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(2015)Consumers are told to eat seasonally to reduce the environmental impacts of food. Finnish food culture has a long tradition of eating seasonally. Although, it seems that consumers perceptions of the seasons of food products have disappeared due to the wide variation of groceries and changes in lifestyle. The aim of this study is to find out the perceptions of seasonal food of one consumer group, university students. The more detailed aims are to find out university students' perceptions of seasonal food, how do students see seasonal eating as a part of environmentally friendly choices and do students consider seasons of the food products when choosing food. The data for the study were collected from students studying at University of Helsinki with a web-based questionnaire in December 2014. There were all together 401 respondents, and they came from all faculties. 339 of the respondents were women and 62 of them were men. The age varied from 19 years old to 59 years old and the average age was 27. Both quantitative and qualitative data were gathered with the questionnaire. The quantitative data were analyzed statistically using cross tabulation and Khii square test, independent groups t-test, one way analysis of variance and Tukey's test, and Spearman's correlation. The qualitative data from open questions were categorized and the frequencies of categories were counted. Students were familiar with the term seasonal food. The most frequently named seasonal foods were vegetables, berries and fruits. Meanings related to food availability, production and cultural traditions were most common for the seasonal food concept. Most of the respondents were considering seasons of the food products when choosing food. Students seemed to recognize the role of eating seasonally in reducing the environmental impacts associated with food. Cheaper price, better taste and quality and the variety they brought to the diet were most mentioned reasons to eat seasonally. Students who did not eat seasonally mentioned the lack of information as the biggest reasons not to do so. There should be a clear definition of seasonal food in order to guide consumers to eat seasonally. Consumers' perceptions could be useful when building these definitions. More information about seasonal foods should be available and seasonality should be more clearly seen in supermarkets. Even though eating seasonally would not have huge impact on reducing the environmental impacts of food production and consumption, it could be the first and quite easy step towards more sustainable eating. It could also provide a way to get people to pay more attention towards food they are eating.
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(2018)Tiivistelmä - Referat – Abstract The aim of this study was to determine what views and experiences teachers involved in physical education in the Finnish comprehensive school system have regarding the changes in the National core curriculum (2014) within physical education. Furthermore, the aim was also to enhance the understanding of the connection between sports and improvement of fundamental movement skills. The research questions arose from my Bachelor´s thesis, in which I, by analyzing the content of physical education lessons, studied physical exercise and fundamental movement skills using the Gallahuen and Donnely (2003) classification system. The main theory used in this research is the National core curriculum (POPS 2014) and the review of POPS 2014 as a tool for analyzing the results of this study. At this point, not many studies have been conducted about POPS 2014. However, current results indicate that separating learning of fundamental movement skills and sports in POPS 2014 has caused some issues. This is a qualitative study. The research material is based on five interviews with teachers from the physical education field. Questions were based on subjects from my Bachelor´s thesis that needed further understanding. Phenomenographic analysis and theoretical content analysis were used to analyze the interviews. The research material was divided into two groups: Physical education teachers´ views on the core curriculum, and sports as a mean to enhance fundamental movement skills. The results indicate that all the teachers had a clear picture of the changes to the core curriculum in POPS 2014. All teachers were of the same opinion, that changes had occurred especially in the guidelines of teaching physical ability. Only one interviewee stated that the changes have had, to a certain degree, a negative outcome. Results from this study indicate that teachers are using a variety of sports to enhance fundamental movement skills of students. However, teachers’ knowledge about fundamental movement skills showed to be lacking more than expected.
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(2015)Aims. Young people's consumption of vegetables has been studied in the past, but the identification of vegetables have a small amount information. This study aims to combine these two. The aim of this study is to determine how well the 7th graders identify the vegetables. In this study vegetables doesn't mean fruits, berries and mushrooms. Purpose of the study is to find out what affects youngsters vegetables identification. In addition, the objective of the study is to find out how often young people eat vegetables, and what factors affect their consumption of vegetables. Methods. The data was collected from elementary 7. graders in Helsinki. The total number of respondents was 33, of which 20 were girls and boys were 13. The study was conducted in two parts. The first part of the study the respondents' identification vegetables. They had to rename 20 plants. In the second part the study there were individual interviews. Interviews were half structured interviews. Themes of the interview had been prepared from the theoretical framework of study. The interviews were transcribed. After that the analysis was continued by content analysis, classification and themes. The theoretical framework's key words were food choice, vegetables, health effects, and nutrition education. Results and conclusions. The study found that young people identify the vegetables very well. The most challenging was to identify beetroot, parsnips and fennel. The identification of affected vegetables familiarity, how often the respondent had eaten the plant, as well as see it fresh. 81% of the respondents ate daily vegetables. They ate vegetables at the most at home and at the school. The most welcome vegetables were cucumber and tomato. They were also the most served vegetables at home. 70% of respondents replied that they have served vegetables on the every meal at home. Based on the results it can be concluded that the main contributor to both young vegetables in identifying and the consumption, operates the home. The school gets a good second place. Other factors which affecting was vegetables taste, appearance and texture.
