Prof. Firouz Gaini has been engaged in research within many fields, first and foremost:

Childhood Studies (everyday life, social life, family relations, education)

Youth Studies (everyday life, cultural identity, gender, media, future perspectives)

Island studies (small island cultures, coastal communities, place/space, temporalities)

Gender studies (masculinities, fatherhood, sexuality, identity)

Anthropology of time (plural temporalities, futures, waiting, pace)

Prof. Firouz Gaini (born in 1972) studied anthropology in Oslo, Copenhagen and the Faroe Islands. His master's project from Copenhagen University was about young people from North African families in the city of Nice, France. His PhD project from the University of the Faroe Islands was about Faroese youth cultures in late modern society. 

He is a co-editor of Island Studies Journal, BARN (Nordic Childhood Journal), and Fróðskaparrit (Faroese Scientific Journal). His fieldwork is from the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Japan. He has published widely on the topics of young people’s everyday lives and futures, fatherhood and masculinities, and small island communities in articles and books. He is co-editor of the volume Gender and Island Communities (Routledge 2020). He is the Research Leader of the Faculty of History and Social Sciences and a Deputy Member of the Board of the University of the Faroe Islands. Gaini was affiliated to the Norwegian Centre for Child Research, NTNU, in Trondheim 2012-2015. Besides the academic literature, is also the author of collections of essays and short stories. He currently lives in Torshavn, Faroe Islands.

Firouz Gaini has been teaching at university level since 2004. Mostly at the University of the Faroe Islands, but also at the Norwegian Centre for Child Research (Norwegian University of Technology and Science) in Trondheim, as well as guest lectures at other universities in Europe and North America. It has been on undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels. 

At the Faculty of Health Science (previously: Nursery School) and the Faculty of Education (previously: Teacher's College) at the University of the Faroe Islands:

Sociology & Anthropology (undergraduate course)

Children's & Young Cultures (undergraduate course)

Philosophy of (Social) Sciences (undergraduate course)

Citizan, Institution and Society (undergraduate course)

Ethics and World-View (undergraduate course)

Ethnography and Fieldwork (postgraduate course)

At the Faculty of History and Social Sciences at the University of the Faroe Islands:

Nationalism & Ethnicity

Cultural Theory

Cultural Studies / Anthropology

Introduction to Sociology

Globalization and Social Change

Introduction to Anthropology and Sociology

Institutions, Organisations and Social Change

Ethnography / Qualitative Methods

At the Norwegian Centre for Child Research, Norwegian University of Technology and Science:

'Experts in Teamwork' (interdisciplinary teamwork in research)

Master's Thesis Seminar (postgraduate course)

Fieldwork Preparatory Course (postgraduate course)

PhD courses at the University of the Faroe Islands:

Culture and Anthropology in the Faroe Islands

Critical Ethnographic Research (in cultural and societal transformations in the nordic countries)

Reflexivity in Research (field relations and methodological reflections)

Articles/Chapters

Gaini, F. (2022) ‘You Just Throw Yourself Into It’ On Fatherhood and Family in the Faroe Islands. Kritisk Etnografi (Swedish Journal of Anthropology) vol.5

Gaini, F. (2022) Learning from the coast. Youth, family, and local knowledge in the Faroe Islands. In Kjørholt, A.T., Bessell, S., Devine, D., Gaini, F. & Spyrou, S. (eds.) Valuing the Past, Sustaining the Future? Exploring Coastal Societies, Childhood(s) and Local Knowledge in Times of Global Transition. MARE Publication Series 27. Berling: Springer.

Kjørholt, A.T., A.T., Bessell, S., Devine, D., Gaini, F. & Spyrou, S. (2022) Exploring coastal societies and knowledge in transition across generations. In Kjørholt, A.T., Bessell, S., Devine, D., Gaini, F. & Spyrou, S. (eds.) Valuing the Past, Sustaining the Future? Exploring Coastal Societies, Childhood(s) and Local Knowledge in Times of Global Transition. MARE Publication Series 27. Berlin: Springer.

