Browsing by Subject "Finland"

Förändringar i arbetslivet har lett till att gränserna mellan arbete och privatliv har blivit suddigare – det går att arbeta när och var som helst, vilket kan göra det svårt att koppla av. Balans mellan arbete och privatliv innebär individens subjektiva upplevelser om hur väl hen kan kombinera sina roller i dessa sfärer, och sociala signaler från nyckelpersoner i individens liv spelar en avgörande roll i uppfattningen av denna balans. Tidigare forskning visar att balans mellan arbete och privatliv har positiva samband med arbetstillfredsställelse, det vill säga den övergripande bedömningen som individen har om sitt arbete, medan obalans har visat sig ha samband med utbrändhet. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka sambandet mellan balans mellan arbete och privatliv samt arbetstillfredsställelse i Finland, med fokus på personliga-, familj/partner-, och organisatoriska faktorer. Utifrån syftet bildades tre forskningsfrågor: 1) finns det ett samband mellan balans mellan arbete och privatliv samt arbetstillfredsställelse bland finländska arbetstagare? 2) Finns det ett samband mellan arbetstillfredsställelse och en organisationskultur som stödjer balans mellan arbete och privatliv? 3) Finns det skillnad mellan de som har familj eller partner och de som inte har familj eller partner? För att förstå betydelsen av arbetskrav och -resurser i individens arbetsattityder användes Job Demands-Resources modellen (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007) som teoretiskt ramverk. Studien baserades på det finska urvalet av European Social Survey (ESS) omgång 10, vilket begränsades endast till de respondenter som arbetar i en organisation och har en chef/arbetsledare (n = 687). Samband undersöktes med regressionsanalys och skillnader mellan de med och utan familj eller partner undersöktes med medeltalstest. Resultaten visar att autonomi över arbetstider och socialt stöd från ledaren är resurser som ökar anställdas arbetstillfredsställelse. Däremot identifierades förväntan av övertid som ett krav som minskar arbetstillfredsställelse. Detta pekar på att organisationer bör skapa en stödjande organisationskultur som är känslig för anställdas behov. Resultatet tyder också på att sambandet mellan balans mellan arbete och privatliv samt arbetstillfredsställelse innebär en social dimension i och med att individen tolkar sociala signaler från andra: då individen uppfattade att familjen/partnern är trött på hens arbetspress minskade arbetstillfredsställelsen. Dock fanns det inga signifikanta skillnader i varken balans mellan arbete och privatliv eller arbetstillfredsställelse mellan de med familj/partner och de utan familj/partner. Resultaten tyder på att balans mellan arbete och privatliv och dess samband med arbetstillfredsställelse är mångfacetterat och att det behövs ytterligare forskning inom området.

This master’s thesis aims to provide a broader and deeper knowledge within the areas of migration and integration. The study tasks are how the diaspora community is involved in the overall migration and integration process in a host state and what role social networks play in different phases of migration. There are four essential conceptual features of the migration phenomenon are identified in the study: migration, integration, diaspora community, and social networks. These concepts are analysed focusing on the factors of migration, integration process, how diaspora community and social networks work. The analysis is done using a comprehensive case study on the Bangladeshi diaspora community in Finland. The study material is collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 Bangladeshi student migrants living in Finland. As a potential migrant group as well as an underexamined study group, student migrants are chosen the study participants. A thematic analysis of the data is carried out to unveil the underlying meanings of how student migrants narrate their experiences as an immigrant. The themes identified are used to critically reflect on and explore the aspects and dynamics of the nexus between diasporas and social networks in migration and integration. This study outcomes identify education as the major pull factor for the student migrants considering Finnish high quality of research facilities, education environment, and the fee-free study system. It also marks that both personal and social networks have a strong role in migrant’s decision of choosing Finland as their destination. The role of technology becomes prominent in the current age in terms of gathering information, admission procedure, and visa processing. This is even more realised due to the absence of the Embassy operation and other official communication channels. The study finds the diaspora community’s role is increasingly becoming significant in the present context, they provide migrants with access to information, job conditions as well as settling them with finding accommodation, education places, emotional support, and comfort of belonging in a host country. Within this journey of a migrant, social media platform has appeared as a crucial part of social networks and diasporas in terms of communication. Facebook groups have become a major communication channel. Additionally, the Corona situation has made online engagement among people more visible. Nonetheless, this diaspora-social network-migration-integration nexus can play both a supportive as well as a critical role for migrants as the experience varies.

