Aubert, Vilhelm (1922–1988)

Vilhelm Aubert, born in Oslo, was a Norwegian professor in sociology of law. Aubert came from a long line of Norwegian academics and senior civil servants. While studying law at the University of Oslo from 1940, he was active in the Norwegian resistance to the German occupation and in one of the circles that formed around the philosopher Arne Naess. After graduating in 1946, Aubert spent two years studying sociology in the United States. He became one of the leaders behind the 1950 foundation of the Institute for Social Research in Oslo, where he would do most of his research over the years.

In a 1952 study of the impact of the 1948 Norwegian Housemaid Act, Aubert and his coworkers found that while the law had ...