Browsing by Subject "lapsuudenkodista poismuutto"

Leaving the parental home is seen as an important step towards independence in Western societies. Today, an increasing number of young adults in Finland move from their childhood home to live alone. Previous research has shown that interpersonal relationships are a major factor in creating a sense of home, raising the question of how young adults leaving the parental home begin to feel at home in a new place where others do not live. While studying the formation of a sense of home, this research also wants to focus on the object aspect. Based on previous research, the significance of objects in human life is undeniable. This research connects Home Economics with the perception of objects which has been introduced in the study of Material Culture and Consumer Research – in addition to their functionality objects are also seen as active agents and conveying meanings. This study examines factors contributing to the formation of the sense of home in the first independent home after childhood in the individualized context of Finnish society and the significance of objects in the process. The research was conducted as a narrative study and the data was gathered as autobiographical stories using the E-form of the University of Helsinki. The data consisted of 70 autobiographical stories from young adults aged 19–28 living in Finland. The data was analyzed using a qualitative content analysis method and the programme Atlas.ti was utilized. Based on the data, the sense of home in the independent home was created in the context of home as a physical, social and mental space. Seven main themes constituted the sense of an independent home: appartment and surroundings, privacy, independence, management of everyday life, sensory experiences, interpersonal relationships and objects. Settling into the independent home was marked by an ethos of individuality, i.e., the characteristics of the sense of home reflected the society of the given time. In addition to individuality, familiarity was emphasized in the creation of the sense of home. Familiar elements were needed in the new phase of life to facilitate the transition. Based on the object relationships of young adults, objects played an essential role in the creation of the sense of home.