Gaini, F. (2022) Boat Spirits, Sea Monsters and Selkies: Fishermen and hidden aquatic dangers in the Faroe Islands. In SHIMA vol.16(2)

Gaini, F. (2022) De unges stille oprør. Modstand, indflydelse og fremtid på Færøerne. Nordisk Tidsskrift for Ungdomsforskning vol.3(1)

Gaini, F. (2022) Youth on the 'Bridge to All Nations'. Globalization, Chanpuruism and Everyday Life in Okinawa. Youth and Globalization vol.4(1)

Gaini, F. & Sleire, K. (2022) The Wave Cannot Catch Me: Children, Place and Local Knowledge in the Faroe Islands. Children's Geographies

Frøyland, K., Alecu, A., Ballo, J.G., Leseth, A., Sadeghi, T. & Gaini, F. (2022) Inclusion of young people in school, work and society: a review of Nordic research literature. Oslo: Oslo Metropolitan University 

Gaini, F. (2021) 'Island People Are Always Waiting'. Young people's everyday lives and future narratives in Okinawa. Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies vol.21(2)

Gaini, F. (2021) Imellem venner og fremmede. Etnografisk forskning i små samfund i Norden. In Hovgaard, G. & Arnfjord, S. (eds.) Samfundsvidenskabelig praksis: Arktiske perspektiver. Nuuk: University of Greenland Press

Gaini, F. (2021) Tænk på Kina som din bedstemor og Japan som din bedstefar: Unge, hverdagsliv og fremtidsdrømme på militærøen Okinawa. Jordens Folk vol.56

Reigner, N., Hovgaard, G. and Gaini, F. (2021) Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Chinese Tourism - Sustainable Development in the Face of Otherneww, Growth, and Power. In Lee, Y-S. (ed.) Arctic Tourism, Asian Consumption. London: Routledge

Gaini, F. (2020) ‘He understands me in a different way than others do’: Faroese Teenagers’ Narratives on Fatherhood, Masculinity, and Family Life. Suomen Antropologi vol.45(2)

Greene, C., Singleton, B. and Gaini, F. (2020) Tradition Is Essential: Clashing Articulations of Sami Identity, Past and Present. In Lundmark, L., Carson, D.B. and Eimermann, M. (eds.) Dipping in to the North. Working and Traveling in Sparsely Populated Areas. London: Palgrave Macmillan

Gaini, F. & Nielsen, H.P. (2020) Gender, Change and Continuity in Island Communities. In Gaini, F. & Nielsen, H.P. (eds.) Gender and Island Communities. New York & London: Routledge

Gaini, F. (2020) Gender on the Rock. In Gaini, F. & Nielsen, H.P. (eds.) Gender and Island Communities. New York & London: Routledge

Gaini, F. 2019. Jerusalem in the North. The Land and State of Israel from a Faroese Perspective. In Adams, J. & Heiss, C. (eds.) Antisemitism in the North - History and State of Research. Berlin: de Gruyter

Gaini, F. (2019). The Future Images of Contemporary Oki Islands Youth. Asian Anthropology vol.18(1)

Gaini, F. (2019) Young Kalaallit Men's Negotiation of Masculinity. Fróðskaparrit vol.65/66. Tórshavn: Faroe University Press

Gaini, F. (2018) Altered Islands: Young Faroe Islanders' Future Images. Suomen Antropologi vol. 43(4)

Lopez, J.A.C., Nordfjell, O.B., Gaini, F. and Heikkinen, M. (2018) Promising Nordic practices in gender equality promotion. Developing teacher education dialogue, practice, and policy cycles on-line. Policy Futures in Education vol.16(5)

Gaini, F. (2017) 'Crack in the Ice': Marginalization of Young Men in Contemporary Urban Greenland. In Haywood, C. and Johansson, T. (eds.) Marginalized Masculinities. Contexts, Continuities and Change. New York: Routledge

Gaini, F. (2017) Små steder, store drømme [Oki Islands]. Jordens Folk vol.52(1-2)

Gaini, F. (2016) Contemporary Realities and Future Dreams of Oki Islands Youth. Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies vol.16(3)

Gaini, F. (2015) Wherever I Drop Anchor. Faroese Teenagers’ View on Home and Migration. In Fróðskaparrit vol.62. Tórshavn: Faroe University Press

Gaini, F. (2015). Udstilling på hjul. Museale eksperimenter i Autopia. In Fibiger, T.B. & Dahre, U. (eds.) Etnografi på museum – Visioner og udfordringer for etnografiske museer i norden. Aarhus: Aarhus Universitetsforlag

Gaini, F. (2013). Youth Culture Research in the Faroe Islands. In Broe, L. Kortlægning af nordisk forskning om kultur og krativitet i skolen. Børnekulturens Netværk. Copenhagen: Kulturstyrelsen [Report]

Gaini, F. (2012). En sømand går i land. In Jordens Folk (1-2012). Keypmannahavn: Dansk Etnografisk Forening

