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Objective of the study. Dissertation researchers work on their dissertations, while simultaneously completing the studies required for their doctoral degree at the university. Previous research has shown that dissertation researchers often experience stress and exhaustion during their doctoral studies. In the light of previous research, some is already known about the well-being of dissertation researchers, but the link between burnout and social support has not been studied much. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of burnout symptoms and stress, as well as the experienced social support from the supervisor and the scientific community within dissertation researchers at the University of Helsinki. As a follow-up question, it was examined whether a) part-time and full-time dissertation researchers, b) dissertation researchers within different fields of study, and c) dissertation researchers working in a group or alone differ in terms of perceived burnout and social support. Third, the relation between social support received from the supervisor and the scientific community, and the experience of exhaustion, cynicism and stress was studied. Methods. The material of the study was collected from all dissertation researchers at the University of Helsinki in the spring of 2021, using an electronic form. The material comprises the answers of 768 dissertation researchers. The incidence of burnout symptoms, stress, and social support received from the supervisor and the scientific community was examined based on the mean, deviation, kurtosis and skewness, the Cronbach´s alphas, and the results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test of the formed sum variables. Further, the Mann-Whitney U-test was used to determine whether part-time and full-time dissertation researchers, as well as dissertation researchers working alone or in a group differ in terms of perceived burnout symptoms, stress, and/or social support from the supervisor and the scientific community. Variance analysis was used to investigate the experiences of dissertation researchers within different doctoral schools. The relationship between burnout, stress, and social support was examined using Spearman's correlation coefficient, and further linear regression analysis. Results and conclusions. According to the results, the dissertation researchers at the University of Helsinki are somewhat burdened with their work. Full-time workers report, on average, more exhaustion and stress compared with part-time workers. The Doctoral schools differ in support provided by the scientific community. Dissertation researchers working at least partly in a group reportedly obtain more social support compared with researchers working alone. Support from the supervisor and the scientific community would appear to be able to reduce the stress experienced, as well as the symptoms of burn-out; exhaustion and cynicism.

The aim of this master`s thesis was to survey significances in master`s degree programme in early childhood education (VAKAMO) to eight respondents in the light of professional expertise. They had all been graduated from the university of Helsinki with a degree in master`s degree programme in early childhood education. The topic has not been survied earlier. The research data was gathered with emailsurveys. Thematic analysis was used to examine themes within the research data. Many abilities were developped to the respondents during their studies. The respondents agreed that their professional expertise was deeper after they were graduated. Among the most important of these abilities were the ability to do scientific research, development of critical thinking and stronger professional expertise. The former hopes of the respondents to deepen their knowledge in early childhood education, to get new duties and to educate further were realized after their graduation. The respondents were quite satisfied with their master`s degree programme in early childhood education. The dialogic atmosphere in small groups was pleasant for the adult learners. The aspiration was to involve more leadership studies in master`s degree programme in early childhood education.

Topic avoidance in romantic relationships has not been researched before in Finnish speech communication research, and this study was expected to increase the understanding of a phenomenon that acquires relatively dramatic attributes in everyday conversation. The aim of this study was to describe topic avoidance based on what was told in the interviews, and to describe the beliefs concerning functional or dysfunctional relational communication that can be interpreted from the interviewees' speech when they talk about topic avoidance. The theoretical reference frame of this study consists of the Communication Privacy Management Theory, relational dialectics, and earlier, mostly American research on topic avoidance. Ten Finnish people aged 22-31, who all had previous experience on one or more marital or common-law relationships were interviewed for this study. Additional material for the study was gathered from the interviewees by using the role playing method to describe interactional events where something essential is left unsaid in the context of romantic relationship. The following values were attributed to functional communication in romantic relationships: openness, equality, honesty, trust and positivity. The dialectical nature of the phenomenon being researched is evident in the way that along with openness, the interviewees talked about excessive openness that should occasionally be avoided in the context of relational communication by leaving things unsaid. Topic avoidance was seen both as a conscious strategic communication for managing privacy, and as an uncontrollable force of nature that at its worst destroys the relationship. When topic avoidance is seen as strategic communication, the choice concerning what is left unsaid is made by weighing the following dimensions against each other: risks/ benefits (for self, relationship), protects/ does not protect (self, partner, relationship), burdens/ does not burden (self, partner, relationship), honesty/ dishonesty, responsibility lies with self/ responsibility does not lie with self. Topic avoidance was acceptable if it was used in order to preserve the relationship, as opposed to gaining power in the relationship or causing insecurity for the partner. The acceptability of topic avoidance varied according to whether it differed from lying or not. When the interviewees talk about topic avoidance, their speech can be interpreted to mean that in spite of uncontrollability, communicative choices can be made in relational communication and that skills concerning communication in romantic relationships can be learned.

