 175-189. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Wemrell, M. (2023). The different facets of 'experiential knowledge' in Swedish women's claims about systemic side effects of the copper intrauterine device. Sociology of Health and Illness, 45 (7), 1483-1501. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Strid, S. (2023). Varieties of Sugar Dating in Sweden: Content, Compensation, Motivations. Social problems, 70 (4), 1044-1062. [BibTeX]
Wemrell, M. & Gunnarsson, L. (2022). Attitudes Toward HPV Vaccination in Sweden: A Survey Study. Frontiers in Public Health, 10. [BibTeX]
Wemrell, M. & Gunnarsson, L. (2022). Attitudes Toward the Copper IUD in Sweden: A Survey Study. Epidemiologic Methods, 3. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Strid, S. (2022). Chemistry or service? Sugar daddies’ (re)quest for mutuality within the confines of commercial exchange. Journal of Sex Research, 59 (3), 309-320. [BibTeX]
Johansson, A. & Gunnarsson, L. (2022). ”Jag är inte prostituerad, jag lever normalt”: Sugardejtares språkliga och praktiska relationsarbete för att avgränsa sugardejting från prostitution ["I'm not a prostitute, I live a normal life". Sugar daters' linguistic and practical relational work to separate sugar dating from prostitution]. Sociologisk forskning, 59 (1–2), 101-125. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2022). Sex, våldtäkt och gråzonen däremellan. Texter om våld (1), 4-9. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2022). Sugardejting. Texter om våld (1), 10-17. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2018). “Excuse Me, But Are You Raping Me Now?”: Discourse and Experience in (the Grey Areas of) Sexual Violence. NORA: Nordic Journal of Feminist and Gender Research, 26 (1), 4-18. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2017). Hetero‐Love in Patriarchy: An Autobiographical Substantiation. Hypatia, 32 (1), 187-192. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2017). Why we keep separating the ‘inseparable’: Dialecticizing intersectionality. The European Journal of Women's Studies, 24 (2), 114-127. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. , Martínez Dy, A. & van Ingen, M. (2016). Critical Realism, Gender and Feminism: Exchanges, Challenges, Synergies. Journal of Critical Realism, 15 (5), 433-439. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Jónasdóttir, A. G. (2016). För ett brett fält av feministiska kärleksstudier. Tidskrift för Genusvetenskap, 37 (2), 3-10. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2016). The Dominant and Its Constitutive Other: Feminist Theorizations of Love, Power and Gendered Selves. Journal of Critical Realism, 15 (1), 1-20. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2015). Amarlo por quién es: la microsociología del poder. Sociológica, 30 (85), 235-258. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2015). Breaking intellectual taboos with Roy by my side. Journal of Critical Realism, 14 (2), 121-124. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2015). Nature, Love and the Limits of Male Power. Journal of Critical Realism, 14 (3), 325-332. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2013). The naturalistic turn in feminist theory: a Marxist-realist contribution. Feminist Theory, 14 (1), 3-19. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2011). A defence of the category 'women'. Feminist Theory, 12 (1), 23-37. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2011). Love – exploitable resource or ‘No-lose situation’?: Reconciling Jónasdóttir’s feminist view with Bhaskar’s philosophy of meta-reality. Journal of Critical Realism, 10 (4), 419-441. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2007). Sova med fienden: feminister berättar om att ha sex med män. Socialistisk debatt (1), 35-54. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2006). Familjen – stötdämpare och avfallscentral. Socialistisk Debatt (1), 103-112. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2006). Frö av feminism i marxismen. Socialistisk Debatt (1), 113-118. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2005). Besvärliga begär. Bang: feministisk kulturtidskrift (1), 36-39. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2005). Den postmoderna återvändsgränden: eller varför dialektiken fortfarande är positivismens mest radikala motståndare. Socialistisk Debatt (1), 89-101. [BibTeX]

Articles, book reviews

Gunnarsson, L. (2015). Review of On Love: A Philosophy for the Twenty-first Century by Luc Ferry. Journal of Critical Realism, 14 (4), 420-424. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2014). Review of Why Love Hurts: A Sociological Explanation. By Eva Illouz. Journal of Critical Realism, 13 (1), 102-105. [BibTeX]

Books

Gunnarsson, L. (2025). Dynamics of Sexual Consent: Sex, Rape and the Grey Area In-Between. London: Routledge. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2020). Samtyckesdynamiker: Sex, våldtäkt och gråzonen däremellan (1ed.). Lund: Studentlitteratur AB. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2014). The Contradictions of Love: Towards a feminist-realist ontology of sociosexuality. New York: Routledge (Ontological Explorations ). [BibTeX]