Gaini, F. (2012). Quest for a better understanding of children and cultures. Twenty-first century children’s cultures, rights and education from an anthropological perspective. In Hashemi, K. and Briskman, L. (eds.) NAM Yearbook on Human Rights and Cultural Diversity. Tehran: Non-Aligned Movement Centre for Human Rights and Cultural Diversity (NAMCHRCD). Teheran [Report]

Gaini, F. (2011). Knívleysir menn. Samleiki og mentan hjá ungum føroyskum monnum. In Bugge, E., Bugge, H. og Tornes, K. (eds.) Færøysk liv i nordisk perspektiv. Festskrift til Beinta í Jákupsstovu. Tórshavn: Faroe University Press

Gaini, F. (2011). Cultural Rhapsody in shift. In Gaini, F. (ed.) Among the Islanders of the North. An Anthropology of the Faroe Islands. Tórshavn: Faroese University Press

Gaini, F. (2011). The Adversity of the Heroes of the Past. In Gaini, F. (Eds.) Among the Islanders of the North. An Anthropology of the Faroe Islands. Tórshavn: Faroese University Press

Gaini, F. (2010). Fortidens helte i modvind. Maskulinitet og identitet blandt unge mænd på Færøerne. In NIKK Magasin. Oslo: Nordic Gender Institute

Gaini, F. (2010). Hvad har du lært i skolen i dag? Familiekapital og skole på Færøerne. In BARN No 3-2010. Trondheim: Norwegian Centre for Child Research

Gaini, F. (2009). Family and primary school in the Faroe Islands. Proceedings of the International Conference on Primary Education. Hong Kong Institute of Education

Gaini, F. (2009). Pays de jeunesse. La musique et la jeunesse rurale contemporaine des Iles Feroe. Fete, ruralité et groupe de jeunesse. In Isnart, C. (ed.) Figures de la jeunesse. Collection de le Monde Alpin & Rhodanien. Grenoble: Musée Dauphinois

Gaini, F. (2009). Sáttmálin um barnarættindi. In Gaini, F. Kruse, J. & Ludvigsdóttir, B. (Eds.) Sameindu Tjóðir og Mannarættindi. Tórshavn: Faroese University Press

Gaini, F. (2009). Dreams of cars on an Island. Youth, cars and cultural values in the Faroe Islands. In Fróðskaparrit 57 [Annales Societatis Scientiarum Færoensis] Tórshavn: Faroe University Press

Gaini, F. (2009). Identities in the Stream of the Atlantic Ocean. Identity, culture and education in latemodern Faroese society. In Aamotsbakken, B. & Selander, S. (eds.) Nordic Identities in Transition – as reflected in informal and formal sites of learning. Oslo: NOVUS

Gaini, F. (2009). Lyt til os – og du vil få en positiv oplevelse! Kultur, fritid og social trivsel blandt færøske tredjeklasses elever. In BARN No. 2-2009. Trondheim: Norwegian Centre for Child Research

Gaini, F. (2009). Bilmentan – ung, ferðsla og trygd [Report: Car culture – Youth, traffic and safety] Torshavn: The Road Safety Agency

Gaini, F. (2008). Vælkomin til Føroyar? Nakrar søgur um útlendingar í Føroyum. In Sigurðardóttir, T. & Snædal, M. (eds.) Frændafundur 6 – Fyrilestrar frá íslendsk-føroyskari ráðstevnu í Tórshavn juni 2007. Reykjavík: Háskólaútgáfan

Gaini, F. (2008). Sms-beskeder, symbolske gaver og sproglige eksperimenter. In Hauksdóttir, A., Skyum-Nielsen, E. & Hjörvar, R.M. (eds.) Sprog og litteratur i Norden. Nordiske sprog- og litteraturdage i København. Keypmannahavn: Nordatlantens Brygge

Gaini, F. (2008). Barna- og ungdómskanning – mentan, frítíð og trivnaður [Report: Children & Youth Survey – Culture, leisure and wellbeing] Torshavn: The Ministry of Culture and Education

Gaini, F. (2006). Mjørki, vatn og stormvindar. Brot úr veruligu søgur føroyinga. In Marnersdóttir, M., Kristjánsdóttir, L., Joensen, L. & Johansen, A. (eds.) Bókmentaljós. Heiðursrit. Torshavn: Faroe University Press

