Browsing by master's degree program "Nyky-yhteiskunnan tutkimuksen maisteriohjelma"
Now showing items 41-56 of 56
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(2020)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.
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(2023)This study aims to map out how harm is socially represented in Facebook Watch videos with trigger warnings. In contemporary times, psychological terms have become increasingly popular in laypeople’s use. Although the transmission of scientific knowledge to common sense is not a new phenomenon, it has been expediated by the popularity of social media. Consequently, a new understanding of clinical terms, such as trauma and trigger warnings, are reflected in everyday practices, meaning making and communication between people. Historically, trauma was a physical injury, yet diagnostic manuals and shared understanding have shifted toward including psychological and emotional harm as bases of traumatic experiences. Likewise, trigger warnings have spilled from therapy to become a safeguarding practice in a variety of new settings. The thesis is situated primarily within Serge Moscovici’s social representations theory, which is well-geared to examine laypeople’s conceptualization of social phenomena and understand how scientific knowledge becomes a part of common-sense practices. The theory of concept creep by Nick Haslam, and clinical knowledge is applied as a secondary paradigm. The research question is: How is harm socially represented in Facebook Watch videos with trigger warnings? In total, 87 videos were collected from Facebook Watch service to assess how trigger warnings cue the risk of harm and how harmful content is understood. Videos were watched, evaluated, and analyzed through Braun and Clarke’s 6-phase reflexive thematic analysis. Further steps were taken to assess visual, sonic, and affective features to comprehend how the entirety of the content signified harm. As a result of the reflexive thematic analysis, the study identified four main themes for social representations of harm: Clinical reminders, Collision of values, Ambiguous entertainment value, and Collectively unsettling to the society. The results suggest that conceptualizing harm has moved from clinical understanding to subjective perceptions of trauma and harm. Social representations of harm were consistent with recent literature exemplifying the inflated harm concept. Harm was represented as ideas, opinions, values, theories, expressions, critiques, and images which go beyond graphic content. Although a large portion of the data (n=48) exemplified trigger warnings as a safeguarding practice based on clinical triggers or concerns for immature viewers, harm was occasionally portrayed as opposing value systems and polarization. Facebook Watch was found to constitute a powerful shared universe for social actors to create and share social representations of harm through videos, which are potentially affective, persuasive, and occasionally extreme. With the guidance of social representations theory and thematic analysis, the thesis demonstrates the practice of trigger warnings and how harm is socially represented in social media videos. The results indicate that further research efforts should focus on assessing and creating guidelines for safe and inclusive social media platforms for trauma and non-trauma background users. Current guidelines lack specificity and do not provide uniform recommendations for navigating harmful online content. Additionally, the study identifies the conceptualization of harm as a more inclusive and broad practice than outlined in clinical manuals, which ideally should be reflected in more comprehensive social media regulations to meet the users’ needs. Lastly, the study offers foundations and suggestions for further social psychological studies on harm through various methods.
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(2021)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.
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(2015)This master thesis critically examines the trajectory of the University of Helsinki's City Center Campus, focusing on the innovative "Think Corner" as a lens to understand the dynamic nature of modern universities. Drawing on the growth machine theory, which emphasizes the centrality of economic growth in urban landscapes, the study explores the strategic choices made by the University in response to contemporary challenges and opportunities. The first research question investigates the distinctive features of contemporary urban universities, revealing a resonance between the University of Helsinki's identified characteristics and the interests of growth machine actors shaping campus strategy. The deliberate centralization of research dissemination, open engagement, and sustainability efforts align with the multifaceted approach of modern urban universities, yet raises concerns about potential compromises to academic rigor in pursuit of broader accessibility. Addressing the second research question on how changes in urban life manifest in the University's campus strategy, the analysis highlights a dynamic interplay between the institution and growth machine dynamics. While the University's priorities align with economic interests in enhancing accessibility, fostering inclusivity, and contributing to societal well-being, questions arise regarding the potential compromise of autonomy and scholarly independence. The third research question focuses on the emergence of spaces like the Think Corner and their correlation with growth machine dynamics in the University's decision-making processes. The deliberate effort to create an open, collaborative space emphasizes the University's commitment to engaging diverse stakeholders, balancing accessibility with intellectual depth. However, concerns are raised about the potential oversimplification of complex research topics, potentially undermining the nuanced depth required for scholarly pursuits. In conclusion, the University's journey signifies a nuanced response to contemporary challenges, where the growth machine theory provides a valuable lens to comprehend the interplay of institutional strategies, economic considerations, and societal expectations. The author emphasizes the importance of a critical evaluation of choices made to ensure that growth and accessibility do not compromise the core values of academic integrity and intellectual depth. Ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships with local businesses and community organizations warrant scrutiny to maintain a delicate balance between societal relevance and academic rigor.