According to studies, an increasing number of primary school teachers are experiencing burnout in their work and considering a career change. The well-being and resilience of teachers in their profession have been the subject of research for a long time. Specifically, newly graduated teachers in Finland lack adequate support. There is a gap between teacher education and the reality of the school world, which is causing difficulties when teachers transition into the working life. The first years of a novice teacher’s career have often been described as years of survival. The aim of this thesis was to find out the experiences of novice teachers regarding the job demands and resources. Eight class teachers participated in this thesis, all of whom were at the beginning of their careers. The data consists of semi-structured thematic interviews. The interviewees had worked as teachers for a maximum of three years after graduation. The interviews were transcribed, and the textual material was analysed using theory-guided content analysis. The research revealed that the first years of novice teachers are typically very stressful. Work demands include a heavy workload, lack of human resources, challenging students, and parents, as well as insecurity of the employment relationship. On the other hand, the strengths of teachers’ work include student interactions, support from the work community, the meaningfulness of the work, delineation of work and self-compassion. The burden of the workload and the experiences with challenging students and parents are primarily explained by the lack of work experience and the incompetence resulting from it. Support from the work community is a particularly valuable resource for novice teachers. Setting boundaries for work and self-compassion, on the other hand, are resources that are typically lacking in newly graduated teachers. The findings in this thesis regarding novice teachers’ workload are in line with previous studies. Novice teachers hoped that teacher education would better meet the practical requirements of the job than it currently does. Based on the results, proactive measures should be taken to address teacher well-being. Teacher workloads should be responded to more energetically than they are presently, and assistance should be provided in classrooms. Additionally, valuing the work of teachers and making it visible are also crucial for work well-being.

Tiivistelmä - Referat - Abstract The consumption of snacks has increased during the last few years. Nowadays more common to replace complete meals with different kinds of snacks. This study examines what kinds of criteria do families with children have towards consuming snacks and how the healthiness of different snacks is taken into consideration. The study reflects on how families with children experience healthy eating and how bread is involved in their snack culture. The purpose of the study is to find out what kinds of snacks are consumed in families with children during their leisure time and to clarify what kind of requirements the families have towards the snacks their children are consuming. The research data was collected via a closed online group discussion combined with an online enquiry that were issued in a social network service Facebook. The group discussion and the online enquiry both had 10 parent participants. The research data was supported by a commercial consumer survey about the consumption of bread in families with children. The data gathered from the group discussion and the online enquiry were divided into three major themes that are healthiness, choosing a snack and foodscape. These themes were chosen in order to support the study questions. The primary method of analysis in this study is material-based content analysis, even though quantitative methods were utilized in the online enquiry. Snack practices during the free time of families with children were based on many food choices and foodscape factors, especially cost, taste and healthiness. Snacks were consumed at least three times per week, typically on a daily basis. Snacks were purchased usually from a supermarket and eaten at home. Bread was the most popular snack in families with children and bread was experienced to be healthy because of its richness in fibre. Families with children are hoping to find more options in snacks intended and designed for children that would be healthy as well. As a conclusion, healthiness was a desirable quality for snacks in families with children. The results of this study are aligned with previous studies related to snacks. In the future research could be made about how gender affects children’s and adolescents’ eating habits.