Syftet med denna studie är att hur barns delaktighet lyfts fram i Finlands och Sveriges styrdokument och sedan jämföra resultaten som hittats mellan styrdokumenten. Syftet som utgångspunkt har jag formulerat följande forskningsfrågor: -Hur lyfts barns delaktighet fram i styrdokument? -Vilka likheter och skillnader finns mellan styrdokumenten? Denna avhandling är en kvalitativ studie och skriven med kvalitativ textanalys som lämpar sig bäst för att granska och analysera dokument och texter. Datat som analyseras är Finlands och Sveriges nationella styrdokument för småbarnspedagogik. Resultaten visar att det finländska styrdokumentet är mer utskrivet och utarbetat än det svenska styrdokumentet. Barns delaktighet, aktörskap och initiativ i verksamheten samt pedagoger som möjliggörare är mer nyanserat i finländska styrdokumentet än i svenska styrdokumentet. Det finns även skillnader i samhälls- och framtidsperspektivet mellan styrdokumenten. Det kräver dock yrkeskunskap och kunnande inom ämnet för att kunna tolka och uppfatta delaktighet i Finlands styrdokument på ett ändamålsenligt sätt. Däremot är Sveriges styrdokument ett mer tydligt och enkelt redskap för pedagoger.

This thesis examines the role of markets in speeches made by Ministers of Finance Iiro Viinanen and Jyrki Katainen in the plenary sessions of the Finnish parliament in 1991-1994 and 2007-2010. The aim of this study is to analyse political discourses in speeches made about state budget proposals during two economic crises, the depression of the 1990s and the Global Financial Crisis. The thesis employs Bob Jessop’s Cultural Political Economy approach to view crises as moments of contestation for hegemonic discourses and ideologies, and an opportunity to examine political and social change in the age of neoliberalism through speech. Both crises were also characterised by the contestation of the relationship between Finland and the EU, first centred around accession to the EU and in particular the role of EMU convergence criteria in designing economic policy, and in the second crisis on the nature of centre-periphery relations amid the Eurozone crisis. The purpose of this research has been to uncover the way in which ministerial speeches reflect the neoliberalisation of Finland through a specific national context, which is characterised in particular by the relationship between the state and individual, the moral nature of economic decision-making, the increasing influence and power of the civil service on decision-making through the Ministry of Finance, and the gradual replacement of defence policy by economic policy as the defining factor of Finland’s independence and sovereignty. The thesis explores these concepts through the use of Theo van Leeuwen’s conceptualisation of discourse as the recontextualisation of social practices, analysing the speeches using a comparative and thematic perspective. The analysis finds that while the Ministers of Finance did not draw on discourses of legitimation by authority with regards to the Ministry of Finance, the consistent themes during both periods drew heavily on themes of absolute necessity, responsible decision-making, moralistic attitudes towards the Finnish citizen, and constructions of unity of the Finnish people. Both Ministers also referred to market forces, investor confidence, and trust as existential questions for the sovereignty of the nation and emphasised the need for permanent changes in Finland towards the direction of a neoliberalised market economy. Similarly, the Ministers appeared to draw on paternalist understandings of the state as a shepherd of its people, a guardian of a small nation against predatory international forces, and yet a reasoned disciplinarian of an irresponsible child. The study concludes that in particular the discourses on which the Ministers draw that rely on moralistic and paternalistic articulations of the relationship between the state and the individual can be seen as indicative of the national context of neoliberalisation in Finland. Furthermore, the extent to which the crises are framed as learning opportunities varies, though both Ministers consistently refer to the permanence of the changes (structural in particular) to be made to the Finnish economy, and in differing ways envision a new age in Finland, nonetheless one of credibility, responsibility, and a stable market economy. The study also offers new avenues for research, particularly for the wider debate in parliament and crisis construals therein, in addition to using the theory and the methods of this thesis to analyse other crises, perhaps non-economic in nature, such as the COVID-19 crisis. Furthermore, the thesis also suggests that further research could be conducted on the paternalistic and moralistic aspects of ministerial politics in particular.

