Browsing by study line "Home Economics Teacher"

Previous research suggests that following a vegetarian/vegan diet or lifestyle can be challenging for men due to the surrounding community and the norms of masculinity in society. The initiation and adherence to a vegetarian/vegan diet may have to be justified or excused, and on the other hand, there may be a rebellion against the norms. Due to various tensions, models of masculinity can either be consciously modified, challenged, or compensated. This study deepens the understanding of the topic by examining the own experiences of vegetarian/vegan men regarding the relationship between masculinity and diet. In particular, research focuses on how men perceive the influence of hegemonic masculinity norms in society on adopting and following a vegetarian diet. The research has been carried out using qualitative methods. The focus is on adult vegetarian/vegan men who were recruited for the study through Facebook's “Sipsikaljavegaanit” community. The data was compiled in January-February 2023 using an online questionnaire. The form included open-ended questions, in addition to which background information was collected through multiple-choice questions. The survey was answered by 251 men who define themselves as vegetarians/vegans, 206 of whom experienced that the norms of masculinity had in some way affected their diet or its implementation. The analysis focused on the responses of the latter individuals. The data was analysed by means of theory-based content analysis, with the help of Atlas.ti software. The results of the study show that the norms of masculinity had influenced the previous food behavior of many respondents, emphasizing meat consumption and reducing the consumption of vegetables. Switching to a vegetarian diet and talking about it was considered challenging for many. With the change in mentality, efforts were made to challenge the masculine norm of meat consumption. More than half of the respondents said they had encountered ridicule, joking and/or questioning of vegetarianism/veganism and masculinity. Many people found the questioning distressing, but not everyone was bothered by it, because for some, masculinity was not a desirable trait. The traditionally masculine appearance soothed the commentary on the vegetarian/vegan diet. Also, the example of physically powerful men seemed to normalize vegetarian diets for some men. Many respondents felt it was important to form their own definition of masculinity, and some men used the vegetarian/vegan diet as a tool to rebel against the norms of masculinity. Based on the results, it can be interpreted that the norms of masculinity present many men with challenges when it comes to following a vegetarian/vegan diet. The biggest challenges occurred when other men sought to question or discount those who followed a vegetarian/vegan diet. From the results, it can be concluded that traditional, hegemonic masculinity is not very widely manifested among vegetarian/vegan men, but most of them implement hybrid or alternative masculinities. Many men expand the definitions of masculinity beyond traditional notions, partly for other men as well. With this type of activity, the problematic culture of restriction between men could be changed towards a culture of support between men.

Sustainability transition is a multidisciplinary topic currently researched broadly. The great necessity of sustainability transition is commonly accepted, but the needed changes in different levels of society from political actions to individual behavior are still slow and inefficient. Socio-technic systems as food-, housing- and transportation systems are fundamentally built for facilitating individuals’ wellbeing in everyday life, and thus the everyday life becomes an important arena of sustainability transition. Former research agrees that many factors having different, independent influences on an individuals behavior are making it difficult to promote sustainable behavior. In this research the aim was to study how individuals explain their actions that have an impact on sustainability and investigate the differences in these arguments’ obligatority. This study utilizes qualitative research methods and narrative approach. The research material used in this study contains 73 writings originally collected in 2018 with an open invitation letter by Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura (Society of Finnish literature) and Talonpoikaiskulttuurisäätiö (Foundation of peasant culture) as a part of Writings about sustainable development 2018 -writing competition. Some of the writings were sorted out based on their unclearness or artistic form. The remaining 43 writings were analyzed using analysis of narratives. Narrative approach was used due to the format of the research material, but it also brought in the conception of telling as a humane way of constructing and sharing knowledge. The explanations given for the sustainable behavior were divided into ten upper classes, from which three main classes were formed. Main classes were named personal features (feelings, likings, values, health), personal resources (money, time, knowledge and abilities, personal justifications and compensations) and external factors (influence of others, environment). The difference in effect of the given explanations was named obligatority and it ranges on a scale from adaptive to unconditional. The individuals perceive many personal and external factors influencing their actions. The factors can be of differing obligatority and thus the individual sees less or more chances to change their behavior.