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(2004)Studies concerning cognitive sex differences have indicated that, on average, females outperform males in some verbal abilities, whereas males outperform females in some visual-spatial abilities. Prenatal hormones play important role in sexual differentiation. Presence of androgens is believed to cause male brain differentiation. According to animal studies prenatal exposure to testosterone in females can result in masculinized behaviour or physiological traits. Human studies of possible masculinization of females from opposite-sex twin pairs are controversial. Some studies have indicated that female members of opposite-sex twins may be masculinized in some traits, while other studies show no evidence of masculinization. Hence the aim of the present study is to investigate sex differences and possible masculinization of cognitive functions in young adult twins. Subjects (N=336) were recruited from the ongoing longitudinal FinnTwin16 study of Finnish twins born in 1974-1979. Results indicate female superiority in verbal and executive functions and male superiority in visual and working memory functions. Further, in female members of opposite-sex twin pairs the visual abilities were enhanced to the male level. However, they still outperformed males in verbal and executive functions. In male members of opposite-sex twin pairs there were no signs of better performance in functions that favored females. Nor there were evidence of reduced performance in functions that favored males. This study suggests that there occurs masculinization of cognitive functions in females who have a male co-twin. In contrast, males with female co-twins are not feminized in their cognitive functions. These results indicate some benefits of twinship in female members of opposite-sex twin pairs in cognitive abilities. Whether the masculinization is a result of organizational effects of prenatal testosterone or postnatal environmental influences could not be resolved. Future research, with control over environmental influences, is needed to determine the origin of masculinization of cognitive abilities.
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(2022)Schwartz theory of basic human values is a globally used and recognized theory that is also used in Finnish research. The theory includes 10 values that can be considered globally prevalent. The theory is divided into four categories: conservation, self-transcendence, self-enhancement, openness to change. In addition, the underlying motivation for the different values is divided into individual, collective and mixed interests. In this research the aim is to analyze which of Schwartz's values appear in the national curriculum of 1994 and 2014 and look at changes in values between the years 1994 and 2014. There seems to be a need to examine the value base in the national curriculum to better understand which values form the basis for the big autonomy that is given to schools and teachers in the curriculum. Previous research shows that conservation and self-transcending values have been strongly prevalent in basic education. The survey's research data consisted of the value-based chapters in the national curriculum of 1994 and 2014. Schwartz theory of basic human values and Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) were used as a theoretical reference framework and analysis tools. The investigation was carried out according to mixed methods, where a qualitative interpretive deductive text analysis constituted the main research method, with a quantitatively measuring deductive text analysis as a supplementary analysis method. In the results section, the survey showed universalism as by far the most prevalent value in the curricula. Major changes found were that the value tradition's high occurrence in the national curriculum of 1994 had been replaced by power in 2014. Self-direction showed a high occurrence, and the compatibility between universalism and self-direction can be seen as strong and in line with the curricula. The expressions of values showed a big change between the years 1994 and 2014, described by the fact that diversity and multilingualism as expressions of values appeared strongly in the national curriculum of 2014. Self-transcending values and values with openness to change were most prevalent with individual and mixed interests as the underlying motivation. The result suggests that collective interests and values that are conservation and self-enhancing are not well represented in the national curriculum of 2014, and possibly need to be taken into account.