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(2019)The unity of the Realm is the political construction comprising of Denmark, Faroe Islands and Greenland. In 2013 the Danish Parliament decided to establish an annual debate dedicated entirely to the discussion of matters concerning the Danish Realm – a unique opportunity for politicians to gather and discuss the Realm in its entirety, not just Greenlandic or Faroese matters respectively. The analysed material consists of five parliamentary debates, one from each year from 2014 to 2018 since the establishment of the annual debate. This study looks at what topics were discussed during these debates and how the Danish Realm was understood and contested in different ways. The first part of the study covers the debates and the most occurring topics that arose from the material. Using critical discourse analysis, the second part analyses how the main concepts and terminology was used, how the politicians used language in different ways and how different aspects of the Danish Realm were framed. The findings show that similar topics occurred throughout the debates, and that there was no significant difference in what the parties deemed as important topics. The Danish Realm was discussed and framed in very different ways and it was evident that the concept of the Realm means very different things to all of its three members. These varying ideas of what the Realm is, and should be, were contested in the discussions. The proportionately large focus on the independence question and the Arctic, as well as the findings from the discourse analysis demonstrate that Denmark wishes to maintain the Realm as it is to be able to continue its role as an arctic actor, to which especially Greenlandic independence could possibly be a hindrance. The Faroese and Greenlandic politicians displayed discontent with the way the Realm is constructed today and pointed out the need for structural changes.
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(2023)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.
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(2024)This thesis is guided by the research question, how is policy to reduce homelessness influenced by the principles of the Housing First approach? The research explores how public policy is informed by the principles of Housing First nationally in the United States and Finland, and particularly in two cities, New York City and Helsinki. Housing First is an approach used both in Finland and the United States to reduce homelessness. The approach requires immediate housing once someone becomes homeless, without any preconditions and with the ability to choose supportive services. As defined in the Housing First Europe Guide, there are eight main principles of Housing First. The principles are housing is a human right, choice and control for service users, separation of housing and treatment, recovery orientation, harm reduction, active engagement without coercion, person-centered planning, and flexible support as long as is required. Research data is collected from national reports published in the United States and Finland during 2022-2023, supplemented by reports from New York City and Helsinki. The interest in examining Housing First in recent reports is to see if and how the principles are present and whether they have any influence on policy recommendations. Reports are supplemented by interviews with actors from different levels of governance and practice. Using Esping-Andresen’s welfare regime types as a theoretical framework, a thematic analysis is used to inquire into how the principles of Housing First are present in the data and what their application means for ending homelessness in each context. The analysis finds that Housing First principles are indeed present and their articulation is embedded within societal values, which align with the country’s welfare regime type. The discussion offers how this research can support the work being done to end homelessness, by presenting a perspective on the importance of societal value systems, and how by aligning these systems to Housing First principles, ending homelessness becomes possible. Conclusions are drawn on the research process and possibilities for future research are presented.
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(2023)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.
