Browsing by master's degree program "Master's Programme in Contemporary Societies"

This research examines the experiences of young queer, trans, non-binary and lesbian students with mental health services (MHS). The aim is to investigate the subjective and shared expectations, experiences and potential needs of LGBTQ+ youth within mental health services. A wider goal of the study is to contribute to broader discussions on social justice and mental healthcare provision. I utilized a theoretical framework that integrates a critical take on neoliberalism from the perspective of critical social psychology, intersectional feminism and queer theory, to analyze power dynamics and societal inequalities influencing these experiences. Employing reflexive thematic analysis (RTA), I analyzed data collected from two focus groups consisting of queer young adult students, adopting non-hierarchical perspective in line with the principles of critical participatory research and co-research. Recurrent themes in prior similar research are, for instance, stigma, lack of knowledge and the need for mental health care to be more LGBTQ+-inclusive and informed. According to the findings of this study, queer, trans, non-binary and lesbian students have certain expectations, experiences and demands about the quality of MHS that are influenced and shaped by transphobia, homophobia and racism. Firstly, knowledge hierarchies and inequalities within healthcare settings have influenced their help-seeking. Second, they experience being invisibilized, invalidated, being assumed about their background, burdened by responsibility and stigmatized within mental health services. Third, although participants receive assistance within the MHS, encounters with professionals have also generated counterproductive outcomes: distress, frustration, exacerbated minority stress, and harmful coping mechanisms such as avoiding seeking help and performing gender binary. Lastly, these queer, trans, non-binary and lesbian youth advocate for transformative changes within mental health services and emphasize the need for competence, validation from and safer encounters with healthcare providers, for the ultimate aim of all being seen, heard and supported. In addition, ensuring proper trans care is essential for the mental wellbeing of trans and non-binary individuals in Finland. In accordance with previous findings, this study enhances understanding of queer encounters with mental health services, pointing out the pervasive impact of cisheteronormativity, racism and neoliberalism on mental health service institutions and the broader field of health psychology.

The present study is explorative in nature and examines the social practices related to the cemeteries in Finland. This research seeks to explore how cultural symbols, practices, experiences, and the meanings tied to cemeteries are related to both individual and collective psychological processes, their mutual growth and evolution. Cemetery is a fruitful object for analysis, as it represents not only a location for burials but also symbolic aspects of cultural, social, and historical positions. The study is situated within the Valsiner’s (2000; 2007; 2014) theory of cultural psychology which is well suited for the analysis of the social practices embedded in culture and of the processes of meaning making. The study applies the concept of collective memory as a part of cultural context. The research question is: How do people construct, transmit, and maintain meanings about cemeteries? In total, 268 thematic writings were analyzed using Riessman’s (2008) thematic narrative analysis. As a result, the study identified three main themes describing the processes involved in meaning making about cemeteries: Visiting cemeteries as ritualized practices, Visiting cemeteries as everyday practices, Visiting cemeteries as practices of connecting with ancestors. These practices serve as semiotic tools and mediate the creation of meanings. Identified meanings related to cemeteries depicted cemeteries in three manners, such as: “oppressive, dark, scary places”, “beautiful, fascinated, interesting”, “comforting, peaceful, man’s final resting place”. These results align with earlier studies on the meanings of cemeteries and their various roles. With the help of cultural psychology theory and thematic narrative analysis this study demonstrates the meanings related to cemeteries in Finland and processes which contributed to the formation, support, and transfer of these meanings. The study offers insights into meaning making process by showing that not only language can facilitate it but the behaviour as well. The study contributes to the field of social psychology by expanding the body of cemetery research, by integrating cultural aspect, and by considering mutual influence of personal and social.