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(2023)In recent years, secular ethics education has increasingly risen to a prominent position in societal discourse because there has been a discussion about how to organize worldview education in Finland. The discussion has notably emphasized perspectives on equality and the needs arising from due the post secular changes in society. In this qualitative research, conducted for a master's thesis, I focus on the perspectives constructed about secular ethics as a school subject in discussions on social media platforms. The aim of this research is to provide more information and understanding about secular ethics education, examining it from the perspective of layman’s information, as an everyday knowledge. In general, laymen play a significant role in influencing to worldview education, as they engage in societal discussions, participate in political decision-making, and, as a parents, make decisions regarding their children's matters related to beliefs. In this study I investigate layman’s everyday information views based on social constructionism theory, which interprets social reality as being constructed through linguistic processes and interactions in society. The way reality is constructed is in significant role as shaping reality itself, in this context, secular ethics as a school subject. This is a relevant matter for the subject because, for instance, it is not mandatory for students without a religious affiliation to study it. Also, the subject may undergo changes in the future as part of the renewal of worldview education. I interpret the views constructed by anonymous online discussion participants in relation to the nature of the subject, the curriculum, regulations, research, and phenomenal changes in relation to religious, worldviews and society. The questions for the research are: 'How do anonymous online discussion participants construct views on secular ethics education?' and, as a sub-question, 'What are the prevailing interpretation strategies for constructing the views related to secular ethics as a subject?'. Research data is collected from six discussions debated between years 2016–2022 on online forum of www.vauva.fi. Topics were focused on secular ethics education and they comprised the amount of 275 comments. I analyzed my qualitive research data with an interpretative approach using discourse analysis to identify hegemonic and less hegemonic discourses in the comments of online discussion participants. I define hegemonic discourses as the most common ways of construct the views, and less hegemonic discourses as the rarer but present ways of assigning views on the subject. The analyze revealed that the most common ways to construct the view of the subject involved by making a positive affirmation of the secular ethics’ by constructing the view by comparing it dichotomous way how Evangelical Lutheran religions’ education is taught, by value choices and the best interest of the child, as well as a submitting critical examinations of the model of organizing worldview education in general. Less common ways emphasized the subject's being a ideology or the process of othering the student in the cause of studying secular ethics. I gathered the content of the most common views of the subject of secular ethics and it was based on the formatting a positive description by especially making a comparison to the subject of Evangelical Lutheran religion education, examining various dimensions of equality, emphasizing the subject’s modernity, demonstrating trust towards the subject, expressing the subject’s inadequacy in meeting changed needs of society, and need of making value choices caused by the Finnish school systems’ separative worldview education. Less common views included themes of expressing fear of othering the pupil due to studying the subject and constructing views that differed to way how secular ethics is based at curriculum and taught by emerging from it. Based on my research findings that are researched from the laymen’s everyday knowledge, secular ethics education can interpret as having a conflicting views regarding its sufficiency and adequacy as a part of Finnish worldview education. Furthermore, equality does not automatically prevail in this system which secular ethics takes a part even though it is the target of the activity’s arrangement. This observation provides additional insights for examining the Finnish worldview education within the current model of the separative worldview education and as a one sight of public opinion of the secular ethics as a school subject itself.
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(2014)My purpose in this study was to critically examine global education that is carried out by civic organizations and linked with the objectives of the national school curriculum. The study was based on feminist postcolonial and poststructural theories. The previous studies have shown that despite the complexity of the historical and political perspectives included in globalization, in global education these perspectives are often ignored. This may lead to constricted content of global education, as the focus remains on learning about "the distant Others" and learning to appreciate "our" privileged position. The focus of my study was in the above-mentioned problematics of global education. The context of my study was a collaboration project connecting 5th and 6th graders from Finland and from Uganda. The project was carried out by development co-operation organizations Plan Finland and Plan Uganda. My aim in this study is to examine how the representation of Uganda and of other developing countries is constructed during the first collaboration year of the project and what it is like. My aim is also to examine what kind of differences are produced during the first collaboration year and how. In my study I applied a discourse analytical approach. I was involved in the project both as an employee and as a researcher. My study was limited to the first collaboration year of the two-year project. My research data mainly consisted of the observation data that I produced during the project, especially concerning the child rights lessons given by the child rights ambassadors from Plan Finland. According to my study, during the child rights lessons a subject position of Western privilege was constructed. From such position it was possible to criticize other cultures and groups of people. By categorizing the developing countries to countries of traditional culture where "they are still learning things" and where the prevailing way of thinking should be transformed by "us", a colonial difference was produced. The Western resources of interpretation concerning the developing countries defined the ways in which the developing countries were talked about and the ways in which the representation was constructed. For instance, the girls in the developing countries were categorized as victims of the hierarchical gender system. In order to achieve the goal of global equity in global education, I suggest that, "our" position as a subject of Western benevolence with the responsibility to help the underprivileged Other "the idea of the global responsibility" should be questioned. In the corresponding North-South school partnerships the questions of power should not be left in the shade of collaboration.