Kampylobakteerit ovat gramnegatiivisia, pääosin mikroaerobisia bakteereja, joita esiintyy monien eläinten suolistossa. Ihmisille kampylobakteerit ovat erityisesti suoliston taudinaiheuttajia ja kampylobakteerit ovatkin yleisimpiä bakteeriperäisiä ihmisten suolistotulehduksen aiheuttajia kehittyneissä maissa, myös Suomessa. Suolistotulehduksen lisäksi kampylobakteerit voivat aiheuttaa ihmisille esimerkiksi Guillain-Barré -hermostosairautta ja pitkäkestoisiakin niveloireita aiheuttavaa reaktiivista niveltulehdusta. Ihmisen tyypillisimmät taudinaiheuttajat kampylobakteereista ovat Campylobacter jejuni ja Campylobacter coli. Näistä kahdesta selvästi yleisempi taudinaiheuttaja on C. jejuni. Sekä C. jejuni että C. coli ovat termofiilisiä kampylobakteereja. Kampylobakteeritartunta on yleensä ulosteperäinen ja erityisesti ulosteella saastunut broilerinliha on tärkeä kampylobakterioosin lähde. Maatilojen ympäristössä olevien jyrsijöiden on todettu olevan yksi kampylobakterioosin riskitekijöistä ja kampylobakteereja on havaittu jyrsijälajeilla, esimerkiksi metsähiirillä ja vesimyyrillä. Suomessa jyrsijöiden kantamia kampylobakteereja ei ollut tutkittu ennen tämän tutkielman aloittamista. Päästäisiä koskevia tutkimuksia kampylobakteerien osalta on maailmanlaajuisestikin hyvin vähän. Tutkimusosiossa tutkittiin termofiilisten kampylobakteerien yleisyyttä suomalaisissa pienjyrsijöissä ja päästäisissä. Tutkimuksen hypoteesina oli, että suomalaisista piennisäkkäistä löytyy kampylobakteereja. Tutkimuksessa tutkittiin yhteensä 372 eläintä 12:sta eri lajista, jotka oli pyydystetty 24:ltä paikalta eri puolilta Suomea. Tutkituista eläimistä 342 oli jyrsijöitä ja 40 päästäisiä. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää isäntälajien välisiä eroja kampylobakteerien yleisyyden suhteen sekä esimerkiksi kampylobakteerien yleisyyttä eri puolilla Suomea. 76 metsämyyrää oli pyydetty keväällä ja kesällä vuonna 2017, kun taas vuodelta 2015 oli 82 metsämyyrää. Näitä kahta vuotta verrattiin toisiinsa mahdollisten vuosittaisten kampylobakteerierojen havaitsemiseksi metsämyyrissä. Tutkimus suoritettiin viljelemällä eläinten ulostetta selektiivisille kasvatusmaljoille, joita inkuboitiin termofiilisille kampylobakteereille otollisissa olosuhteissa. Bakteerikasvustoa viljeltiin tämän jälkeen epäselektiivisille maljoille puhdasviljelmiksi, joista tehtiin DNA-eristys. DNA:ta monistettiin PCR-menetelmän avulla ja PCR-tuotteet tutkittiin geelielektroforeesin avulla bakteerilajien tunnistamiseksi. Tulokset olivat hypoteesin mukaiset. Tutkimuksessa todettiin C. jejunia 17,7 %:lla tutkituista eläimistä. Kampylobakteereja havaittiin neljällä jyrsijälajilla: metsähiirillä, punamyyrillä, metsämyyrillä ja peltomyyrillä. Suurinta esiintyvyys oli punamyyrillä, joista 63,6 % oli kampylobakteeripositiivisia. Kaikki tutkitut päästäisnäytteet olivat kampylobakteerinegatiivisia. Metsämyyrillä ja metsähiirillä todettiin paikkakunnan vaikuttavan kampylobakteerien yleisyyteen. Metsämyyrillä oli