The European Union’s current economic growth goals cannot be achieved without addressing the demographic and labour shortage crises. Despite the prevalence of anti-migration narratives, the leading approach to address the demographic issue has been to encourage “managed” entries. The Blue Card Directive (BCD) was introduced to attract talent and harmonize policy to regulate high skilled non-EU immigration across the Union. The first rendition of the BCD was introduced in 2009, however it was not successful and was rarely utilized across Member States (MS). Therefore, it was repealed and recast in 2021 and it is scheduled to enter into force in all MS by November 2023. This thesis employs Bacchi’s “What’s the Problem represented to be?” methodology, a Foucauldian constructivist theory to explore the discursive assumptions shaping the Blue Card Directive and how they may help explain its failures and shortcomings. Bacchi’s discursive policy analysis seeks to uncover how dominant discourses shape the perception of migration in policymaking. This study finds that the European Union's migration policy framework prioritizes the validation of all hegemonic migration discourses with the intention of maintaining cooperation between Member States. However, this very priority directly contrasts the goals of the policy, and often results in the neglect of related challenges of inequality and marginalization deemed “controversial”. The recast of the Blue Card Directive falls short of being sufficiently ambitious and transformative. Instead, it is indicative of the tendency towards "failing forward" of the EU, characterized by lack of willingness to compromise and coherence among Member States. Finally, this thesis puts forth a proposal for reframing the issue, encouraging departure from existing discursive and systemic frameworks to address the socio-environmental “permacrisis” in the European Union.

Respecting cultural diversity is crucial in multicultural societies, especially given rising xenophobia and racism in Finland. This growing anti-immigrant sentiment emphasizes the importance of this research, highlighting the need for politically and academically inclusive discussions on multiculturalism and racism. This research addresses Eurocentric narratives supporting a Western-centric view, often reinforcing biases, and marginalizing other perspectives. Correcting these one-sided stories in an educational context can foster a more inclusive understanding of global history. This dissertation aims to evaluate how fifth- and sixth-grade history textbooks in Finland represent Global South regions and countries, focusing on development-related themes. The study examines Eurocentrism in these textbooks by analysing language and discourse through cultural and decolonial studies, using the World System History approach for a broader context. The aim is to offer suggestions for improving the representation of Global South countries, promoting a more inclusive and balanced historical narrative. The methodological framework combines historical inquiry, cultural studies, and decolonial studies with content and discourse analysis to examine how Global South countries are portrayed and how historical roots and power dynamics influence these narratives. The study finds that Finnish history textbooks for fifth and sixth grades include references to the Global South, covering regions like China, India, the Middle East, and South America. This inclusion provides a broader perspective on world history, challenging some Eurocentric narratives. The textbooks suggest that early civilizations were interconnected by focusing on ancient trade routes and cultural exchanges, illustrating that different parts of the world have been connected throughout history, culminating in the Modern Ages and unprecedented globalization. This promotes a more inclusive understanding of historical development, even though some Eurocentric elements remain, as the focus still tends to highlight Western perspectives and achievements. However, a significant gap exists in the representation of African history, with textbooks primarily focusing on ancient Egypt and the transatlantic slave trade, overlooking other crucial aspects of Africa's past. This lack of representation has implications for understanding global history and can reinforce Eurocentric perspectives. By omitting critical parts of African history, these textbooks miss an opportunity to present a more balanced view, contributing to broader issues like racism in Finland. To address these shortcomings, more inclusive approaches that decolonize the mind from Eurocentric biases are needed. This involves integrating a wider range of historical narratives and emphasizing the contributions of diverse cultures, allowing for a more equitable and comprehensive portrayal of global history.