This study aims to explore how power relations are produced, maintained and challenged in a primary school classroom context. Theoretically, the study is framed around post-structuralist theories about the subject and power, whereby power is understood both as controlling the subject but also enabling the subject to act. Judith Butler's concept of performativity is used to analyse the power structures in the classroom in detail. The research was conducted by using ethnographic research methods, mainly participatory observation and group interviews. The data was collected in a primary school 6th grade classroom in the Helsinki region. The fieldwork for the study was conducted between March and May 2015. Power relations were performatively constituted by repetitive actions, for example by using repetitive disciplinary methods. Challenging power relations was possible by varying these repetitive actions. Power relations in the classroom were deeply gendered. The study adds to the body of research on schools, power and agency. By analysing how power relations in the classroom are challenged, the research provides one perspective into how agency can be understood in school. The wider social context of the research relates to the role and agency of children in society. The study aims to explore the connection between agency that is enabled in the classroom and agency in society in general. The study suggests that power relations in the classroom are related to how children view their role in society at large.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the experiences that generalists in the field of general and adult education had on the development of expertise in university studies, the knowledge that matters in working life and the experiences on how these two face each other. The target group was chosen by the fact that generalist education does not prepare the student to any specific job or position in working life. The results were examined on three levels which included 1) the expertise that developed during university studies 2) the expertise that was being experienced to be too narrow and 3) the expertise that matters in working life. The study was performed as a qualitative study and the data consisted of eight semi-structured interviews. The interviews were based on specific questions and a task to point out critical incidents from the beginning of the studies to these days. The data was analyzed by creating themes and categories about the data. The created themes included three dimensions which were 1) individuality 2) scientific thinking and 3) sociality. The results showed that the expertise of educationalists consists of these three sections listed above. These results verified the ideas that the former literature also supports. According to the results the social dimension of expertise was particularly highlighted. The social networks and social skills were experienced essential in working life and in education as well. These were the categories that also were listed to be developed during the university studies. In addition to social skills, the educationalists also experienced the individual and scientific thinking skills to be an important part of their expertise. These skills include the reflection skills, self-development skills, scientific thinking skills and knowledge integration skills. The results of this study made visible the factors which belong to the expertise of educationalists. Generalists must be able to embrace multiple skills while performing in the changing environment of working life. Because of this, surveying the knowledge they have is extremely important. In terms of developing the university studies it is essential to be aware of the fact what is and what is not being learned during the studies nowadays. By making visible also the knowledge that matters in working life makes it possible to respond the requirements of the changing society and working life.

Foodwork has changed and responsibility of foodwork is starting to be more equally shared in households. Attitude towards foodwork depends, among other things, on situation and to whom one is cooking for. Convenience foods are used to simplify foodwork in households. Outsourcing foodwork to restaurants is also more and more common and take-away meals have become very popular. Technology and application innovations enable ready meals to be delivered to our doorstep. The aim of this study is to explain the use of and reasons to use home delivery services. Theoretical background of the study is based on the research of home economics and domestic work. Research of eating out and eating environments is also used in the study. This study was conducted as a quantitative study. The data was collected with survey questionnaire that was compiled based on theoretical literature. The survey was distributed via Internet in February 2021. Of 148 received responses 145 were accepted for the analyses. Analysis was conducted with IMB SPSS 26. Crosstabulation, Kruskal-Wallis, PCA and oneway-ANOVA were used as methods of analysis. Time saving, minimizing the amount of work and indulgence were the main reasons to use home delivery services for ready meals. Three groups that had different attitudes towards foodwork and home delivery services were found from the data. The groups were named 1. enjoying foodwork, 2. staying home and 3. valuation of ease. Female gender, high education and age (28–34 years) defined the first group. Size of household (at least two members), children and high education defined group two. Low education, 20 000–39 999 annual income and size of household (three or more members) defined group three the least. Among all respondents, home delivery services were used most by men and age group 28–34. The results of the study cannot be generalized to population and it would be important to study these themes further and in larger context since home delivery services are permanent part of the contemporary life.

Goals: This study examines different meanings of preschool environment through pictures children have taken, and by children's stories associated to these pictures. The study committed to multidisciplinary childhood study approach which sees children as competent active actor in their own right and as a constructor of their own childhood. Theoretically the study focuses on studies of child perspective, children's geographies, and meanings. The study assumes that preschool environment appears differently to children that it does to adults, and that adults should pay more attention to how the preschool environment appears to children. Methods: The study is a part of Academy of Finland research project "Children tell of their well-being - who listens? Listening to children's voices and receiving their stories" (TelLis project number 1134911) The project is led by Adjunct professor Liisa Karlsson in University of Helsinki. Material for the study is collected from a Kouvola-area child safety project. The project focused on children's point of view. As part of the project children photographed places they considered nice or boring in their preschool environment. The children were then asked to tell about the pictures using a method called Storycrafting. The pictures and stories were used as information source by the experts from different fields who participated in this project. Pictures and narration materials produced by 28 preschoolers are analysed in this study. The material consisted of 40 picture and story combinations. Method of the study was a qualitative study and the material was analysed using content analysis. Results and conclusions: Four significant dimensions were found from the material: operation, social interaction, play, and aesthetic character. The study found that meaningful environment for children is cosy, and offers different activities, social interactions, and also possibility to play. The pictures taken by the children and the stories they relate to them contain information which helps to understand how children react to their environment and how they take advantage of affordances environment produce. The results of this study can be utilized by the experts who are working among children and design environments for children.