The study examines what home will look like as a space and how home will be made during the coronary pandemic in 2020. The research topic is topical, as the coronary pandemic continues and affects the whole world and thus every home. The home is seen in this dissertation as a concrete, imagined, and lived home space that includes residents, emotions, functions, home material, and interactions. Experiences associated with the home by naming the home as a symbol that is shaped by the meanings and experiences the resident gives to their home. Previous studies show that concept of the home is multidimensional and escapes by precise definitions, but still for most people it is an obvious part of life. In previous studies, the home has expanded in terms of operations and new meanings with the corona pandemic. The corona pandemic appears in this dissertation as a situation of change, to see the attitudes of the home that have become invisible are broken and the experiences and meanings of meaning-making are reappeared. The study is implemented as narrative research. The method of data acquisition was autobiographical stories. The data eventually consisted of 23 stories ranging in length from half a page to three pages. The authors of the stories were Finnish women and men aged 20-48. Data analysis was performed using Atlas software. The analysis utilized thematic design and metaphorical analysis. During the Corona Pandemic, the home became a more private space and the importance of the home expanded. A metaphor was attached to the home to explain the new and strange situation of change. The home appeared on the one hand as an anxious prison and a constant performance but on the other hand as a refuge and an opportunity to finally rest when there was nothing else to go. The importance of the positive meanings inherent in the feeling of home in the home is thus associated with many negative meanings that weakened the feeling of home. The partially lost home feel was sought by providing decorating and repairing the home as well as acquiring new furniture and items. The dissertation provides new information on how the home is perceived during a serious health-threatening crisis, what new meanings the home acquires during it and how the home can be adapted to change situations.

Globalization, technological development, online shopping, and the climate crisis require consumers to acquire new knowledge and ways of acting in society. Consumer education promotes informed and sustainable consumption behavior and increases economic well-being. Research on consumer education has traditionally focused on formal education, such as consumer education in school. However, in Finland, there is no previous research on parents' perspectives on consumer education despite parents being significant influencers of their children's consumer behavior. This study examines parental consumer education practices within households, specifically exploring their views on the content areas, parental responsibilities, and sustainability aspects of consumer education. The data for the thesis was collected through semi-structured thematic interviews. Eight parents, each with at least one child aged six or older, were interviewed. Four of the participants were from the capital region and four were from different cities. The data was analyzed using theory-driven content analysis. Parents perceived consumer education as a multifaceted phenomenon. The boundaries between different areas of education were not clearly defined in everyday life, as consumer education was seen as part of education in general. The content areas of consumer education emphasized money management, budgeting, and saving. Sustainability education highlighted the ecological and social aspects of consumption. According to parents, the primary responsibility for consumer education lies within the home. Consumer education was provided at home in an age-appropriate manner through reciprocal interaction. Additionally, children participated in household consumption practices, particularly in relation to grocery shopping and their own consumer goods.

Food waste is a global phenomenon that affects many different areas, such as the economy and the environment. Households cause the most food waste in the whole food chain, and if we want to influence and reduce household’s food waste, it is very necessary to study it. A lot of research on household food waste has been done lately. According to activity theory, action always has a target or a goal that actor wants to achieve and actions are always determined by tools. In this study, I investigate what kind of activity the households are doing when trying to avoid food waste. I utilize activity theory and operating system that based on it. I investigate the causes of household food waste, means of reducing and how the operating system appears in the activities of household food waste planning. This study accomplished as a qualitative research. Target group was the people who are interested in reducing food waste. Material for this study was collected using a questionnaire interview with structured and open questions. The questionnaire was sent to the target group through the Facebook food waste group and 89 responses were collected in a short time. The material was analyzed using content analysis. The results of the causes of food waste and the means of reducing it were corresponding with previous research findings. Also in this study peoples own actions, as well as the influence of others contributed to food waste. Proper tools are important when reducing food waste. Proper tools were felt to be necessary, but those availability was mentioned sometimes difficult to get. Also learning and development was seen important when reducing food waste. Experimentalism and courage to try new were also mentioned as important. Many households had also developed their reduction in food waste beyond on their own households, and as well as to the food garbage.