The unprecedented, uninterrupted increase in wealth accumulation by the top 0.1% supports the social, economic, and political hegemony of the ultra-wealthy. These elites are increasingly occupying positions of authority that were historically reserved for figures from the public sector through their philanthropic activities and (largely) invisible support for right-wing populism, among other things. Most billionaires prefer to stay hidden from view, which makes research on the ultra-wealthy challenging. This thesis focuses on a specific section of elites that are very much not hidden: celebrity tech-billionaires who are not just public figures but celebrated and mythologized by a global audience. This thesis aims to understand how three of the most wealthy and celebrated celebrity tech-billionaires – Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates – use the power and reach of social media to present and justify their increasing levels of authority and wealth. The primary source of data are social media posts by the three subjects from late 2023. In total, the data set consists of 618 posts by Elon Musk on X, 118 posts by Bill Gates on X, and 38 posts by Mark Zuckerberg on Instagram. The analysis is supplemented by a secondary source of data, which are online news articles from the Forbes.com website (156 articles on Elon Musk, 15 articles on Bill Gates, and 16 articles on Mark Zuckerberg). This data is analysed using concepts from both Bourdieu’s field theory and Impression Management theory. The meta-narratives presented by the subjects are analysed using a framework to research the representation and implementation of social values. The analysis reveals that the three subjects primarily engage with, and claim authority in, the following fields of power: science (engineering), business (entrepreneurship), (social) media, and philanthropy. Moreover, Musk is highly active in the ‘alternative field’ through his engagement with conspiracy theories. Highlighted are the patriarchal expressions of the subjects, which are steeped in the myth of the self-made man, ‘geek’ masculinity, and post-feminist fatherhood. Additionally, the analysis shows that social media is an important and effective space for desirable self-presentation. The dual display of expertise/humility and professional authority/domestic normality allows the subjects to shore up moral legitimacy and signal authenticity, which in turn legitimizes the importance and morality of the value projects in their meta-narratives. With the aid of overarching meta-narratives, the diverse (and sometimes contradictory) nature of the subjects’ increasing power and wealth is explained away as necessary constituents in their pursuit of important social values that are beneficial for all: ‘saving humanity’ (Musk), ‘connectivity and disease eradication’ (Zuckerberg), and ‘global progress’ (Gates). What results is the sustainment of cultural myths that pose ultra-wealth as ultimately beneficial and desirable for everybody. What also remains is the undefeated hegemony of the super-rich, the uninterrupted progression of destructive consumerist capitalism, and a growing wealth gap. Recommendations for future research include the design of new methodological tools that allow holistic retrieval of social media data and exploring the interplay between these subjects’ self-presentations and audience perception.

The United States has been built on centuries of oppression of incarcerated people alongside systemic racism toward minorities. Once again these inequities entered the public discourse following a pandemic, rising unemployment, political uncertainty, and several high-profile police killings of unarmed Black people. Millions of Americans protested in the streets and called attention to the necessary criminal justice reforms on social media. Suddenly, terms like prison abolition, defund the police, #BlackLivesMatter, and police brutality entered everyday conversations. The American criminal justice system was built in the aftermath of the Civil War to disenfranchise and oppress Black Americans, and later other racial minorities, as well. Racist media and political campaigns furthered the myth of Black criminality resulting in widespread support for harsh criminal penalties. This led to the United States having the highest incarceration rate in addition to one of the highest recidivism rates in the world. The question remains, “How should systemic racism in the American criminal justice system be addressed?” Finland, with its focus on rehabilitating offenders and establishing a strong welfare state, serves as a point of inspiration. The hypothesis of this study was that the reasoning behind Finnish people’s support of a rehabilitative approach was that incarceration status was less stigmatized in Finland. Interviews with formerly incarcerated people in Finland appeared to indicate that this is the case. However, studies with more participants and greater diversity are needed to add to this research. Moving forward, America should institute reforms to reduce the stigma attached to incarceration like automatically expunging criminal records for those eligible or establishing employment programs that begin upon release from prison.