Gaini, F. (2006). Eg bíði eftir svari. In Durhuus, K. (ed.) Halló – brot úr einum fjarskiftandi alheimi. Torshavn: Føroya Tele

Gaini, F. (2006). Once Were Men. Maculinities among young men in the Faroe Islands. In Fróðskaparrit 54 [Annales Societatis Scientiarum Færoensis] Torshavn: Faroe University Press

Gaini, F. (2006). Familie, leg og erfaring. Børnehavebørn og moderniseringsprocessen på Færøerne. In BARN 3-2006. Trondheim: Norwegian Centre for Child Research

Gaini, F. (2006). Internet Chatting in the Faroe Islands. New forms of communication among young people. In Fróðskaparrit 54 [Annales Societatis Scientiarum Færoensis] Torshavn: Faroe University Press

Gaini, F et al. (2006). På ny kurs – museer, dokumentation og samtid. Rapport fra et seminar 15.-19. august 2006. Maihaugen (Norway): NORSAM

Gaini, F. (2005). The Stranger in the Class. Ethnographic fieldwork experiences from a lower secondary school. In Helve, H. (ed.) Mixed Methods in Youth Research. Helsinki: Finnish Youth Research Network

Gaini, F. (2005). Faroese Youth: Preferences of Education, Work and Leisure.In Puuronen, V., Soilevuo-Grønnerød, J. &Herranen, J. (eds.) Youth – Similarities, Differences, Inequalities.  Joensuu: University of Joensuu Press

Gaini, F. (2005). Ung, mentan og alnót í Føroyum. In Snædal, M. og Johansen, A. (eds.) Frændafundur 5 – Fyrilestrar frá íslendsk-føroyskari ráðstevnu í Reykjavík í juni 2004. Reykjavík: Háskólaútgáfan

Gaini, F. (2005). Ungdómsinsbýur. In Mortensen, A. (ed.) Fólkaleikur. Heiðursrit. Tórshavn: Faroe University Press

Gaini, F. (2004). The presentation of children in the Faroese public debate. In Children & Culture in the 21st Century – What do we know? (report) Keypmannahavn: BIN Norden

Gaini, F. (2004). To fish or not to fish. The meaning of fish and fisheries among young people in the Faroe Islands. In Fróðskaparrit 52 [Annales Societatis Scientiarum Færoensis] Tórshavn: Faroe University Press

Gaini, F. (2003). Færøerne. Et nordatlantisk øsamfunds ungdom. In Helve, H. (Ed.) Ung i utkant. Aktuell forskning om glesbygdsungdomar i Norden. Keypmannahavn: Nordic Council of Minister

Gaini, F. (1999). Unge nordafrikanere i Sørfrankrike. In Jordens Folk vol.2/no.34. Keypmannahavn: Dansk Etnografisk Forening

Books

Gaini, F. & Nielsen, H.P. (eds.) (2020) Gender and Island Communities. London: Routledge

Gaini, F. (2015) Atlantic Wayfarers. Essays on Young Faroe Islanders. Saarbrucken: Lambert Academic

Gaini, F. (2013) Lessons of Islands. Place and Identity in the Faroe Islands. Tórshavn: Faroe University Press

Other publications

Gaini, F. 2022. Pápar og familjulív í Føroyum: Modernaði pápin millum fortíð og framtíð. In FRØÐI 2022-1. Torshavn: Føroya Fróðskaparfelag 

Gaini, F. 2016. Faroe Islands: Many young men, with just as many futures. In Nordregio News nr.2. Stockholm: Nordregio

Gaini, F. 2016. Flyta burtur fyri at koma heim. In VARÐIN 83(1). Tórshavn: Forlagið Varðin

Gaini, F. 2014. At renna undan teimum gomlu. Ungdómurin, mótin og samleikin. In Marknaðarrákið (February 2014). Tórshavn: Felagið Føroysk Marknaðarfólk

Gaini, F. 2013. Gandaspegil í mínari hond, hvør er mest normalur í hesum landi? Antropologisk sjónarmið um brek og mentan. In PREI nr. 6. Tórshavn

Gaini, F. 2013. Ábyrgdin á tínum herðum. In Gallup Pulsurin. Tórshavn: Gallup Føroyar

Gaini, F. 2012. Hvussu sær framtíðarinnar universitet út? In Frøði 1-2012. Tórshavn. Føroya Fróðskaparfelag

Gaini, F. 2012. Child Centric Families and the Vulnerability of Small Scale Island Communities.In Anthropolgy News (April Edition, Online). US: American Anthropological Association