Chapters in books

Gunnarsson, L. (2023). Consent, Gender, and Power. In: Louisa Allen; Mary Lou Rasmussen, The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Sexuality Education. . Palgrave Macmillan. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2021). Att sätta citattecken runt ”kvinnor”: Samtida feministisk teori och det diskursiva intellektets begränsningar. In: Evelina Johansson Wilén; Johanna Sjöstedt, Vad är en kvinna? Språk, materialitet, situation (pp. 51-69). Göteborg: Daidalos. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2020). A Defence of the Category ‘Women’. In: Michiel van Ingen, Stephanie Grohmann, Lena Gunnarsson, Critical realism, feminism, and gender: A reader. London & New York: Routledge. [BibTeX]
van Ingen, M. , Grohmann, S. & Gunnarsson, L. (2020). Critical realism and intersectionality. In: Michiel van Ingen, Steph Grohmann, Lena Gunnarsson, Critical Realism, Feminism, and Gender: A Reader (pp. 137-142). London & New York: Routledge. [BibTeX]
Axelsson, T. & Gunnarsson, L. (2020). Extending the uses of Liisa's notion of 'non-event': The cases of gender equality work and sexual violence. In: Sofia Strid, Dag Balkmar, Jeff Hearn, Louise Morley, Does knowledge have a gender? A Festschrift for Liisa Husu on gender, science and academia (pp. 390-401). Örebro: Örebro University. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2020). Genusvetenskapens potential att bilda för hållbarhet. In: Magnus Boström, Christian Lundahl & Johan Öhman, Humanistiska och samhällsvetenskapliga perspektiv på bildning och hållbar utveckling (pp. 53-61). Örebro: Örebro universitet. [BibTeX]
van Ingen, M. , Grohmann, S. & Gunnarsson, L. (2020). Making waves, and beyond. In: Michiel van Ingen, Steph Grohmann, Lena Gunnarsson, Critical Realism, Feminism, and Gender: A Reader (pp. 1-8). London & New York: Routledge. [BibTeX]
van Ingen, M. , Grohmann, S. & Gunnarsson, L. (2020). Methodology and methods: Critical realism and empirical research. In: Michiel van Ingen, Steph Grohmann, Lena Gunnarsson, Critical Realism, Feminism, and Gender: A Reader (pp. 195-204). London & New York: Routledge. [BibTeX]
van Ingen, M. , Grohmann, S. & Gunnarsson, L. (2020). Philosophical preliminaries: Critical realism, feminism, and gender. In: Michiel van Ingen, Steph Grohmann, Lena Gunnarsson, Critical Realism, Feminism, and Gender: A Reader (pp. 9-14). London & New York: Routledge. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2020). Why we keep separating the ‘Inseparable’: Dialecticizing intersectionality. In: Michiel van Ingen, Stephanie Grohmann, Lena Gunnarsson, Critical realism, feminism, and gender: A reader. London & New York: Routledge. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. , Ingen, M. v. & Martínez Dy, A. (2018). Critical Realism, Gender and Feminism: Exchanges, Challenges, Synergies. In: Lena Gunnarsson, Angela Martínez Dy, Michiel van Ingen, Gender, feminism and critical realism: Exchanges, challenges, synergies. London: Routledge. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2018). Love, Feminism and Dialectics: Repairing Splits in Theory and Practice. In: Adriana García-Andrade, Lena Gunnarsson, Anna G. Jónasdóttir, Feminism and the power of love: Interdisciplinary interventions. London: Routledge. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. , García-Andrade, A. & Jonasdottir, A. G. (2018). The Power of Love: Towards an interdisciplinary and multi-theoretical feminist love studies. In: Adriana García-Andrade, Lena Gunnarsson and Anna G. Jónasdóttir, Feminism and the power of love: Interdisciplinary Interventions. London and New York: Routledge. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2014). Loving him for who he is: The microsociology of power. In: Anna G. Jónasdóttir and Ann Ferguson, Love: a question for feminism in the twenty first century (pp. 97-110). New York: Routledge. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2011). Loving him for who he is: Pinpointing the mechanisms of female subordination in heterosexual couple love. In: So!a Strid and Anna G. Jónasdóttir, GEXcel Work in Progress ReportVolume VII: Proceedings from GEXcel Theme 10:Love in Our Time – A Question for FeminismSpring 2010. Örebro/Linköping: GEXcel. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2010). Bereit für die Liebe?. In: Frigga Haug, Briefe aus der Ferne: Anforderungen an ein feministisches Projekt heute (pp. 131-138). Hamburg: Argument. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2009). Ist Die Linke Bereit Für Die Liebe?: Die Schwedishe Linkspartei Und Der Feminismus. In: Frigga Haug, Anforderungen an Ein Linkes Feministisches Projekt Heute: Ergebnisse Einer Internationalen Umfrage: Beiträge Zur Programmdiskussion Der Linken (pp. 44-46). Berlin: Die Linke. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2008). Accumulated worthiness?: Women and men, love and authority. In: Kathleen B. Jones, Gunnel Karlsson, Gender and the interests of love: essays in honour of Anna G. Jónasdóttir. Örebro: Örebro University. [BibTeX]