This thesis explores social representations of nature and happiness in nature among Finnish youth. Even though the concepts of happiness and nature are common in daily exchanges, they remain difficult to define, and little is known of their usage among laypeople. Similarly, nature’s effects on well-being are well documented, but how happiness occurs in nature has not been examined through social representations. Finland is an interesting country to study these phenomena, as Finland is often portrayed through its unique nature, and has been ranked as the happiest country in the world for three consecutive years. The purpose of this thesis is to examine how Finnish youth discuss happiness in nature, and whether there are distinctive shared social representations. The study used Moscovici’s Social Representations Theory as a theoretical framework. The theory’s purpose is to explore laypeople’s conceptions of everyday phenomena, making it suitable for this research. The research was part of a bigger LUODE-project, funded by the European Social Fund. LUODE aims to develop multidisciplinary collaboration and service innovations for youth. University of Helsinki’s role was to better understand the everyday lives of the youth and this research contributes to the latter aim. The participants consisted of 15-16-year-old Lahti 9th graders (n=355). They first saw a marketing video of Finland aimed at foreign visitors, in which the main theme was the experience of happiness in nature. They were then asked to write their responses to a paper questionnaire, with questions like “What does the video say about happiness in your opinion? Discuss, whether nature makes you happy? Why yes? Why not?”. Responses varied in length from one word to lists, and from sarcastic comments to personal, even poetic, descriptions of happiness in nature. This research will focus on their personal accounts, and when combined, these created shared social representations. The research questions were: What are the shared ideas the youth have about nature, and of happiness in nature? How are these social representations objectified or anchored? Do the youth have shared social representations about nature, and more specifically about happiness in nature? As a result of the research questions, the analysis identified two main themes. First, nature was defined through shared lay perceptions, and nature in the societal context of Finland. It was clear that there was not just one simplistic definition of nature among the youth. Instead, their descriptions varied from common objectifications of nature, like cleanliness, forests, and summer cabins, to societal issues including the national welfare system, and global issues like climate change. Second, happiness in nature was experienced in a holistic manner: nature was a place for peace of mind, for activities, and for sensory engagement. These representations of happiness revealed holistic, and multisensory experiences of happiness when spending time in nature. The results show that Finnish youth go to nature to relax, be active, and be mindful and that their experiences in nature involve multisensory approaches, which all contributed to their experiences of happiness. Multisensory experiences as social representations may offer new insights for future research. These representations explicate how detailed and varying the everyday terms of happiness and nature are. Nature served as an important milieu for daily moments of happiness among the youth. Finnish youth also criticized the claims in the video and discussed the influence of the Finnish welfare system as well as climate change in their responses. The current study proposes that these holistic and multisensory methods to experience happiness in nature should be taken into account when planning well-being interventions, city planning, and nature preservation.

Abstract Faculty: Faculty of Social Sciences Degree programme: Master’s Programme in Contemporary Societies Study track: Sociology Author: Ona Needelman Title: “So it is… I don’t think that was racism either, but it was just a kind of ignorance.” – Providers’ perceptions on race, racism and addressing racism through School-based mental health support Level: Master’s Degree Month and year: December, 2021 Number of pages: 76 Keywords: Racism, white supremacy, mental health, education, critical race theory, anti-racism, critical discourse analysis Supervisor or supervisors: Elina Paju Where deposited: University of Helsinki Additional information: Abstract: This study explores how mental health providers at schools recognize, conceptualize and address racism and its impact on persons of colour (POC) students’ mental health. The aim was to produce knowledge on what kinds of challenges “white” structures of school-based mental health present for practicing and understanding anti-racism. The main research questions were: 1) How do mental health professionals in schools view the influence racism has on mental health and well-being of POC pupils? 2) How do school mental health professionals make sense of, and deal with, issues of racism faced by POC students and which challenges do they face in doing so? 3) How do school mental health professionals conceptualize anti-racism as part of their professional roles? The main goal for this thesis was to draw attention to and heighten awareness around the new ways in which both organizations and employees must develop and approach anti-racist student welfare services in schools. Knowledge on racism and mental health from Finland produced by POC writers and activists was utilized, as academic research of this topic in Finland is limited. Academic research on racism in Finnish society and schools, and on racism’s impacts on mental health from other countries are introduced in the literature review. The main theory used throughout the research process was critical race theory (CRT), including critical whiteness studies. Eight voluntary in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted, with five school psychologists and four social workers all working in basic education in the metropolitan area. Three main discourses emerged from conducting critical discourse analysis, which I labelled as follows: Equality and tolerance, personal awareness and belonging. Key findings were that colorblind ideology perpetuates white supremacy, anti-racism mainly relies on individuals’ awareness of racism, and reactive strategies surpassed proactive anti-racist practices Based on the findings, colorblind ideology and reliance on individual awakenings make anti-racism targeting both prejudice and structural racism vulnerable. Recognizing racism challenges all adults with power in schools. Anti-racism will require more activism and collective action within organizations to commit professionals practicing in the field to address racism through their work.