kampylobakteereja merkittävästi enemmän vuonna 2017 kuin 2015, mikä voi liittyä metsämyyrien vuosittaisiin kannanvaihteluihin. Tutkimustulosten perusteella jyrsijät voivat mahdollisesti toimia kampylobakteerien reservuaarina ja mahdollisesti myös ihmisten kampylobakterioosin lähteenä. Jyrsijät voivat mahdollisesti esimerkiksi tartuttaa ihmisiä tai maatilan eläimiä tai saastuttaa toimintatiloja tai vesilähteitä. Jatkotutkimuksia kuitenkin tarvitaan esimerkiksi selvittämään sitä, ovatko suomalaisten jyrsijöiden kantamat kampylobakteerit ihmiselle patogeenisiä kantoja. Campylobacters are gram negative, mostly microaerobic bacteria that live in the intestines of many animal species. Campylobacters are the most common cause of human bacterial enteritis in developed countries, including Finland. The most common human pathogens of Campylobacter spp. are Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. Campylobacter infection happens usually via fecal contamination. Especially contaminated, undercooked broiler meat is an important source of campylobacteriosis. Rodents near farms are noted as a risk factor for campylobacteriosis, and Campylobacter spp. have been detected in some rodent species. Studies regarding campylobacters in shrews are minimal worldwide. In this thesis, the Campylobacter occurrence in Finnish small rodents and shrews was studied. The hypothesis was that Finnish small mammals do carry Campylobacter spp. 342 rodents and 40 shrews from 12 species trapped from 24 locations throughout Finland were studied. The purpose of the study was to detect differences in Campylobacter occurrence between host species and for example to compare the occurrence in different parts of Finland. Possible annual differences in bank voles were studied with 76 animals from 2017 and 82 animals from 2015. The study was performed by cultivating fecal samples to selective agars that were incubated in conditions suitable for thermophilic Campylobacter spp. Bacterial growth was cultivated to non-selective agars for pure growth and DNA isolation was performed. DNA was multiplied using PCR and gel electrophoresis was used to determine the Campylobacter species. The results were consistent with the hypothesis. Four rodent species were Campylobacter positive: yellow-necked mouse, northern red-backed vole, bank vole and field vole. The occurrence was highest in northern red-backed voles, where 63,6 % of the animals were Campylobacter positive. Al thel studied shrews were Campylobacter negative. Bank voles had campylobacters significantly more in 2017 than in 2015, which may relate to the annual population chances in bank voles. According to the results it is possible that rodents could act as Campylobacter reservoir and source of human campylobacteriosis. Rodents could possibly infect humans or farm animals or contaminate estates or water sources. Further studies are needed to determine for example if the campylobacters in Finnish rodents’ strains are pathogenic for humans.

