Janne Vandebroek

BACKGROUND

Janne joined the NELO project in 2026. Using qualitative and participatory methods, she examines the relationship between the neighbourhood and loneliness among older adults who have lost a loved one.

Janne studied Art Studies and Linguistics and Literary Studies at the VUB, where her interest gradually shifted towards the social domain. For her master’s theses (2022, 2024), she examined representations of cultural diversity in UNESCO’s representations of spiritual intangible heritage and in Chilean children’s literature, respectively.

After graduating, she wanted to work at a local, neighbourhood level. She started at a community centre in Brussels as a sociocultural project worker within a Duurzaam Wijkcontract (in English: Sustainable Neighbourhood). She explored local sociocultural needs and how the community centre could respond to them. With her PhD, she hopes to build on this practical knowledge and academic background to explore the role of the neighbourhood in stories of loneliness after bereavement.

KEY PUBLICATIONS

For a full overview: Pure Databank. 

RESEARCH EXPERTISE

• Environmental gerontology
• Social narratology
• Loneliness and grief

GET IN TOUCH

E-mail: Janne.Vandebroek@vub.be