Suchergebnisse

Yli kahden vuosituhannen ajan "länsimaisiksi" kutsumiamme kansoja on vainonnut niiden oman sisimmän olemuksen haamu: niin ahnas ja riitaisa ihmisluonnon kuvatus, että ilman jonkinlaista hallintaa se alentaisi yhteiskunnan anarkian tilaan. Tätä kuritonta olentoa koskeva valtiotiede on enimmäkseen ilmennyt kahdessa vastakkaisessa ja keskenään vuorottelevassa muodossa. Valittavana on joko hierarkia tai tasa-arvo, monarkkinen auktoriteetti tai demokraattinen tasapaino: vallankäytön järjestelmä, joka (ihannetilanteessa) rajoittaa ihmisten luontaista itsekkyyttä ulkopuolisen voiman avulla; tai itseohjautuva järjestelmä, jossa vapaiden ja tasa-arvoisten voimien vastakkaisuuden kautta (ihannetilanteessa) niiden erityiset intressit sovitetaan yhteiseksi eduksi. Kyseessä on kokonaisvaltainen vallan metafysiikka, joka ylittää politiikan ulottuvuuden, sillä sama geneerinen alkuvoimaisen anarkian rakenne löytyy sekä maailmankaikkeuden että kaupungin järjestyksestä ja myös ihmisruumiin terveyden käsitteistä. Ratkaisu anarkiaan on joko hierarkia tai tasa-arvo. Väitän tämän olevan erityisesti länsimaista metafysiikkaa, koska siihen sisältyy luonnon ja kulttuurin vastakkaisuuden oletus, joka on erityisesti länsimainen. Päinvastoin kuin länsimaisessa ajattelussa, monien kansojen käsitysten mukaan eläimet ovat pohjimmiltaan inhimillisiä, sen sijaan että ihmiset olisivat pohjimmiltaan eläimellisiä – näillä kansoilla ei ole "luontoa," vielä vähemmän sellaista, joka pitäisi voittaa.

What family forms are recognised in established Nordic and welfare policies? Which family values and parental models should be given political priority in a multi-ethnical society? Would part-time leave be ideal from a gender equality perspective? These were some of the questions raised at the conference 'Parental Leave, Care Policies & Gender Equalities in the Nordic Countries' in Reykjavik on 22 October 2009. The conference was arranged by the Centre of Gender Equality in Iceland on behalf of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Security during the Icelandic presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Researchers presented their preliminary results, compared the differences between the Nordic countries and discussed how we reach the goal of a gender-equality, friendly welfare state with reconciliation between personal and professional life where we serve the needs of men, women and children. The report contains notes from the conference, speeches, workshop discussions and links to PowerPoint presentations.

Within many countries, the policies of disability and old age have been developing on distinct paths. Even though the prevalence of disability is higher in older populations, older persons tend to be excluded from disability discourses. Taking Finland's disability service legislation reform as an example, this article elaborates on the justifications for excluding or including older persons from disability policies. The paper analyses the public statements given in 2017 to a proposal that introduced an age-related restriction to disability services in order to understand how the restriction is argued for and against, and what kind of conceptualisations of old age and disability the statements portray. This study found that although equality is the most important principle underlying the reform, the conceptualisation of equality varies. Depending on who is included in the disability discourse, the idea of what is fair differs. Hence, it is necessary to recognise the differing understandings of equality in the debate regarding the age-related restriction. In addition, I argue that equality research can be helpful in assessing the fairness of public policies at the intersection of ageing and disability. ; peerReviewed

This chapter scrutinizes ways in which practices of citizenship are embedded and interwoven in local contexts and existing power relations. It draws from a participatory qualitative study conducted in two districts, Kiboga and Namutumba, in Uganda. The chapter discusses experiences and perceptions of gendered citizenship articulated by rural inhabitants, both women and men, who had previously participated in some activities of a Uganda gender-advocacy NGO, Action for Development (ACFODE). Our analysis has showed that Ugandan women, especially in rural communities, are struggling with discrepancies between entitlements granted in government legislation and social controls exercised in everyday life. Women's everyday experiences, habits and practices are rooted in the local context and the possibility of their active citizenship is locally contested through self and community exclusion. Nevertheless, localized women practices can reduce the gap between habits and status and create spaces for change in lived experiences. These changes might not represent radical transformations in gendered citizenship, but they do constitute a disruption and trigger incremental change in these habits. In conclusion, we argue that from the perspective of habits and lived experience, citizenship, in rural communities in Uganda, appears gendered, contested and contradictory, but nevertheless includes possibilities for reformulation of habits. ; peerReviewed