In this paper, I examine the discussions around the concept of carbon sinks. From those discussion of Finnish forestry, I identify frames based on a media material of 108 news articles combining the methodologies of frame analysis and content analysis. I aim to contextualize the carbon sink discussions of the latter half of 2010s and examine how the natural science-based term is used to support varying policy agendas. Building from background literature on the media as a societal actor and a context around Finnish forest discussions and mismatches between science and forest policy, I reflect on the ways that Finnish media frames and contextualizes carbon sink-related forest discussions. Eventually, I identify three dominant and eight secondary frames that describe the ways of using and the transforming of carbon sink as a term in detail. The dominant frames divide the discussion into two clashing ways to communicate carbon sink issues and a third middle ground way of understanding and using the term. The middle ground frame identifies the conflict between the clashing frames and suggests reaching to an understanding as a priority goal in terms of optimal climate change policy. I discuss the results in terms of the frames' policy implications. In addition, I ask how they signal potential developments in forest and climate policy and discourse. The analysis shows that the clearest disagreements in the carbon sink conflicts raise from how forestry restricting policies are seen to affect carbon sink levels and how prominent a role should forest industry have in meeting national and international climate policy targets. The study confirms that carbon sink as a term transforms into altering forms to support distinct, even controversial policy goals because of both definitional and calculative uncertainties.

Female migration has been widely studied in Europe. Previous studies had found that migration is gendered, thus, the experience of migrants differs depending on issues such as gender, class and ethnicity along with career and familial relations. The position of the migrants in the post-migration time period is influenced by the recognition of their skills and the assessment of human capital they possess in the host society, which has a considerable effect on the position of immigrant women. Thus, I employ a feminist extension of Bourdieu’s forms of capital in migration studies as a theoretical framework to examine the position of immigrant women and to better understand their experience in a host society. In addition, I utilize the ideas of emotional capital to discuss the importance of studying caring practice, including everyday activities and the caring work done for other family members, and its interactions with the outside of the household, the local community and, possibly, with integration. My focus is on the position of immigrant woman in Finland, a country where the Nordic welfare regime, which is built on egalitarian practices, creates a paradox for immigrant integration, as national belonging is built on labour market participation and the idea of gender equality. I pay specific attention to the Cash for Care scheme in relation to high female labour participation and the choices of childcare provision. Thus, my intention is to explore immigrant women’s decision making on childcare, what kind of activities the women engage in while taking care of their child, and their progress in integration. My research questions are: 1) do immigrant women utilize caring practice in capital accumulation; and if so, how? and 2) how do they generate various forms of capital and transform them into other types of capital and, ultimately, into economic capital? The sub-questions include: how does the notion of national belonging related to labour market participation and gender equality in Finnish society intertwine with individuals’ decision making with regards to the process of capital accumulation and transformation? I employed a feminist standpoint to conduct 6 in-depth interviews using a narrative approach. The interviewees are all from outside of the European Union, are highly skilled, have at least one child whose age is under three years old, have experienced staying at home with a child and currently live in the Helsinki metropolitan area. I utilized thematic analysis to explore the experiences of the immigrant women. The results show the potential for immigrant women to be subjects of capital accumulation, as well as objects where their capital is utilized in supporting and enhancing the lives of other family members. First, the results establish the importance of a local and neighbouring context in capital accumulation in relation to how caring for a child goes beyond the household, and is linked to the generation of social and cultural capital. The choice on the length of stay with one’s child at home intertwines with the social and economic statuses of the interviewees, but remains primarily a matter of individual preference. Second, two of the cases demonstrate the transformation of accumulated capital into economic capital through caring for other members of the family, which works as a resource of emotional capital. At the same time, the position of these women is constrained by social and cultural barriers, as they lack appreciated capital, the most important of them being a sufficient knowledge of Finnish language and culture along with relevant social networks. The position of immigrant mothers can also be observed from an objective viewpoint: there are limitations on the women’s ability to accumulate capital for themselves due to them taking care of the child. However, at the same time, the women can engage in transmission of capital and enhancing their children’s capital development. This thesis shows that the caring work of mothers goes beyond the household, contributing to the generation of capital in their integration process as well as for their children. Caring practice in research demands further investigation to better understand the paths of immigrant women and, possibly, the involvement of their spouses in this practice, in order to improve the women’s social and economic positioning in Finnish society.

