Search results for "FINLAND"
showing 10 items of 1724 documents
Pursuing decentralisation : regional cultural policies in Finland and Sweden
2021
In both Finland and Sweden, decentralisation has traditionally been an essential cultural policy aim. This article explores how, by pursuing decentralisation, the regional jurisdictions have been presented with more possibilities to fulfil their purposes and in this way, gain legitimacy in cultural policy. Based on the analysis of political, legal, and administrative documents, three main periods of regional decentralisation in cultural policies are identified: regions as vehicles of welfare policy, regionalisation, and competitive regions. In both countries, national governments have promoted the regional level’s agency, and in doing so, potential institutional change in cultural policy. H…
Care and gendered work in reception centers in Finland
2019
PurposeThis paper focuses on how gendered processes of working life are (re)constructed and are also challenged discursively in paid and volunteer care and work in reception centers. The purpose of this paper is to show how caring work with asylum seekers can both enhance the traditional gender order and challenge it through enabling men to have opportunities to care.Design/methodology/approachThe data were produced through qualitative interviews among paid workers and volunteers in reception centers, and analyzed through a discourse analysis approach.FindingsThree discourses of care and work were identified: a discourse on solidarity and care; a discourse on control and order; and a discou…
THE CONCEPT OF “FAMILY” IN SOMALIS’ IMMIGRATION TO FINLAND Views from Immigration Officials and NGOs
2016
In Addis Ababa one can see dozens of Somali families waiting daily in front of the Embassy of Finland to be interviewed. The interview represents a means of entering Finland, since those waiting presumably have a so-called family re-unifier in Finland, a relative who has of ten already received a residence permit and sometimes even citizenship. This article examines the family reunification process of Somalis who travel from Ethiopia to Finland. Drawing on the experiences related by Finnish immigration officials, it focuses on the fact that they do not share the same definition of “family” as the Somali asylum applicants. Using extensive inter views and observations, this article aims to el…
‘Glocal’ processes in peripheral football countries:A figurational sociological comparison of Finland and Hungary
2015
The aim of this article is to increase the understanding of the global and local contexts in football by finding out what social, cultural and economic dimensions seem to characterize ‘periphery’ football. This study applies figurational sociological perspective, which is applicable to the research on globalization processes and sport. The sources utilized are publications on the history and sociology of football as well as interviews with football practitioners. First, a theoretical framework of the global football figuration is advanced. Second, applying the constructed framework, the concept of periphery football country is discussed. It was found in accordance with previous research tha…
Perceived challenges living and integrating into Finnish society : A study among immigrants in Finland
2022
The number of immigrants living in Finland has significantly increased since the 1990s. It can be challenging to live and integrate into a new society. This study explores the challenges immigrants face living and integrating into Finnish society. Drawing on data collected from 103 immigrants living in Finland, this study shows that the challenges immigrants face integrating into Finnish society can be classified into four main categories: (1) language barrier, (2) discrimination in employment opportunities, (3) racism and inequality, and (4) fewer opportunities of integration. Implications and recommendations are briefly considered.
Perceived threat and prejudice towards immigrants in Finland : A study among early, middle, and late Finnish adolescents
2017
ABSTRACTUsing integrated threat theory, this study examined how perceived threat, or fear of immigrants, manifests among early, middle, and late Finnish adolescents, and the relationship between perceived threat and prejudice among early, middle, and late adolescents. The sample consisted of 795 Finnish adolescents between 11 and 19 years of age. Realistic and symbolic threats were the most perceived threats and were more prevalent among late adolescents. There was a positive relationship between prejudice and realistic threat, and between prejudice and symbolic threat, but a negative relationship between prejudice and negative stereotyping, and this relationship remained relatively stable …
Lessons from Remote School and Work
2021
In autumn 2021, Covid-19 still has effect on our daily living and our possibilities to conduct everyday life practices such as work and studies. Current realities of ‘new normality’, based on remote work and restrictions of social activities, for example, are grounded on the vast changes that occurred when the pandemic began. In this text we take a look back to the period of school closures in Finland, and their effect on families’ daily practices related to children’s well-being and school work. We explore the impacts of remote school to learning opportunities to find ways to utilize the new, good practices of remote school also in the future. At the same time, we emphasize the significanc…
Can ambivalence hold potential for fat activism? An analysis of conflicting discourses on fatness in the Finnish column series Jenny’s Life Change
2018
In 2017, a publicly funded, nationwide campaign called the Scale Rebellion set out to address fatness through body positivity and fat activism in Finland, with a fat woman named Jenny Lehtinen havi...
Global and local interactions in football : the changing field of professional football stadiums in Finland and Hungary in the 2000s
2018
This article aims to increase understanding of the global-local contexts in football by exploring the changing field of professional football stadiums in Finland and Hungary in the 2000s. More specifically, the cases of two clubs, HJK (Finland) and Ferencvárosi TC (Hungary) are studied. We employ concepts of sport and globalization. The research data consist of semi-structured expert interviews with Finnish and Hungarian football practitioners, media and club documents, and data from observation. The results suggest that interactions of global and local forces are reflected in the development and operation of stadiums. On the one hand, international and national governing bodies have streng…
Polish and Finnish teenagers’ motivation to learn English:the role of context
2016
Abstract Language learning motivation has been investigated in a number of contexts (Dornyei and Ushioda 2009). However, there has been only one attempt (Taguchi et al. 2009) at a systematic comparison of models of motivation to learn English by students from different countries. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of context by comparing motivational characteristics and SEM (Structural Equation Modelling) models of language learning motivation of 15-16 year-old students from Finland and Poland. The data from both countries was collected using the same motivational questionnaire with a total of 351 students completing it. A number of differences were identified between the two …