The study examines the experiences of university students in busyness as part of everyday life and how the experience of busyness manifests itself as part of well-being. Previous studies have shown that busyness is positioned, on the one hand, as an experience of the adequacy of leisure time and, on the other, as the inadequacy of leisure time. Time-use surveys show that leisure time has increased in our society, but an increasing proportion of citizens feel themselves busier. The research literature on busyness often looks at people with gainful employment or the peak years of families with children, where students' experiences often take a back seat. This study participates in the discussion of busyness by studying students' experiences. The research data were collected through a semi-structured thematic interview. In January 2022, individual interviews were conducted remotely via the Zoom app. Eleven university students from the universities of Lapland, Oulu, Vaasa, Jyväskylä, Eastern Finland, and Helsinki participated in the interview. The data analysis was initially carried out through thematics, after which theory-driven content analysis was utilized. University students feel that busyness is both a negative and a positive phenomenon. Experiencing busyness as a negative is more common, which manifests itself as part of everyday life as experiencing stress, feeling inadequate, and a challenge to reconcile different schedules. Experiencing busyness as a positive is reflected in the way of thinking in which busyness is perceived to produce effective action. The amount of busyness experienced plays a significant role, as too much busyness appeared negatively. From the point of view of well-being, experiencing a busyness lowers mood and produces an irregular sleep rhythm. However, the students were aware of their resources and looked forward to the weekend as a counterbalance to everyday life. The findings align with the previous research literature that a culture that glorifies busyness is perceived to dominate. In conclusion, busyness was an integral part of the students' lives and perceived well-being.

Food waste is a global problem with both ecological and economic impacts. The purpose of this study is to explore the perspectives from which food waste content is themed in Kotiliesi magazines in 2000, 2010 and 2021. Throughout its history, Kotiliesi has provided its readers with food-related content and advice. In this study, Kotiliesi magazine is seen as a household food educator. The purpose of the study is to interpret what kind of food education habits can be identified in the background of the food waste content of Kotiliesi magazines. Research shows that a large proportion of food waste is generated in common households and it is therefore important to understand what kind of food waste-related content and food education practices can be found in the magazine available to all Finns. The data for this study consisted of annual issues of Kotiliesi magazines from 2000, 2010 and 2021. As not all magazines contained food waste related content, the data was finally limited to 25 magazines with a total of 30 articles. The data was analysed using theory-based content analysis. Based on the literature review, three different perspectives on the background of food waste reduction practices in the Kotiliesi magazines were identified. The economic perspectives dealt with the financial savings from food waste, the ecological perspectives on the environmental impact of food waste and the moral perspectives on the perceived legitimacy of food waste. Against the background of these food waste reduction practices, the literature review identified three different approaches to food education. The majority of the content on food waste in the Kotiliesi magazines was instructional in general, with an emphasis on 'eating right' and 'doing right'. There was also some food waste content written in a presumptive way, where the reader was assumed to have prior knowledge and skills on the subject, and the magazine used simple or superficial language. In addition to the advisory and presumptive style, a planning style was identified in the magazines with an emphasis on planning and preparedness, mostly related to food preparation practices and food preservation. The study provided new insights into the food waste-related content of Kotiliesi magazines from different decades and the underlying food education practices.