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(2021)This thesis aims to identify and compare the portrayals of femicide victims between mainstream and feminist sources in Mexican Context. Femicide is viewed in this thesis as linked with structural inequalities between women and men, as well as the patriarchal ideas, which come along with gendered violence, a mechanism that is reproduced in order to oppress women. This is significant to highlight the power struggles that arise from these dynamics. Furthermore, the purpose of this thesis is to point out the social problematic that arises from the first set of discourses (mainstream media) which draws upon hegemonic views of women’s morality. simultaneously I am looking for a comparison with counter portrayals that arise from progressive and challenging discourses within feminist media. Foucauldian discourse analysis is utilized with the attempt of unravelling this power struggle, to approach discourses and identify subject positions of femicide victims and perpetrators, and lastly, in order to determine cultural and historical shifts in the discourses. The research questions are: RQ1) How have the Mexican media constructed the image of femicide victims and femicide perpetrators during 2017-2020? RQ2) How have feminist actors portrayed the image of femicide victims and femicide perpetrators in Mexico during 2017-2020? and RQ3) What are the similarities or differences between the portrayals made by the media and feminist actors during this period (2017-2020)? In total 48 articles, collected from the online portal of the newspaper “Reforma”, and the feminist sources of Latfem.org and vocesfeministas.mx were analyzed. The range of publishing date comprises January 2017 - December 2020. As a result, this thesis identifies four different discourses within the mainstream newspapers coverage: Empty vessels, Noteworthy and salient members of society, Innocent victims of the circumstances, and Self-inflicted violence as a result of her own wrong choices. The identified subject positions for the victims are: one more number, unanimated object or body, the beautiful woman, empowered woman, respected woman, good woman, good mother, pure child, neglected kid, innocent child, the sex-worker, irresponsible woman, blameworthy and immoral. Also, three discourses are identified within the media with feminist scope: Femicides are a preventable and a broader social issue, The failures committed by the State, and Non- binary community, invisible femicides discourse. The identified subject positions available for the victims are: neglected woman, multiply marginalized, neglected by the State and revictimized victim, invisible woman and non-binary. The analysis showed that mainstream media did not take into account structural influences, which in turn were highlighted by feminist portrayals. Derived from the presented results, this study provides future directions to reporters in general, for them to understand their role in this issue. I enlist a series of recommendations, partly my conclusions and finalizing with Marzabal’s ideas (2015). I conclude that it is imperative to break with the hegemonic narratives and also with the competition between the different mainstream sources, who seek exclusivity and news value by exposing and utilizing the femicide victims in different manners, instead of informing objectively the population about femicide and its causes. This thesis contributes to critical social psychology and gender studies. It shows how the feminist discourses disrupt the historically continuous hegemony of mainstream discourses. It also makes a contribution to feminist studies of gendered violence, and portrayals of femicide victims in the feminist media.
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(2023)The self-organizing map (SOM) is a form of unsupervised neural network and a method for data analysis that allows reducing the dimensionality of data, exploring the variation and dependencies between variables and presenting their similarity relations. Being a powerful visualization instrument and having a strong disposition for clustering, the self-organizing map could be implemented to the analysis of survey data, particularly, collected with the questionnaires. This thesis provides a relevant example of dealing with the limited size mixed survey data set. The self-organizing map algorithm is implemented to analyze the data obtained from the faculty well-being project organized at the Faculty of Social Sciences in the University of Helsinki. The set of experiments utilize the self-organizing map algorithm to explore a possible clustering structure of the data and identify the profiles of the survey participants. Each of three experiments illustrates different variable encoding approaches for the sets of closed background and Likert scale questions. The largest number of the profiles was obtained from the final experiment. Four out of seven profiles represent clusters of the individuals with mainly neutral, negative or very negative experiences related to the well-being at the faculty. The data analysis experiments also illustrate the possible challenges of the SOM method implementation to survey data. The existence of categorical variables, the necessity of choosing a set of parameters for the SOM training and dealing with the missing values are discussed as main challenges of the SOM implementation to survey data analysis using the R package “kohonen”.
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(2023)This research concerns the well-being of the people associated with a startup company geographically located in and around Finland. It explored the ideal world of startups through ethnography and thematic analysis utilizing anthropological theories of value. Entrepreneurs are often portrayed as exemplary, self-driven citizens who contribute to society through innovations and economic growth. People with such a mindset of freedom and self-dependence formed the startup organization to bring the ideal world to life. However, they simultaneously relied on hierarchical and role-based relations to function as a coherent organization. Living in such contradictions, feelings of euphoria and vague emptiness roomed as the ideal world seemed to be within reach yet impossible to actually attain. In such a place, having anything that could truly be called well-being - if it means being one with the world they envision and attaining what they consider important - was difficult.