We document that existing gender equality indices do not account for gender-specific mandatory peace-time conscription (compulsory military service). This suggests that gender-specific conscription is not considered to be an important gender issue. If an indicator measuring the gender equality of mandatory conscription was to be included in gender equality indices with appropriate weight, then the relative rankings of countries in terms of measured gender equality could be affected. In the context of the Nordic countries, this would mean that Finland and Denmark – the countries with mandatory conscription for men only – would have worse scores with respect to gender equality compared to Sweden and Norway, countries with conscription for both men and women – and Iceland, which has no mandatory conscription, regardless of gender. ; peerReviewed

The Finnish educational system is well known for its excellent learning results, highly trained teachers and egalitarian values. However, when the political leanings of the government change, its policies are usually altered as well. In this policy report we give an account of the recent changes and current trends in Finnish education policy. We analyse the characteristics of the Sipilä Government's current education policy since 2015 and compare it to the Nordic welfare-state ideals of universalism, equality and social justice which have traditionally been the key building blocks of the Finnish education system. The Government's policy appears to be narrow-minded and ignorant of issues related to educational equality, stressing instead the importance of a flexible workforce and national competitiveness. We will reflect on the characteristics of Finnish education policy in light of the debate regarding academic capitalism and as part of an overarching trend of social inequality in Europe. ; peerReviewed

Abstract This study scrutinises sexist harassment and the construction of gender equality policy at the University of Oulu, one of the largest universities in Finland. Furthermore, the study addresses policies that are intended to prevent gender and sexual harassment, the implementation of such policies, and their practical outcomes. Universities are a place of knowledge (re-)production, but research suggests that sexist harassment at least occasionally bothers, and may even call into question, the central tasks of the academy—the creation and maintenance of knowledge. Acker's theory of gendered organisation is used to frame the analysis of the study on three levels: structures, resources and processes. Lukes's and Olsen's views regarding power are used to locate and make visible blind spots of gender equality work related to sexual harassment. Nussbaum's capabilities approach is used to strengthen the individual agency perspective. Additionally, intersectionality is considered in the analyses. The method of research is a case study. Detailed and intensive knowledge is produced by using various complementary data, analysis methods, vantage points and perspectives. The research contributes to the conceptual-theoretical discussion of the development of gender equality work at organisations. Based on this study, I argue that it would be reasonable to use the term sexist harassment when individual harassment experiences and organisational harassment incidences are discussed. Additionally, the concepts of sexism and sexist discrimination should be considered, especially when the ideology behind the harassment is addressed. Nussbaum's capabilities approach complements Acker's theory of gendered organisations in a meaningful manner by providing concrete gender equality indicators for organisations' gender equality work. ; Tiivistelmä Tutkimus tarkastelee seksististä häirintää ja sukupuolten tasa-arvopolitiikan rakentumista Oulun yliopistossa, joka on yksi suurimmista yliopistoista Suomessa. Lisäksi tutkimus paikantuu toimenpiteisiin jotka on tarkoitettu sukupuolisen ja seksuaalisen häirinnän ehkäisemiseen, näiden toimenpiteiden toimeenpanoon ja niiden käytännöllisiin seurauksiin. Yliopistot ovat tiedon tuottamisen paikkoja, mutta tutkimuksen mukaan seksistinen häirintä vähintäänkin tilanteisesti haittaa ja voi jopa kyseenalaistaa akatemian keskeisten tehtävien — uuden tiedon tuottamisen ja ylläpitämisen – toteuttamista. Ackerin sukupuolistuneiden organisaatioiden teoriaa käytetään analyysin kehikkona kolmella tasolla: rakenteet, resurssit ja prosessit. Lukesin ja Olsenin valtakäsitteitä käytetään paikantamaan ja tekemään näkyväksi tasa-arvotyön katvealueita, jotka liittyvät seksuaalisen häirinnän eliminoimiseen. Nussbaumin inhimillisten kyvykkyyksien lähestymistapaa käytetään vahvistamaan yksittäisen toimijan perspektiiviä. Lisäksi analyysissa otetaan huomioon intersektionaalisuus. Tutkimusmenetelmänä on tapaustutkimus. Yksityiskohtaista ja intensiivistä tietoa tuotetaan käyttämällä vaihtelevia ja toisiaan täydentäviä aineistoja, analyysimenetelmiä, näkökulmia ja perspektiivejä. Tutkimus osallistuu käsitteellis-teoreettiseen keskusteluun sukupuolten tasa-arvotyön kehittämisestä organisaatiossa. Tutkimukseen perustuen esitän, että olisi perusteltua ottaa käyttöön käsite seksistinen häirintä, kun häirintää tarkastellaan häirittyjen näkökulmasta kokemuksen tasolla, ja käyttää käsitteitä seksismi ja seksistinen diskriminaatio viitattaessa häirinnän taustalla vaikuttavaan ideologiaan ja häiritsijän teon luonteeseen. Nussbaumin inhimillisten kyvykkyyksien lähestymistapa täydentää mielekkäällä tavalla Ackerin sukupuolistuneiden organisaatioiden teoriaa, koska se tarjoaa konkreettisia indikaattoreita organisaatioille niiden työssä tasa-arvon edistämiseksi.