Despite active Indigenous movement in the country, Ecuadorian governments have continued to exploit natural resources with increasing speed legitimising extractivism as a means to social development. Indigenous women are gradually taking leadership positions in the predominantly male-dominant Indigenous movement in Ecuador, and Amazonian Indigenous women have strengthened ties with other groups as well. The research questions of this thesis participate in the post-developmentalist discussion on extractivism and alternatives, resistance and finding solidarities to fight against subordination and destruction of territories, knowledge, culture, bodies and life. Drawing from feminist political ecology’s critical decolonial and intersectional feminist perspective, the thesis analyses, what “truths” the Ecuadorian state is creating about development, Indigenous peoples and their territories, and what the possible implications to Amazonian Indigenous women are. It is also interested in what strategies Indigenous women use to resist the extractive policies justified with those “truths”, and what kind of spaces of resistance they are creating. By doing this, the thesis tries to answer, how Ecuador’s extractive policies affect eco-cultural pluralism in Ecuadorian Amazonia. The main method for analysis is a Foucauldian strand of critical discourse analysis, complemented with elements of qualitative content analysis. The primary data collected for this thesis consists of government development plans and official communication, as well as of a report, statements and social media publications by Indigenous organisations and collectives. In Ecuadorian governmental discourses further expansion of extractivism(s) is still justified with economic and social development, especially in the areas of impact. What is new in the governmental discourses is the wide dismissal of Indigenous peoples’ existence and conceptualisations of “good living”. Dismissing topics, such as Indigenous peoples’ rights to their territories, and discrediting Indigenous knowledge suggests that citizen participation and eco-cultural pluralism are supported only as far as they do not threaten the development of strategic sectors of the state. Amazonian Indigenous women resist extractivism with multiple strategies. They are building solidarities by establishing alliances with ecofeminist groups, international environmental NGOs and human rights organisations. By tying their ethno-territorial demands into global climate and social justice discourses Indigenous women are opening a shared space able to mobilise larger crowds for their cause. Thus, while making visible the embodied impacts of patriarchal extractivism, Indigenous women are also simultaneously decolonising feminism. Although hegemonic government discourses embrace nationalist imaginaries and identities related to extractivisms, the resistance of Amazonian Indigenous women may cultivate common ground of understanding with the rest of the Ecuadorian society and international community.

Somalis are one of the largest migrant groups in Finland, with the highest rates of discrimination and racial harassment. Previous research has demonstrated that Somalis with Finnish citizenship do not self-identity as Finns, perceiving the legal citizenship and ethno-national identification as distinct spheres. This study aims to fill the gap on studies of identity and belonging by demonstrating how negotiations of identity can be acts of citizenship. Through centering the overlooked, gendered and racialized lived experience of Somali women, the research investigates how Somali mothers in Eastern Helsinki construct their and their children’s national and ethnic identities. The data analyzed is based on four focus group interviews and one individual interview of migrant Somali mothers. This study builds on feminist literature that has politicized the everyday mothering and caregiving of racialized and migrant women. Using the theoretical framework of Umut Erel (2016), I investigate three moments of citizenship: (1) knowledge production about the self and the world, (2) mother’s enacting citizenship in relation to their children, (3) becoming rights claiming subjects. My findings demonstrate that migrant, Somali mothers construct positive self-identities for themselves and their children as Somali-Muslims which is made possible by motherwork that resists negative racist and sexist depictions of racialized people. Contrary to previous research in Finland, I find that Somali mothers are central to constructing hybrid Somali-Finnish identities for the next generation, particularly in challenging ethno-nationalist and racialized criteria of belonging. Finally, exploring the complex relationship between home, belonging and rights demonstrates that despite feeling like they do not belong into the symbolic nation, mothers reproduce a home in Finland for their families and also work to transform themselves and their children into rights claiming subjects by making visible (racial) injustices and asserting their right to equality.