Karin Johansson
Papers
1
Total Citations
5
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Karin Johansson is a leading scholar in the intersection of human-animal studies, dementia care, and human-robot interaction. Her research critically examines how non-human entities—both living animals and robotic companions—shape social worlds, particularly within institutional care settings for people with dementia. Her most-cited work, "The Woman with the Dog: Relationships between Pet Robots and Humans in a Danish Nursing Home for People with Dementia" (2024), draws on five months of ethnographic fieldwork to reveal how pet robots are not merely passive objects but co-constructors of social reality. Johansson introduces the novel concept of the "assembled temporary figure," showing how the researcher and robot together become a recognizable social presence—"the woman with the dog"—within the nursing home. This work challenges simplistic views of technology as either beneficial or dehumanizing, instead illuminating the nuanced, emergent relationships between humans, robots, and place. With 5 citations in its first year, the paper is already shaping debates in STS, care ethics, and dementia studies. Johansson’s contributions are vital for anyone interested in how we live with, and care for, vulnerable populations through and alongside technology.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1