Browsing by Subject "Culture"
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Integration in Finland – A Social Identity Perspective on the Experiences of African Immigrant Women (2024)This study aims to investigate the integration experiences of African immigrant women in Finland. The women who have partaken in this study have either passed through Finland’s official integration system, or have integrated through other means, namely higher education or work. In contemporary times, integration has become an irreplaceable part of the foundation of modern society. Immigration has increased drastically, particularly in ethnically homogenous countries, such as Finland. However, the migration movements of African women remain underrepresented, despite them making up a notable amount of the African migration flows. African migration has been arguably male dominated; however, there has been an increased feminization of immigrant flows for a little more than the past decade from the African continent, particularly sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to aid in filling in this gap in research and analyses the shared experiences of a small group of African women in Finland. Using the Social Identity Theory and Self-Categorization Theory by Tajfel and Turner, we observe the way these women may categorize themselves within their new host culture, and how this may affect their integration experience. Berry’s Acculturation Model is applied due to the four acculturation strategies he proposes, which can be found within the way the women that partake in this study interpret and apply integration. The Interactive Acculturation Model by Bourhis et al., builds upon this and considers intercultural encounters. The primary research question is: “How do African immigrant women interpret their integration experience in Finland?” The models are used to facilitate the understanding of their interpretations. This study employs two focus groups and two interviews, both of which were used to allow for in-depth retellings and stories. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the data that emerged was analysed and interpreted. The primary themes that emerged from this data are language, cultural maintenance and discrimination, all of which served as core components for the women sharing their experiences concerning integration. The themes of language and cultural maintenance were consistent with previous research and published information concerning the experiences of immigrants in Finland; however, the last theme serves as a bit of an outlier, specifically concerning the perpetrators of discrimination. Overall, results indicated that Finland remains structurally discriminatory and Finnish language oriented. The Finnish labour force, despite needing immigrant workers, remains difficult for immigrants to navigate and find a position within. Social relationships between immigrants and the Finnish remains tricky, with certain women indicating that the drastic differences in culture meant they do not have Finnish friends, solely acquaintances. Maintaining one’s birth culture is important for all; adopting new cultural values from the host society remains difficult for some. Using reflexive thematic analysis, the social identity theory and the acculturation models, this study can understand the position of African immigrant women in Finnish society. Their shared experiences are analysed. These experiences contribute to the aim of the study, which is to provide a voice to an underrepresented group of migrants in Finland.
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(2023)This master’s thesis provides context to social change related to Sustainable Development and the factors influencing it from the perspective of Finnish National Art Institutions. The aim of this research is to examine how the principles – or the idea – of Sustainable Development have historically been adopted as part of Finnish society, and to compare how and in what time frame these principles have begun to be reflected in the strategies and operations of the Finnish National Art Institutions over the past 30 years. The research looks at the period from 1992 – determined by the adoption of the United Nations Agenda 21 on Sustainable Development – through to 2020. Institutional theory is used as the main theoretical framework of this study. Stakeholder Typology is used to examine the impact of the stakeholders in the process of adopting the principles and forming the expectations of Sustainable Development. There are four types of data used for this research: newspaper archives (Päivälehti Archives, Helsingin Sanomat), minutes from the plenary sessions of the Finnish Parliament, annual reports of the organisations under the investigation, and background interviews made with the key personnel in the Finnish National Art Institutions. A qualitative research method was selected to support the research and to answer the research questions. The analysis of the collected data is descriptive, highlighting meaningful themes, and following an inductive approach. The idea of Sustainable Development in the Finnish National Art Institutions is visible relatively late compared to the adoption of the principles of Sustainable Development by the Finnish government. Hence, the idea of Sustainable Development is recognised first in the political and public debate, and later in the National Art Institutions. The adoption of Sustainable Development at the operational level started in the Finnish National Art Institutions around 2010, with adoption at the strategic level first occurring around 2020. The pressure to adopt the principles of Sustainable Development in the National Art Institutions has emerged both from internal and external stakeholders. The change has been slow and has taken place primarily from the bottom up. The highest impact for adopting the principles of Sustainable Development comes from the staff and the artists of the organisation, but also from loyal customers, political decision makers, competitors, and sponsors. Based on the academic literature, a change taken place informally is the main driver for a long-term, constant institutional change. Therefore, based on the institutional theory, the long-standing, informal change among the Finnish National Art Institutions identified in this research – and formed through stakeholder expectations – indicates a substantial and permanent change at the operative and strategic level in adopting the idea of Sustainable Development.
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