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(2012)Objectives and theoretical framework: The assessment of student learning is an essential part of the university teacher's work and it has a key role in student learning. The assessment should encourage students apply deep approach to learning and to acquire different kinds of knowledge and generic skills. The results have shown that assessment influences the student learning and the quality of learning outcomes. (see Biggs 2003; Trigwell, Prosser and Waterhouse 1999). Teachers assess students' assignments and grade them. However, there are only a few studies focusing on the teachers' assessment practices and on how teachers approach the task of marking. The aim of this study was to examine university teachers' assessment of learning in two courses. The purpose of this study was to create an overall picture of teachers' assessment practices and especially, to explore what kind of knowledge and skills are required in the exams. Furthermore, the study analysed what kinds of assessment criteria the teachers used when assessing the students' answers. In addition, the relationship between grades and students' learning outcomes were analysed. The theoretical framework consists of theories and studies of assessment of student learning, assessment criteria and grading models. Methods: The study was conducted as a case study and the data was collected by qualitative methods. The cases of this study were assessment practices of two teachers in natural sciences. The data consists of exam questions, teachers' interviews and observations of the lectures. The data was analysed by applying the method of content analysis. In addition, the model of knowledge and understanding was used as a tool for analysing the exam questions. Results and conclusions: According to the results, in the knowledge assessed by the teachers in the exams, lower levels of knowledge and understanding were emphasised i.e. the ability reproduce and describe. The results showed that different kinds of marking models were combined and that tacit knowledge had a role in assessment as well. There were differences in the clarity of assessment criteria. This study indicates that grades do not necessarily reflect the student achievement in a reliable way. For example, the students were able to get high grades through memorizing. Teachers' awareness of the assessment and the assessment criteria should be increased and there is also a need for further research on this topic. In addition, it is important to consider how reliably the grades reflect the quality of learning outcomes and teaching.
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(2019)This study researches the pedagogic methods used by visually impaired handicraft instructors. The aim of the study was to research what visually impaired handicraft instructors’ work is like when instructing adults, how their own visual impairment affects their work as a handicraft instructor and what is the role of the assistant in the work of the handicraft instructor. Even though there is a lot of research on the visually impaired and their handicrafts, the work of the visually impaired handicraft instructors hasn’t been researched that much. However, teaching of the visually impaired children has been studied quite a lot, so based on those researches, some examples of the pedagogic methods can be adapted to teach handicraft to adults, such as hand-on-hand guidance or drawing on one’s body. This study was a qualitative case study, and semi-structured theme interviews were used as the method of collecting data. The study had six informants that were invited to participate personally or via Näkövammaiset Käsityöntekijät ry (Finnish association of visually impaired craftsmen). The interviews were made as individual interviews in the Uusimaa region. The collected data was organized with qualitative content analysis, which helped forming different categories from topics arisen from the transcribed data. The most important result of this study was that the most important pedagogic areas of work of the visually impaired handicraft instructors were personal guidance and building one’s own personal identity as a handicraft instructor. Also assistance and assistive devices are an im-portant part of using pedagogic material and to help learning. In fact, assistive devices are being seen part of pedagogic methods, and trying to separate one from another would be ar-tificial. The most essential effect of visual impairment to one’s work as a handicraft instructor was the lack of visual information and the consequently need of help in certain areas of work. However, the informants do not see this as a big problem since they have a great amount of assistance around them. The assistants were considered as the most important assistance for the visually impaired handicraft instructors, since they help instructors to see by bringing them visual information they lack. The assistants act as the instructors’ eyes in a very tight collaboration.
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(2022)The purpose of this study was to find out how fifth graders understand and define participation. Previous studies have demonstrated gender-based differences in children's degree of participation in school. Experiences of participation have also declined between 2019 and 2021, according to the THL (Finnish institute for health and welfare) School Health Promotion study. The purpose of this study is to describe, analyze, and interpret by using practice architecture theory, how students define participation in school and whether there are differences in the experiences of girls and boys. The study was conducted as an action research in a fifth-grade class in Vantaa. Photographs of different lessons were taken and later used to interview the students. These images were utilized both in individual interviews to activate the student's memory and in the group interview. A total of 13 students participated in the interview phase. The collected material was analyzed using Kemmis' (2008) theory of practice architectures, in which the answers were classified into three categories: 1) cultural-discursive arrangements, 2) physical, economical and material arrangements, and 3) social-political arrangements. These three categories together formed the preconditions for participation. The students’ definition of participation emphasized the social dimension of participation, especially the relationship with peers. Pupils reported experiencing participation especially when working with their classmates. The definitions of participation were classified into four categories: 1) a sense of belonging 2) being heard 3) a positive feeling, and 4) an active role in class activity. Gender-based differences were discovered, especially when students selected photographs in which they felt they had experienced participation. The students also described par-ticipation in different words: the boys emphasized that they got to decide, and the girls emphasized that they had been heard. The results suggest that the social dimension of participation, which includes a sense of belonging, relatedness and positive social interdependence, is central to experiences of participation. This dimension should therefore be taken more into account in teaching. This work demonstrates the necessity and importance of providing sufficient and equal opportunities for participation for girls and boys. These opportunities are crucial in determining how students both perceive and actively engage in school activities.