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(2021)The purpose of this study is to investigate how race and racism are understood in the policy documents called Equality Plans of the Finnish language-based Universities of Applied Sciences. The research questions are 1) what is said about racism and other related concepts in the Equality Plans, and 2) where and in relation to what are they acknowledged? Moreover, the study examines how whiteness and other values of Finnish society are reflected in the Equality Plans and what types of solutions higher educational institutions offer to racism. The analytical reading of the Equality Plans is informed by the theoretical framework that includes perspectives of critical whiteness, intersectional postcolonial feminism, Nordic exceptionalism to racism and colonialism, and feminist and education policy studies that discuss interpretations and practices of equality in educational institutions. The research material includes Equality Plans in eighteen Finnish language-based Universities of Applied Sciences in Finland. The analysis utilises the tools of the abductive content analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis in identifying the explicit and implicit meanings connected to race and racism. The results of the study indicate that the understanding of race in Finnish policy documents is vague, and the synonyms such as “ethnicity” are connected to ethnic and racialised minorities. The solutions for racism are abstract and appeal to the attitudes of the university community instead of challenging the structures that maintain and produce racism. According to this study, whiteness remains unrecognised and unquestioned in higher education institutions. Thus, resisting racism and promoting equality and justice requires a systematic and profound analysis of institutional whiteness in higher education structures and practices. The results align with the previous research on policy documents in Finnish education institutions, contributing to the discussion with Universities of Applied Sciences.
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(2022)Due to the ecological sustainability crisis threatening human and nonhuman life, a radical and rapid transformation of ecologically unsustainable societies, including the Finnish society, is needed. Under present circumstances, continuous growth of the Finnish economy is unlikely to be compatible with safe planetary boundaries. Despite this, Finnish governmental institutions still maintain a growth policy, postulating that economic growth is fundamental for Finnish well-being. Growth- centric conceptualisations of well-being are particularly prominent in work-related contexts which impacts how well-being is defined and operationalised in working life. In particular, Finnish working life institutions tend to overemphasise economic aspects of well-being while overlooking vital ecological dimensions of well-being. Consequently, it is important to promote alternative, ecologically sustainable visions of well-being and situate them in Finnish working life. Hence, it may be possible to support an ecological transformation of institutions and ideologies governing work in the Finnish society. This thesis draws on research on sustainable well-being and needs to advance an understanding of well- being as ecologically embedded, exploring underacknowledged intersections of work, well-being and nature. The empirical results illustrate ways in which ecological dimensions of well-being are experienced by workers as they navigate Finnish working life conditions in a time of ecological sustainability crisis. A variety of obstacles as well as possibilities for ecologically sustainable well-being are identified, spanning work practices, work purposes and the search for work. The findings are analysed with reference to conflicting paradigms: the human exemptionalism paradigm, which sees humans as separate from nature, and the relational paradigm, which sees humans as interconnected with nature and well-being as relational. In particular, relational well-being is conceptualised as consisting of needs in the dimensions of Having, Doing, Loving and Being. The findings show how ecological (un)sustainability affects the fulfillment of needs in working life and beyond, thereby challenging predominant ideas of “well-being through work”. Importantly, the findings indicate clear shifts in emphasis from material dimensions of well-being (Having) to well-being in the dimensions of Doing, Loving and Being. The thesis concludes that ecologically sustainable well-being, conceptualised in terms of ecologically embedded needs, ought to replace the purpose of economic growth in Finnish working life and society at large.