Collections (editor)

van Ingen, M. (ed.) , Grohmann, S. (ed.) & Gunnarsson, L. (ed.) (2020). Critical Realism, Feminism, and Gender: A Reader. London & New York: Routledge. [BibTeX]
García-Andrade, A. (ed.) , Gunnarsson, L. (ed.) & Jonasdottir, A. G. (ed.) (2018). Feminism and the Power of Love: Interdisciplinary Interventions (1ed.). London and New York: Routledge (Routledge Advances in Feminist Studies and Intersectionality 23). [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (ed.) , Ingen, M. v. (ed.) & Martínez Dy, A. (ed.) (2018). Gender, feminism and critical realism: Exchanges, challenges, synergies. London: Routledge. [BibTeX]

Conference papers

Johansson Wilén, E. & Gunnarsson, L. (2024). The epistemic standards of the incel movement. Paper presented at Sociologidagarna, Göteborg, Sweden, 13-15 mars, 2024. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Wemrell, M. (2022). Alternative facts or women’s empowerment? Swedish women’s claims about the health risks of copper IUD use. Paper presented at Sociologidagarna, Uppsala, Sweden, March 16-18, 2022. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2022). Between the scientific and the alternative: Women’s claims about systemic side effects of the copper IUD. Paper presented at Assemblages of Rare Diseases, Polish Academy of Sciences (IFiS PAN), Warsaw, Poland, March 10-11, 2022. [BibTeX]
Wemrell, M. & Gunnarsson, L. (2022). Claims in the clinic: Tensions in healthcare communication about perceived side effects of the copper IUD. In: Futures Ahead. Translations and collaborations between medicine, social science and the humanities. 15-17 June 2022 Abstract Booklet. Paper presented at Futures Ahead - Translations and collaborations between medicine, social science and the humanities, Linköping, Sweden, June 15-17, 2022. (pp. 97-98). Linköping University. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Wemrell, M. (2022). Exploring the concept of experiential knowledge: The case of women claiming to suffer from systemic side effects of the copper IUD. Paper presented at Den femte nationella konferensen för genusforskning i Sverige (g22), Karlstads universitet, Karlstad, Oktober 26-28, 2022. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2022). Feminism and sexual consent: Tensions and contentions. Paper presented at Is consent good for women? A feminist symposium on consent culture, Birkbeck, University of London, England, June 17, 2022. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. , Johansson Wilén, E. & Wemrell, M. (2022). Inceldom and involuntary singlehood in times of precarious love. Paper presented at NORMEN 2022: Men, Masculinities, Intersectionalities: The Nordic Research Conference, Online conference, November 3-4, 2022. [BibTeX]
Johansson, A. & Gunnarsson, L. (2022). ”Jag är inte prostituerad, jag lever normalt”: Sugardejtares strategier för att särskilja sugardejting från prostitution. Paper presented at Den femte nationella konferensen för genusforskning i Sverige (g22), Karlstads universitet, Karlstad, Oktober 26-28, 2022. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2022). Sugar dating in neoliberal times of precarious love. Paper presented at Sociologidagarna, Uppsala, Sweden, March 16-18, 2022. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2022). The Allure of Sugar Dating: “Sugar babies”’ investment in transactional intimacy in times of precarious love. Paper presented at NORA Conference, Oslo, Norway, June 20-22, 2022. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2022). ‘Women’ as a Category: Critical Realism, High Theory and Common Sense. Paper presented at NORA Conference, Oslo, Norway, June 20-22, 2022. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Wemrell, M. (2021). ‘Being our own researchers’: Knowledge claims about the risks of using the copper IUD among social media active women in Sweden. Paper presented at Annual Conference of the Swedish Anthropological Association (SANT), (Online conference), April 22-23, 2021. [BibTeX]
Strid, S. & Gunnarsson, L. (2021). Sugardating as Empowerment or Exploitation? Feminist Interpretations of the Commodification of Intimacy. Paper presented at 15th European Sociological Association Conference (ESA 2021), (Virtual Conference), Barcelona, Spain, August 31 - September 3, 2021. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Strid, S. (2020). Mapping sugar dating in Sweden. Paper presented at Sociologidagarna, Stockholm, Sweden, March 18-20, 2020 (Conference cancelled). [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Strid, S. (2019). Dimensional Theories of Abuse: The case of sugar dating. Paper presented at g19: Rethinking Knowledge Regimes. Solidarities and Contestations, Gothenburg, Sweden, October 7-9, 2019. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2018). Fifty shades of sexual consent?. Paper presented at Sociologidagarna 2018: Sociology in a polarized world, Lund, Sweden, March 7-9, 2018. Lund: [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2018). Sexual Consent and Our Need for Love: Transforming Intimate Relationships. Paper presented at 21st Annual Conference of the International Association for Critical Realism (IACR), Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway, August 29-31, 2018. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2017). Exploring men’s experiences of sexual (non)consent. Paper presented at Men and Masculinities: Politics, Policy, Praxis, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden, June 14-16, 2017. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2017). The Category “Women”: A critical realist perspective’. Paper presented at A Think-Space for Gender Theory, Loughborough University, London, UK, April 27-28, 2017. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2016). Exploring bio/sociocultural interdisciplinarity: The case of affective transmission. Paper presented at g16 – National conference for gender research, Linköping, Sweden, November 23-25, 2016. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2016). Intersectionality and the ontological, epistemological and political status of categories. Paper presented at CIEG 1st international congress. Gender Studies in Debate: Pathways, challenges and interdisciplinary perspectives, Institute of Social and Political Sciences (ISCSP), University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal, May 25-27, 2016. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2016). The grey-areas of sexual non/consent and the trouble with wanting. Paper presented at Nordic Network for Research on Sexual Violence Symposium, Oslo University, Oslo, Norway, October 14, 2016. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2015). Att utmana intellektuella tabun med Roy vid min sida. Paper presented at Symposium till minne av Roy Bhaskar, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden, March 23, 2015. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2015). Kärlek och jämställdhet. Paper presented at Kvinnligt, manligt – finns det skillnader? Symposium, arr. Hjärntrusten och Fysiografiska sällskapet, Lund University, Lund, Sweden, April 28, 2015. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2015). Love, Ethics, Reality. Paper presented at Cambridge Realist Workshop Reunion Conference, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK, September 7-9, 2015. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2015). Love, Nature and the Contradictions of Male Power. Paper presented at Exploring Affect: Nordic and Baltic Symposium on Love, NSU Nordic Summer School, Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden, February 27 – March 1, 2015. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2014). Nature Love and the limits of male power, 2014 Cheryl Frank memorial prize lecture. Paper presented at IACR Annual Conference, Institute of Education, London, UK, July 18-21, 2014. [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (2014). What does it mean to intersect?. Paper presented at g14 – National conference for gender research, Umeå, Sweden, November 26-28, 2014. [BibTeX]