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(2016)In this thesis I examined meanings of gender articulated by children, on the basis of video art pieces. I am interested in the meanings of gender the children would bring up and how this would be related to the wider thematic of gender. Based on earlier research, children have been noted to express normative interpretations of feminist fairy tales which challenge traditional gender positions. This has been seen as a wish to localize in a gender position that is perceived as correct. Children have been noted to challenge the norms in addition to maintaining them. In my thesis I reflect on how the children I interviewed position themselves and the video art pieces related to my research based on gender. My research was supported by post-structural feminist thought and feminist film theory. The essential concepts were gender, discourse, subjectivity and subject position. For my research I interviewed ten children between the ages of 7 and 10. I examined their views on gender thematic on the basis of the video art pieces Punahilkka ja susi (2012), Lasso (2000) and Masa (1999). I applied discourse analysis as a research method. I read material with my focus on gender thematic and, for instance, searched for gender related distinctions and different gender related positions mentioned by the interviewees. I aimed for gender sensitivity while doing research. In my research, gender appeared as a complex discourse. The children expressed many dualistic and normative views on gender. On the other hand, gender related dualisms and norms were also subverted. The children could be seen to simultaneously describe normative discourses and still position themselves or others outside of these discourses. They can be noted to both repeat and resist gender related cultural ways of thinking. The meanings of gender were shown to be persistent but also something containing possibilities for change. Views on gender could be subverted and the concept of gender could be deconstructed during the research process. On the basis of my research, I propose that critical examination of gender with children can contribute to, for example, the deconstruction of normative views on gender. This kind of examination is important because it contributes to the actualization of gender sensitivity, equality and diverse possibilities for being human. Video art pieces can offer a rich conversational basis for thinking about gender.
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(2017)The aim of this study is to investigate how fatherhood is perceived from the perspective of separated men. Special attention is given to the way in which these men negotiate their fatherhood after separation, and what kinds of fatherhood identities and positions are made possible, constructed, or excluded through these negotiations. In addition, the feelings which are associated with the construction of fatherhood after separation are explored. The theoretic-philosophic framework of this study discusses research into social construction of reality, parenthood and fatherhood after separation, and the various dimensions of cultural, social, and institutional contexts in which fatherhood is constructed. The empirical data of this study consists of 11 nonresident father interviews, 7 of which were conducted via e-mail. All the fathers chosen to participate had experienced some difficulties in the co-parenting relationship with the mother of their children. The theoretic-methodological approach, and simultaneously the underlying assumption covering the entire research process of this study, is discursive approach, mainly grounded in the work of Michel Foucault, and particularly his understanding of the concept of discourse: discourses are discursive practices, which are seen as not just elements of language but as multidimensional networks of relationships and rules, which combine the elements of knowledge, power, and politics in a process of constructing subject positions and identities. The analysis revealed that separated men construct their experience of fatherhood negotiating discursively in a relationship with various intertwined practices, which are conceptualized as: 1) discursive practices of gendered parenthood, 2) cultural narratives, categories, and stereotypes of fatherhood and masculinity, 3) economic-juridical practices of shared parenthood, 4) institutional discourses and practices of family professionals, and 5) practices of everyday parenting. Gender (particularly exclusive mothering), the emphasis on the economic-juridical parenthood, the power of the family experts and professionals to define and evaluate parenthood, and the relationship with the mother of the children are seen as significant factors in opening or closing fatherhood possibilities after separation, and leading to diminishing fatherhood, and the fathers locating themselves in the position of the "other", not a mother. Three categories of context bound fatherhood identities or positions were formed on the bases of the fathers' interviews: excluded fathers, fathers holding out, and survivor fathers. Negative and conflicting feelings, particularly frustration, are stressed in constructing fatherhood after separation. Positive feelings and experiences are mainly associated with the time actually spent with the children, and with the fact that it also gives the fathers an opportunity to realize their own kind of parenthood separate from the mother of the children.