Gaini, F. 2012. “Setrið og samfelagið”. In Fjølnir. Copenhagen: MFS

Gaini, F. 2012. The Road to Adulthood: Car culture in the Faroes. Published (November 13) on ScienceNordic (http://sciencenordic.com)

Gaini, F. 2012. The Whale. Superstar of the Ocean. Published (July 3) on ScienceNordic (http://sciencenordic.com)

Gaini, F. 2011. Kyn, virði og rættindi. Hvørja hugsan hava ungir føroyskir dreingir um javnstøðu í samfelagnum? In FRØÐI 2. Tórshavn: Føroya Fróðskaparfelag

Gaini, F. 2011. Skúlin og lívsvirðini hjá næmingum. In FRØÐI 2. Tórshavn: Føroya Fróðskaparfelag

Gaini, F. 2011. The Faroese. In Cole, J. E. (ed.) Ethnic Groups of Europe. An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Denver and Oxford: ABC CLIO

Gaini, F. 2010. Fortíðarinnar hetjur í andróðri. Maskulinitetur og samleiki hjá ungum monnum í Føroyum. Tórshavn: Javnstøðunevndin (www.javnstoda.fo)

Gaini, F. 2010. Ungdómslív - Vársól fyri sinnið. In FRØÐI 2. Torshavn: Føroya Fróðskaparfelag

Gaini, F. 2010. Faðir og sonur í sama báti. In FRØÐI 2. Tórshavn: Føroya Fróðskaparfelag

Gaini, F. 2010. Ung í telduøldini. Hvønn leiklut hevur teldan í gerandislívinum? In FRØÐI 1. Tórshavn: Føroya Fróðskaparfelag

Gaini, F. 2010. Eftirskúlin og ungdómurin í seinmodernaða samfelagnum. In Eftirskúlin nr. 4. Suðuroy

Gaini, F. 2007. Andaligur kapitalur í nýggju miðøldini. In Skorini, H. and Johannessen, P.H. (Eds.) Krossvegir. Essay-savn um átrúnað og politikk. Vestmanna: Sprotin

Gaini, F. 2007. Chicago – Tórshavn – Los Angeles. In VARÐIN. Tórshavn

Gaini, F. 2006. Atlantiskir cowboyar. In FRØÐI. Tórshavn: Føroya Fróðskaparfelag

Gaini, F. 2006. The Sound of Oppression. In Rethinking Nordic Colonialism. Helsinki: NIFCA (Nordic Institute For Contemporary Arts)

Gaini, F. 2006. Ein nýggjurskúli. In Skúlablaðið (oktober). Tórshavn: Føroya Lærarafelag

Gaini, F. 2006. Mjørki, vatn og stormvindar. In VARÐIN. Tórshavn

Gaini, F. 2005. Trækfugle vender altid hjem. In Ungdomsforskning. Keypmannahavn: Centre for Youth Research (DPU)

Gaini, F. 2005. Ungdómur og mentanarlig globalisering. Námsrit 1/2005. Klaksvik: Granskingardepilin fyri Samfelagsmenning

Gaini, F. 2005. Ernest Gellner. Størsti forsprákarin fyri rationalismuni í nýggjari tíð. In Sigurðardóttir, T. (Ed.) Modernaðirteoretikarar. Torshavn: Faroe University Press

Gaini, F. 2005. N som nomad. In PAJAZZO. Helsinki

Gaini, F. 2005. Framtíðarung. In Pedagogblaðið. (December). Torshavn: Pedagogfelagið

Gaini, F. 2004. KOM og FAR telefon. In FRØÐI 1. Tórshavn: Føroya Fróðskaparfelag

Gaini, F. 2003. Ung í Føroyum. Námsrit 1/2003. Klaksvik: Granskingardepilin fyri Samfelagsmenning

Gaini, F. 2003. Kjattarar. Ung á netinum. In FRØÐI 1. Tórshavn: Føroya Fróðskaparfelag

Hovgaard, G. and Gaini, F. 2003. Fisk og mus på Færøerne. In Ungdomsforskning. Roskilde: Centre for Youth Research

Gaini, F. 2002. Skyldfólk og onnur – familjan í Føroyum. In FRØÐI 1/2002. Tórshavn: Føroya Fróðsksparfelag

Gaini, F. 2001. Ikke medierne der er problemet. In CeFUnetskrift. Roskilde: Centre for Youth Research

www.setur.fo

Firouz Gaini has published essays and short stories in Faroese and other languages.