Monologeista dialogiksi : Keskustelua koulusta käytävien ohipuhumisten muuttamisesta neuvotteluksi sosiaalisen konstruktionismin hengessä.

From monologues to dialogue. A discussion about changing the fragmented character of the debate concerning schools to one of negotiation, in the spirit of social constructionism. The starting point for the study is the assumption that the interested parties concerning schools such as teachers, students, public servants within school administration or politics construct the idea of the school in disparate ways. It looks as if the representatives of the various interested parties perceive the school in distinctive ways or with particular emphases. Additionally, there are not many discussion forums where these different interested parties have an equal right to speak and be heard. It seems that the lack of dialogue characterizes the debate about school. At the centre of the study are negotiations concerning schools, and the conditions that promote changing the fragmented character of this school debate in a more promising and collectively responsible process of negotiation. The aims of the study are to find both an empirical and theoretical basis for more equal ways to negotiate about school, and to increase cultural self reflection. Social constructionism plays a key role in aspiring to meet these research aims. The research questions are (1) How do the informants of the study construct the idea of school in their texts, and (2) What kind of prospects does social constructionism bring to the negotiations about school. The research informants construct the idea of school in their texts in several ways. To sum up: school is constructed as a place for learning, a place for building the future, a place where ethical education is lived out, a place for social education and Bildung, and a place where the students well-being is ensured. The previously presented assumption that the interested parties of a school construct the idea of a school in disparate ways or with various emphases seems to have support in the informants texts. Based on that, a condition can be put forward: different perspectives should have an equal opportunity to be heard in negotiations about school. It would also be helpful if there was a chance for different perspectives to be documented and/or in some way, visualized. This ensures that different constructions of school are within reach of all the participants. Additionally, while making the process of negotiation transparent, this documentation becomes an important medium for self reflection. On one hand it visualizes the complexity of the school. On the other hand it protects the school and education from serving as the spokesman of any single truth that is presented as objective or universal. Social constructionism seems to offer a stable theoretical basis for changing the fragmented character of the school debate in one of negotiation. More equal and collectively responsible school negotiation presumes that certain aspects or conditions drawn from postmodernism and social constructionism have been studied. In the study, six conditions are presented that can be seen as mediums for changing the fragmented character of the school debate into one of more equal negotiation. Keywords: social constructionism, Kenneth J. Gergen, school negotiation, education policy, dialogue.

Looking-Glass Reflections : Norms in translating Lewis Carroll

This thesis in the field of translation studies focusses on the role of norms in the work of a literary translator. Norms are seen as guidelines for the translator; they also reflect the way the target audience either accepts or rejects the translation. Thus they are of an intersubjective nature. The theoretical background of the study is based on the views on norms of Andrew Chesterman and Gideon Toury. The writer makes use of her own editing and publishing experience, as well as her experience in translating Lewis Carroll, considering these in respect to theoretical views of norms and vice versa. The aim is also to bring to light some of the tacit knowledge related to translating, editing and publishing in Finland. The study has three angles. First, the writer introduces the norms of Finnish literary translation as gathered from her own working experience. The sources from which these norms arise and which affect them are briefly described. Six central translation norms emerge; they are described and exemplified through cases of Carroll translation. Secondly, a small-scale questionnaire study is presented. This was carried out in order to sound the normative views of other translators and to limit the role of subjectivity. The views of the informants largely support the set of norms presented by the writer, although the norms of quotability and harmony between translation and illustration do not arise. Instead, the answers give rise to a seventh, ethical norm, which is labelled the norm of integrity. Thirdly, there is a brief presentation of Lewis Carroll, his Alice books and their translation history in Finland. The retranslation hypothesis and the motives of retranslation are considered in the light of the work of Outi Paloposki and Kaisa Koskinen. The final part of the thesis plunges into actual translation work. It includes one and a half chapters of Through the Looking-Glass (Alicen seikkailut peilintakamaassa) as translated into Finnish by the writer. The translation commentary first discusses a number of recurring and general translation points; the running commentary then analyses 77 individual translation solutions and their justifications. The writer uses introspection as a way of reflecting on her own translation process, its decisive points and the role of norms therein. Keywords: Translation studies, Carroll, norms