The Master´s Thesis examines home economics teachers´ experiences of home economics education during the exceptional circumstances caused by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) in spring 2020. The topic is important as the coronavirus pandemic continues, affecting and will affect home economics education. Previous research has shown that home economics is a civic subject that is constantly evolving as the world changes. Previous studies have also found that the management of competencies (such as consumer skills, cooking and home sanitation) included in the home economics subject supports people’s well-being in everyday life. The Thesis analyzes how home economics teachers experience the changes brought about by exceptional circumstances in their work when they switched to distance learning in schools. The material of the Thesis is part of the “Towards more sustainable home economics education 2020” survey, which was collected during the pandemic. The qualitative material consists of the answers of 99 home economics teachers to a two-part open-ended question: "Explain how your teaching changed in a state of exceptional circumstances caused by the coronavirus. Describe how the collaboration with students and their guardians has gone." Coding and thematic design were used in the analysis of the material. According to the home economics teachers who responded to the survey, challenges were posed by, for example, practicing the use of digital tools, inventing new teaching tasks, taking into account different family situations, and the fact that some students had difficulty getting in touch. Home economics teachers though welcomed, for example, the development of digital skills, student assessment and co-operation with students´ guardians. Home economics teachers experienced an increase in workload and working hours during exceptional circumstances, which had a detrimental effect on home economics teachers' resilience at work. The conclusion of the Thesis is that the resilience of home economics teachers must be supported, for example, by providing clear municipality- and school-specific instructions for the implementation of home economics education.

The aim of this study is to understand Home Economics teachers’ beliefs and how they affect teacher agency in education for sustainability. Education has a key role in building a sustainable future and Home Economics has been seen to correspond well with the multidisciplinary nature of sustainability. However, sustainability is a complex issue which students should be taught by encouraging reflection and critical thinking. Home Economics is connected to everyday life and transdisciplinary in nature, therefore it is argued that the themes of sustainability coincide with the subject matter of Home Economics. Previous studies have shown that Home Economics teachers have adopted sustainable practices into their personal lives and are motivated to educate students on sustainability, however the implementation of sustainability into their practice was partially hindered by lack of resources, incentives, and outsiders’ image of the discipline. The data, consisting of the semi-structured interviews of thirteen Finnish Home Economics teachers, was initially coded based on the model of agency achievement. Furthermore, the analysis was carried out using thematic analysis. Four main themes were discovered, involving teacher beliefs about the discipline of Home Economics, beliefs about teaching, beliefs about students and beliefs about sustainability. Results indicated that HE teachers were committed to the principles of sustainability and believed that their work as teachers had impact and meaning in creating a better future by promoting a sustainable lifestyle. However, beliefs, such as students being indifferent about sustainability and the lack of appreciation for Home Economics seemed to inhibit teacher agency. Sustainability was also believed to be a controversial topic, which meant teachers would change the way they spoke about certain subjects with students. Teachers also spoke about how long-standing beliefs and myths about Home Economics still interfere with their work. Additionally, the spaces in which HE was taught seemed to steer the contents of lessons and reinforce beliefs that cooking was the main focus of HE.

The aim of my thesis was to find out how the tray of the optional subjects was shaped in the upper secondary school and what things influenced to the process of making the tray of the optional subjects. The second aim of this thesis was to find out which reasons pupils had for choosing or not choosing home economics as an optional subject. Home economics is a subject that typically ends as a common subject in the spring of year 7. At the end of this the development of household skills at school is left to the optional home economics’ hands. The aim of this work is to help home economics teachers to find ways to motivate students to con-tinue studying home economics more often. My research questions in this thesis were: 1. How are the tray of optional subjects formed in the upper secondary school? 2. How do pupils justify their choices to choose or not to choose home economics as an optional subject in secondary school? For the first research question, I interviewed the headmaster of a school in southern Finland, who brought an education provider’s perspective to the topic. On the basis of head-master’s answers, I outlined the process of creating the tray of the optional subjects. To answer the second research question, I interviewed ten pupils from the same school. They had made elective choices in secondary school. I analysed the interview data using content analysis by making reduced expressions from the quotations and gathering different categories from them. Finally, I examined the differences between the responses of students who had chosen home economics and those who had chosen something else than home economics. The process of forming the tray of optional subjects was initiated by the need to make changes which were caused by the reform of the national curriculum. National curriculum, local policies, pupils’ interests and future competence needs guided the develop-ment process of optional subjects’ tray. Pupils’ choices of optional subjects were most influ-enced by their own interest in learning and their experience of subjects they liked. Differences between those who chose home economics and those who chose something else than home economics were found in how stressful or easy they found home economics lessons and how good they perceived their own home economics skills to be. Pupils wanted optional subjects to be relaxing and meaningful for themselves.