Forest biomass is considered as one of the most important alternative energy sources across the globe. Growing attention has been given to the studies concerning biomass and related bioenergy and biofuel, and their potential for future development. This study takes higher education as unique aspect, focusing on the awareness of Chinese university students of Forest Based Bioenergy (FBB) development and how education background / awareness may influence the FBB development in China. Since FBB is relatively a new concept in China, its development and further utilization are believed to largely relay on the matters of education, social trend and awareness. Students in higher education are considered as a special group: they may be educated related to FBB and will become the future consumers and even decision-makers. This make awareness, attitude and opinions about FBB from the students` point of view significant. A literature review was made for the background study and quantitative research, plus surveys and interviews were conducted as data collection methods. Objectives of the thesis are to study the awareness of and attitudes towards FBB among Chinese university students and if those opinions were influenced by their studies. Results indicate that education strongly affects students´ attitudes. FBB development is seen as a positive signal and students are likely to support FBB development. FBB is believed as a new trend of renewable energy development. However, FBB in China will not see a rapid booming in the near future and it has only limited impact towards the traditional fossil fuel domination, but due to its characteristics, governmental recognition and growing awareness, it certainly shall be seen as strong supporter of China´s sustainable development. It also has to be holistically utilized considering environmental, social and economic aspects, to reach its full potential and to support China´s target of sustainable energy development.

Citizen participation in urban planning has increased in recent decades. In Finland, it is one of the primary objectives of the national Land Use And Building Act (Maankäyttö- ja rakennuslaki), which means participatory planning required in all land use planning. General plan is a document that provides general guidelines for land use and assigns land for different purposes to form a basis for detailed planning and construction. In Helsinki, the latest general plan was accepted by the City Council in 2016. One of the topics that received the largest attention throughout the process was the city's decision to turn its highway-like entry routes into city boulevards that favour pedestrians, cyclist and public transport. This Master's Thesis examines citizen participation in the Helsinki general plan in 2016 with the focus on the city boulevard question. It examines the discussion which took place between the city planners and three groups: other public officials, neighbouring municipalities and individual citizens.The data for this thesis comes from the document called interaction report, in which the planners summarise the comments from these stakeholders and respond to criticism. Through the method of rhetorical analysis, the thesis will seek to answer how the planning decisions are justified, how the planners respond to criticism and how is the planning situation framed for different interest groups. The analysis shows that the main ways to justify the city boulevards were the city's jurisdiction to make this decision, and the collaboration and investigations that had gone into the process. The city boulevard were framed as a city development project that brings growth and benefits everyone. This thesis, more generally, explores the questions of general planning and participation, and gives important insight into the citizen participation process in Finland.

As in many countries, education in Chile has been a huge problem for authorities and researchers. Over time, there have been many attempts to improve quality, but with little to no success. It is difficult to find the main reason why Chilean education faces many problems. One reason could be the way teachers understand the policy instruments; the national curriculum, and how clear it is. However, it also could be related to the way of using skills related to communication in general, and teacher-student interaction in particular. My assumption is they have been ignored or under considered as part of the teaching process. Some experts have recognized the relevance of communication and teacher- student interaction, because of the significance of reciprocity. It has a very crucial role for effective teaching and learning to take place (Arthur, Gordon, & Butterfield, 2003). This is an in-depth research into both systems of education, a comparative and qualitative investigation that aim to analyse guidelines for teachers and principals. This research will collect data through the analysis of both national curriculums, to see how these terms are mentioned and described in them as part of the guidelines of every taught subject, and how many of these teaching methods include teacher-student interaction. For this reason, the purpose of my thesis is to analyse how the elements of communication and teacher-student interaction are presented in the official curriculums of Chile and Finland. Although the analysis of documents is the main source of data, this investigation considers also the observation to understand the dynamics in the classroom, despite being only an illustration.