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(2024)Apotti is an electronic health record system (EHRs) used in the Uusimaa region of Finland. The system is based on structured records which aims to maximize the collection of big data, which is expected to bring long-awaited solutions for our health care system suffering from structural funding and efficiency issues. As such, Apotti reflects the paradigm of datafication, which means quantifying social reality into data to be later used in value-making purposes. However, the endeavors gaining benefits from big data might be problematic from the point of view of nursing, that is hard, if not impossible to quantify due to its multidimensional nature, which also operates beyond visible performance. For this reason, there is a tension between the datafication paradigm and nursing practice in a more data-driven health care system. In this thesis, I explore this tension by examining the experiences of Finnish nurses using the Apotti system. The material of this thesis consists of eight in-depth interviews of nurses using the Apotti system, collected during the year 2023. The analysis was done using theory-guided content analysis. As a theoretical framework, Hartmut Rosa’s theory of social acceleration is used. According to the theory of social acceleration, the essence of modernity is acceleration, consisting of technical acceleration, acceleration of social change and the acceleration of pace of life. Rosa’s theory suggests that accelerated life leads to an alienated relationship with the world, as modern subjects seek to do more in absolute numbers but end up doing qualitatively worse. Rosa also uses care work as an example of an alienated relationship: caretakers do not encounter the patient on a reciprocal basis anymore, but the patient is fragmented into discrete pieces of parameters on which the health care staff focuses on under constant pressures of being effective. Accelerated life, according to Rosa, roots back to the ethos of controllability which seeks to dominate the surrounding reality by technological and scientific processes. As such, for both datafication and controllability, value creation is linked to how successfully the surrounding reality becomes exploitable for humans. The analysis consists of three parts, starting with handling time scarcity in nursing practice. Datafication is linked to this in two ways: firstly, doing the EHRs is not a minor, but major work task in nursing practice. Secondly, as value and meaning assimilates with data, work that does not show in the data starts lacking crucial evidence of its existence, leading to an accelerating data mill with increased amount of mandatory data work. The second part of the analysis elucidates the “invisible” work of nurses not shown in the data. In this part, challenges related to the nature of structural records against the nursing practice are also scrutinized, as well as more profound problems related to data collection and uncritical use of data. In the third part of the analysis, the medication process in Apotti is examined. Even if the medication process in Apotti is rendered as rock solid as possible, by shifting the focus away from nurses own judgement to technological procedures that are never flawless and often very complex, new hazards to medication safety emerge. This thesis discusses how Apotti, being a technological solution for time scarcity in the health care sector, has not decreased time scarcity, but instead by changing the social reality of nurses has resulted into an opposite outcome with increasing demands raising from datafication. Nevertheless, nurses hold resistance to these demands by actively maintaining more holistic relationship with patients by focusing on the human behind the parameters representing a human and prioritizing patient care over data work. The main contribution of this thesis is showing the limits to quantitative data in representing and guiding nursing practice, which should be acknowledged when health care sector becomes more data-driven. As nursing is being quantified regardless of being a profession that seems hard if not impossible to define in quantitative manners, qualitative research is also needed to elucidate essential work that remains in the shadows of quantification.
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(2023)This research delves into the experiences of staff or volunteers and asylum seekers or refugees making relationships with each other in three locations, Finland, Ireland and Greece. Both of the former countries are understudied locations in this area, and offer different perspectives to areas experiencing larger-scale asylum applications or immigration such as Greece, which has been particularly well-studied since 2015. The focus on the relationships in and of themselves is a novel perspective. This ethnographic research utilises interviews and the author’s own observational experiences in addition to the Irish comparative case study. The thesis concentrates on the meaning of these interactions to individuals involved and how they managed these relationships in a context of social distance created by the social political conditions of their meeting. Key results include ambivalence in the research participants’ emotions resulting in a layered experience of their relationships, as well as the extremity of the context of their relationship-making, which my ethnographic fieldwork suggests contributed to the intensity of the relationships. I also suggest that making meaningful relationships is a way of creating forward motion in the lives of asylum seekers, and explore how different strategies are used by the research participants to overcome social distance. The study concludes that the particular context in which the research participants developed relationships made close bonds somewhat inevitable, illustrating the benefits of intimacy in this context. Using the concepts of biopower, boundary-making and bureaucratic violence, this study also illustrates how long arm of the state intervenes in intimate relations.
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(2023)In the last several decades, the abortion debate has grown increasingly controversial and polarized worldwide. The citizens’ initiative OwnWill2020, which aimed to update the Finnish Act on Induced Abortion, sparked the discussion in Finland as well. By examining abortion discourse in the Finnish parliament, this thesis aims to get a view of the meanings of abortion in Finland at this time of legislative change. The material consists of the speeches in the minutes of the referral debate on the citizens’ initiative OwnWill2020. These are analyzed by Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis framework. The thesis draws on concepts such as biopower and subject positions from Michel Foucault. These concepts, together with feminist and feminist Foucauldian theory on the politics of the body and reproductive rights, situate the debate on reproductive rights as a site of power and negotiation. The findings revealed three main abortion discourses: the self-determination discourse, the child’s rights discourse and the woman’s well-being discourse. The most significant difference in the discourses was their meanings of the embryo/fetus. Two of the discourses were built on biopower, while the third discourse criticized it. By ascribing subject positions to the pregnant person and the embryo/fetus, the three abortion discourses produce new norms of pregnancy and motherhood. The results of the thesis suggest that Finland’s position as a model country in gender equality is questionable, at least based on the utterances of Finnish Members of Parliament.
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