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(2015)Research objectives. The purpose of this study is to examine consumers' purchase behavior and food choices in the grocery-shopping context. The study examines the basis on which consumers choose food items as well as how impulse shopping is done. In addition, the study will explore how consumer orientation is reflected in consumers' speech, and actual purchase decisions they make. The theoretical approach of the study is based on food consumption and food choice framework. Food choice is analyzed with a reference to Järvelä's, Mäkelä's and Piiroinen's (2006) food choice strategies and everyday practices -study. The key research questions are: 1. On what grounds people make their purchase decisions in the grocery shopping context? 2. What kind of grocery purchases are made impulsively? 3. What kind of consumption models emerge from the purchase behavior and consumer speech? Methods. The data collection methods were as shop-alongs and semi-structured interviews. Shop-along method from the ethnographic research tradition was complemented with the thinking aloud -method. The study sample consisted of 18 adults aged from 24 to 59 years. All respondents lived in two-adult households. 11 of the respondents were women and 7 men. The data was analyzed by using content analysis method. Results and discussion. The main selection criteria for groceries were price, healthiness, taste and the origin of food. Also other things, such as the purpose of use, size and formula, affected food selection. Impulse buying was done to some extent. Impulse buying was influenced by the use of the shopping list and purchase style. Use of a shopping list reduced impulse buying. Impulse purchases included fruits and vegetables, meat and chicken, breads, cheeses, drinks and sweets. Consumer speech emphasized the price and meaning of the whole balanced and diverse diet over of individual product choices. There was also a contradiction in consumer speech: whilst people would have preferred ethical and sustainable products they had to buy cheaper products for economical reasons.
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(2014)The aim of this research was to describe the work engagement that Finnair cabin attendants experience and those factors, which generate and prevent work engagement. Due to the nature of cabin attendants work it was also studied how work engagement appears in the interaction of changing teams. The concept of work engagement is relatively new on the field of work well-being and it is characterized by vigor, dedication, and absorption. Work engagement is based on positive psychology, which focuses on researching strengths and resources instead of weaknesses. The main research questions were: 1. How do the cabin attendants describe the work engagement they experience? 2. What generates and what prevents work engagement? 3. How does work engagement come true in the interaction of changing teams? The data was collected through theme interviews involving 12 cabin attendants. In addition participants filled out the UWES-inquiry, which measured three elements of work engagement numerically. The purpose was to achieve information about the intensity of work engagement. As a research method the theme-analysis was used. Research findings pointed out that cabin attendants did experience work engagement and the conclusion was based on the interviews and the "work engagement"-inquiry. Work engagement occurred as energetic and professional customer service. The employees had a positive attitude towards work and working in general. The factors that generated work engagement were such as shift work and colleagues, preventive factors in turn were broken or missing tools and the lack of respect by the organization. Changing teams were mostly regarded as a positive thing. Interaction of teams was mentioned to be good in general, but also problems in teams were recognized. A negative team member or neglect of rules were some of those problems. As a conclusion of the research, it can be said that work engagement occurred with high quality and professional customer service. Job resources affect work engagement more than job demands. From the employees perspective changing teams were a positive thing, but the challenges in feedback and supervising lead to study the need for more permanent teams.
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(2016)The aim of this study was to describe shared expertise and its challenges in an expert organization. The intent was to analyze the knowledge sharing practises, working environment and the related challenges in the target company from the perspective of shared expertise and knowledge creation. The research questions were: how do the knowledge sharing practises reflect shared expertise in the target company and how does the working environment enable and/or limit the development of shared expertise in the target company. Working life has become more complex with a growing emphasis on continuous development and organizational knowledge. This change has created a demand for a new, collective perspective on the research of expertise. In the theoretical framework of this study the collective, shared expertise is viewed first and foremost as collective knowledge creation. Previous studies have shown that co-operation and collaborative problem solving contribute to the formation of new knowledge, which supports the development of expertise and the whole organization. In this study, knowledge creation is approached from the viewpoint of a knowledge creation model presented by Nonaka and Takeuchi. In this model new knowledge is created through interaction between tacit and explicit knowledge. The target company of this qualitative study was a medium-sized private employment agency and an expert organization. The data was collected through thematic interviews. Twelve experts, working in various positions in the head office of the target company were interviewed. With the help of content analysis, the data was divided into four main themes: knowledge sharing practises, social relationships in the workplace, work-related management practises and physical working environment and tools. The results of the study show that the knowledge sharing practices as well as the working environment both enable and limit the development of shared expertise and knowledge creation in the target company. The practices were somewhat indicating the realization of knowledge creation, although the activities leading to it were not very systematic. The limitations and possibilities created by the working environment were somewhat consistent with the previous studies being related to e.g. general atmosphere, trust and physical environment. Based on this study, conclusion can be made that organizations are able to contribute to the development of shared expertise and knowledge creation by improving the social and physical working environment of the company. By utilizing the results of this study, the target company can be developed into an innovative knowledge community supporting knowledge creation and shared expertise.