Conference proceedings (editor)

Strid, S. (ed.) , Husu, L. (ed.) & Gunnarsson, L. (ed.) (2012). Gender paradoxes in Changing Academic and Scientific Organisation(s): GEXcel Work in Progress Report, Volume X Proceedings from GEXcel Themes 11-12. Örebro: Örebro universitet (CFS Report Series 16). [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (ed.) , Jónasdóttir, A. G. (ed.) & Karlsson, G. (ed.) (2008). GEXcel Work in Progress Report. Volume II: Proceedings from GEXcel Theme 1: Gender, Sexuality and Global Change. Fall 2007. Örebro: Örebro university (CFS report series 7). [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (ed.) (2008). GEXcel Work in Progress Report. Volume III: Proceedings from GEXcel Theme 1: Gender, Sexuality and Global Change. Spring 2008. Örebro: Örebro university (CFS report series 9). [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. (ed.) & Jónasdóttir, A. G. (ed.) (2008). GEXcel Work in Progress Report. Volume IV: Proceedings from Gexcel Theme 1: Gender, Sexuality and Global Change. Conference of Workshops. 22 – 25 May, 2008. Örebro: Örebro university (CFS report series 10). [BibTeX]

Daily newspapers

Gunnarsson, L. (2005). "Jag tar aldrig initiativet till sex". Flamman (1 sep). [BibTeX]

Doctoral theses, monographs

Gunnarsson, L. (2013). On the Ontology of Love, Sexuality and Power: Towards a Feminist-Realist Depth Approach. (Doctoral dissertation). Örebro: Örebro uiversitet. [BibTeX]

Other

Gunnarsson, L. (2024). Vem orkar med riktiga relationer i framtiden?. Nerikes allehanda AB.(Nerikes Allehanda) [BibTeX]
Gunnarsson, L. & Johansson, A. (2023). Sugardaddies. Örebro: Örebro universitet. [BibTeX]
Wemrell, M. & Gunnarsson, L. (2022). Systemiska biverkningar av kopparspiralen? Kvinnors berättelser och vårdgivares förhållningssätt. [BibTeX]

Reports

Gunnarsson, L. (2009). Gubbar, stress och kaxiga tjejer: En studie av könets betydelse för tiden som doktorand vid Örebro universitet. Örebro: Doktorandsektionen, Örebro studentkår. [BibTeX]