In Finland, becoming a mother is often constructed as an individual choice that ultimately leads to personal fulfilment and happiness, despite the occasional 'negative' feelings associated with motherhood such as exhaustion, frustration and tiredness. In this cultural atmosphere, maternal regret continues to be a subject that is hidden, forbidden and rarely scrutinised. It is perhaps surprising that in one of the world's most gender egalitarian countries, which is also perceived to be one of the best countries in which to be a mother, women still testify that motherhood is limited to survival. We argue that, somewhat paradoxically, discussing the negative emotions of motherhood might be particularly difficult in a relatively gender egalitarian society, where family policies are (by international comparison) fairly comprehensive and where becoming a mother is strongly constructed as a 'free choice'. These discourses often hide the fact that parenthood in Finland is still extremely gendered. Finland's masculine work culture with long working hours, the tendency for mothers and fathers not to take equal parental leave periods, and the cuts to welfare state services for families all contribute to the gendered division of parenthood. What are rarely discussed in connection with the struggles of mothering are political demands to improve gender equality. This chapter analyses discussion of maternal regret on an anonymous Finnish online discussion board. In comments from regretful mothers, motherhood is constructed as all-consuming, draining work. Hiding regret, especially from children, is seen as essential, as these mothers fear that their lack of 'correct' feelings will have adverse effects on their children. In comments responding to these regretful mothers, disbelief is a recurring theme with commenters suggesting that regretful mothers have misrecognised self-inflicted exhaustion or postnatal depression as regret. Such individualising responses depoliticise regret, contributing to the maintenance of taboos around ...

Early childhood education's role in increasing equality in society has been highlighted by international organizations. However, it is unclear what is meant by the concept of equality in different situations, as the meaning fluctuates and reflects the cultural political contexts in which it is embedded. In this paper, we analyse the equality discourses of local early childhood education and care (ECEC) policymakers in Finland, drawing on different conceptualizations of equality and social justice. In doing so, we show that the way in which equality is conceptualized differs – along with the suggested remedies – depending on whether the subjects of equality are adults, children at the border of an institutional setting, or children within the ECEC institution. ; peerReviewed

Cover -- ARVO PÄRT Sounding the Sacred -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- I. INTRODUCTION -- 1. Arvo Pärt and the Art of Embodiment -- 2. The Sound-and Hearing-of Arvo Pärt -- II. HISTORY AND CONTEXT -- 3. Sounding Structure, Structured Sound -- 4. Colorful Dreams: Exploring Pärt's Soviet Film Music -- 5. Arvo Pärt's Tintinnabuli and the 1970s Soviet Underground -- III. PERFORMANCE -- 6. The Pärt Sound -- 7. The Rest Is Silence -- IV. MATERIALITY AND PHENOMENOLOGY -- 8. Vibrating, and Silent: Listening to the Material Acoustics of Tintinnabulation -- 9. Medieval Pärt -- 10. The Piano and the Performing Body in the Music of Arvo Pärt: Phenomenological Perspectives -- V. THEOLOGY -- 11. Presence, Absence, and the Ambiguities of Ambiance: Theological Discourse and the Move to Sound in Pärt Studies -- 12. The Materiality of Sound and the Theology of the Incarnation in the Music of Arvo Pärt -- 13. Christian Liturgical Chant and the Musical Reorientation of Arvo Pärt -- 14. In the Beginning There Was Sound: Hearing, Tintinnabuli, and Musical Meaning in Sufism -- LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS -- INDEX OF TERMS -- INDEX OF PERSONS -- WORKS BY OTHER COMPOSERS -- WORKS BY ARVO PÄRT.