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(2013)The Finnish legislation states that foster parents have an obligation of non-disclosure. This Master's Thesis discusses the conceptions and experiences foster parents have regarding the role of the obligation of non-disclosure in interaction. The study was carried out by the in-depth interviews of six foster parents during the year 2012. Before the interviews foster parents kept a small-scale interaction diary the purpose of which was to prepare foster parents for the forthcoming interviews. Transcribed interview data was analyzed and compressed into one main theme (the interest/need of the child ) and two sub themes (challenges of the obligation of non-disclosure and the means of interaction). The conceptions and experiences foster parents had on the obligation of non disclosure and the ways by which foster parents executed the obligation of non-disclosure or managed private information was presented with Communication Privacy Management Theory. Attachment Theory was also utilized in the interpretation of the conceptions and experiences of the foster parents. In this study executing the obligation of non-disclosure presented itself as an active managing of private information by the foster parents, the purpose of which was to take care of foster child's interests and needs. Foster parents strived for sensitive responsiveness in spite of the obligation of non-disclosure. Disclosure as well as non-disclosure of private information was seen as protecting the child depending on the situation. Foster parents viewed that the obligation of non-disclosure should primarily protect foster children. In the foster parent's point of view too strict interpretation of the obligation of non-disclosure had opposite effects on foster children's well-being. Most of the interviewees disclosed thoughts and feelings on fostering with their close friends or relatives because they felt they received support needed in fostering from these relationships. The interpretations that authorities have on the obligation of non-disclosure and the instructions given to the foster parents should be defined in order to insure foster parent's possibilities for executing sensitive interaction needed in taking care of foster children and their needs. The foster parent's views on the obligation of non-disclosure should be researched further. In order to receive a full picture on the phenomenon the views of the foster children and social services authorities should also be researched.
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(2023)The aim of this study was to provide more understanding and information about school-ing and school support about young people who have experienced out-of-home place-ment. Previous studies have shown that children in foster care face more challenges in school. The aim was to identify, analyse and describe the challenges in school and schooling outcomes of young people who have experienced foster care. In terms of support at school, factors related to effective support and issues where children per-ceived a lack of support where highlighted. The data for the study consisted of six young people who have experienced placement at some point in their lives and who spoke about their experiences in thematic inter-views. The interviewees were reached through the Nuorten turvasatama and the inter-views were conducted anonymously by using the Discord messaging application. The interview data was produced in November 2022. The study is qualitative, and the study design is phenomenographic. The analysis of the data was carried out using a data-driven content analysis. The results of the study implicated that mental health challenges were strongly present and hampered the school performance of youth who have experienced foster care. Mental health challenges impacted young people´s school careers from primary school onwards, with an increase in challenges in secondary school. The results of the study showed that young people had limited access to school-based help for mental challeng-es. Another factor that strongly emerged in the data as a barrier to schooling was school bullying. Bullying was linked to school satisfaction and in addition to school and group changes contributed to poor school adherence. Many of the problem areas identi-fied in the study could be addressed by modifying the school environment to facilitate school attachment. In addition, recourses are needed to ensure that there is time for genuine encounter and for identifying and responding to support needs.
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(2020)The aim of this study is to describe different conceptions and preferences about herring and it’s environmental impacts. In consideration of eutrophication, biodiversity and clean water the Baltic Sea is in a weak condition. The use of Finnish local fish has diminished a lot and at the same time some fish species are the main reason for eutrophication. Roach and herring are mostly not used as human nutrition but fished to keep the fish stock moderate. The catches of herrings are mostly used as a fodder and a big part of Finland’s herring catches are transported to Denmark and refined as a fish meal. There has been a lot of discussion about toxins that accumulates especially to fatty fish species like herring even though the concentration levels have diminished a lot in the past few decades and the health benefits of fish will beat the possible harms due toxins. Attitudes towards fish and habits are deeply entrenched in Finnish culture. It would be extremely useful to find so called game changers for solving the problem of eutrophication in the Baltic Sea and to create practical conservation acts. The theoretical framework of this study relied on the ecosocial theory and viewpoints offered by the food choice factors and the ecological situation of the Baltic Sea. The research questions were answered based on the methods of qualitative research. The data of this qualitative study was collected with theme interviews from people attending Finnish Adult Education. A total of five took part in the theme interviews held in November and December 2020. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. The analysis was done by using theory- and material-based content analysis. Herring was considered as a delicious and seasonal local fish and traditions and habits had a common role explaining the different perspectives. Herring was often eaten at home and considered as a “senior delicacy”. The diminished use of herring was explained by the changes in food culture, negative attitudes of younger generation, the smell of the fish and fish bones. On the other hand, the environmental responsibility was highly considered in the interviews. Costs and availability were the main reasons for fish choices. Salmon was the most used fish due it’s good price and availability. The result is slightly conflicting because herring is often cheaper than salmon. Availability played a major role when fish choices were considered.
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(2020)This research studies the views and actions that students from Helsinki associate with recycling of food packaging. In addition, the aim is to study whether products are chosen based on ecological packaging. Previous research has concluded that highly educated individuals recycle more than those who have a lower level of education. Regarding the choice of food packaging, research has found that consumers have an increasing desire for sustainability also in terms of packaging. Whether a consumer engages in recycling depends on the information and skills that the consumer has, whether they find recycling important as well as easy access to facilities designated for recycling. Consumers’ knowledge on sustainable development and the related recycling skills can be influenced in school for example in home economics classes. The research was conducted as an online survey and it had 31 participants. 16 participants were male and 15 were female. The age of participants ranged from 19 to 28 and they were all students from Helsinki. The respondents were found through private groups and they studied in different disciplines within the University of Helsinki and Aalto University. The method of content analysis was applied to the responses. Through the technique of thematization, the responses were divided into different categories which were then used to answer the research questions. The results of this study show that almost all survey participants considered recycling as an important task. Students recycle many types of waste, the extent of which is based on the recycling possibilities provided in the waste management facilities of their housing. The challenges related to recycling are for example the lack of plastic waste containers, which prevents recycling of plastic. Another challenge is the limited space designated to waste management, which leads to all sorts of waste put into mixed waste containers. Most of the respondents claimed to occasionally pay attention to the sustainability of packaging when choosing products. Recycling is seen as an important act as it can diminish the overall amount of waste on this earth. Other reasons for the importance associated with recycling were protecting the nature and environment. In order to get even more people to recycle, the importance of education and teaching of home economics must be acknowledged; many respondents said to have learned recycling skills at school.
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(2022)Nostalgy-based food consumption is on the rise. In the spring of 2020 and the beginning of the Covid19-pandemic the traditional trend of self-made food has become more visible in the Finn-ish households, undoubtedly partly due to the restrictions and quarantines caused by the pan-demic. The fundamentals of Finnish food traditions have been built on ingredients specific to culture and cooking methods, in addition to the appreciation of self-made food. Traditions of cooking and the know-how have been passed on from generation to the next. However, the food culture and the food industry are in a constant state of change. As the industrialization has grown more and more prominent, it has not been necessary to prepare the food by one's own making. The Finnish culture of self-made food is, and remains strong The dissertation examines the ways in which Finnish traditions appear in the process of choosing and cooking food, as well as what motivates consumers in maintaining food traditions. The research material was collected through thematic interviews from ten subjects who also keep a food-diary. The snowball method was used when acquiring subjects. The collected mate-rial was analyzed with a data-driven content analysis. Finnish traditions manifest as ingredient choices, consumption of traditional cuisine, home cooking and the appreciation of self-made food products. Consumers enjoy cooking which is why they were ready to spend their free time to cooking by themselves. It seems they want to decide what a meal and portion of food contains and they feel that by making it themselves they get to match it to their taste preferences. On the other hand, self-made food requires a vari-ety of resources which is why consumers aren't ready to prepare all the food from raw ingredi-ent, but also exploit of ready-made products. Traditional food is considered comfort-food which entail memories from one's own childhood. For nostalgic reasons the traditions regarding food and cooking are kept alive and passed on to the next generation. However the traditional food are changing due to globalization and vegetarian diet.
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