Tietokone ikäihmisen arjessa

The aged people in the target group of my study belong to generation, which has experienced the shift from agricultural society via industrial society up to the society which has been described as information society. They have grown up concurrently with the technological development, but during the recent years the technological development has accelerated. One can say that the older the target study group has come the more information technological skills they need to possess to be equal actors in our society. However, especially in case of aged people the learning and maintaining of skills in information technology has mainly been left dependent on their personal motivation. The purpose of this report is to study the use of computers in the life of the aged people. The report studies the will and ability of the aged people to learn the skill of using computers, and the new possibilities which this brings into their lives. The study questions are the following: 1) Why the aged people start to use computers? 2) How the aged people benefit information technology in their own life? 3) How computers have extended the environment of the aged people? 4) What kind of problems the aged people have experienced in use of computers? The research material consists of group interviews and individual interviews (total of 23 people). The interview material has been collected among the participants on information technology courses of the Senior University of Helsinki University during years 2004-2005. The research method used is theme interviewing. In addition, the material of opinions about information technology of people born in decades of 1920 and 1930, gathered as part of the Ikihyvä Päijät-Häme 2002 -research has been used. On basis of this research one can say that the aged people do have motivation to study the use of computers, although many interviewees commented that they also have met problems in use of computers. The motivation has grown also because the fear that without the skills to use computers they could drift into outsiders of the society, whereas instead as skilled computer users they felt to be equal citizens compared with the younger age groups, and that they can maintain their independence and autonomy. Especially, the independent use of banking routines over the Internet and use of emails seem to give them a position as modern actors. Many interview statements also underline that computers will bring both joy and benefit to the users. Studying the use of computers is a new and interesting hobby, which can fill the hole left in the life after leaving the working life. Using skills of text processing and processing of pictures one can, for example, record the traditional knowledge of the family and ancestry to the younger generations, and write articles or even books on the professional area of ones own. Single people emphasize that computers can even act as companionship substitutes. One can use Internet for virtual traveling, which provides a new dimension in use of computers. Internet can also be used to maintain family relationships, especially between grandparents and remote grandchildren. Typical problems in use of computers appeared to be that reaching the right professional helpdesk advisers of the service providers is difficult and requires lots of time and patience. However, the interviewees were not willing to give up their computers, because they had already used to these. Keywords: digital divide, aging, Internet, usability, motivation, information technology, information society.

Does the age of fine root carbon indicate the age of fine roots in boreal forests?

To test the reliability of the radiocarbon method for determining root age, we analyzed fine roots (originating from the years 1985 to 1993) from ingrowth cores with known maximum root age (1 to 6 years old). For this purpose, three Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands were selected from boreal forests in Finland. We analyzed root 14C age by the radiocarbon method and compared it with the above-mentioned known maximum fine root age. In general, ages determined by the two methods (root 14C age and ingrowth core root maximum age) were in agreement with each other for roots of small diameter (<0.5mm). By contrast, in most of the samples of fine roots of larger diameter (1.5-2mm), the 14C age of root samples of 1987-89 exceeded the ingrowth core root maximum age by 1-10 years. This shows that these roots had received a large amount of older stored carbon from unknown sources in addition to atmospheric CO2 directly from photosynthesis. We conclude that the 14C signature of fine roots, especially those of larger diameter, may not always be indicative of root age, and that further studies are needed concerning the extent of possible root uptake of older carbon and its residence time in roots. Keywords: fine root age, Pinus sylvestris, radiocarbon, root carbon, ingrowth cores, tree ring

The many ways to delimit species: hairs, genes and surface chemistry

Species identification forms the basis for understanding the diversity of the living world, but it is also a prerequisite for understanding many evolutionary patterns and processes. The most promising approach for correctly delimiting and identifying species is to integrate many types of information in the same study. Our aim was to test how cuticular hydro- carbons, traditional morphometrics, genetic polymorphisms in nuclear markers (allozymes and DNA microsatellites) and DNA barcoding (partial mitochondrial COI gene) perform in delimiting species. As an example, we used two closely related Formica ants, F. fusca and F. lemani, sampled from a sympatric population in the northern part of their distribu- tion. Morphological characters vary and overlap in different parts of their distribution areas, but cuticular hydrocarbons include a strong taxonomic signal and our aim is to test the degree to which morphological and genetic data correspond to the chemical data. In the morphological analysis, species were best separated by the combined number of hairs on pro- notum and mesonotum, but individual workers overlapped in hair numbers, as previously noted by several authors. Nests of the two species were separated but not clustered according to species in a Principal Component Analysis made on nuclear genetic data. However, model-based Bayesian clustering resulted in perfect separation of the species and gave no indication of hybridization. Furthermore, F. lemani and F. fusca did not share any mitochondrial haplotypes, and the species were perfectly separated in a phylogenetic tree. We conclude that F. fusca and F. lemani are valid species that can be separated in our study area relatively well with all methods employed. However, the unusually small genetic differen- tiation in nuclear markers (FST = 0.12) shows that they are closely related, and occasional hybridization between F. fusca and F. lemani cannot be ruled out.

Iltapäivä kerhossa - vapaa-aikaa vai suoritusta?

Peruskoulun ensimmäisen ja toisen luokan oppilaat ovat opintiensä alussa mutta vielä lähellä varhaislapsuuden leikin ja vapauden maailmaa. Vuodesta 2004 alkaen heillä on ollut lakisääteinen oikeus osallistua koulunjälkeiseen aamu- tai iltapäiväkerhoon. Läksyjenteon, välipalan ja askartelun tai muun ohjatun harrastusmuodon lisäksi kerhossa on mahdollisuus myös vapaaseen leikkiin ja toimintaan. Iltapäiväkerhot ovat niin vanhempien kuin lasten suosima vapaa-ajanviettotapa, jonka valitsevat lähes kaikki 1.-luokkalaisten ja osa 2.-luokkalaisten lasten vanhemmista, vanhempien mukaan erityisesti turvallisuussyistä. Tämän laadullisen, lapsuuden sosiologiaan ja yleiseen sosiologiaan kiinnittyvän, mutta myös kasvatustieteestä ja filosofiasta aihetta lähestyvän pro gradu -työn tavoitteena on tarkastella lasten hyvinvointia ja iltapäiväkerhon kasvatusvuorovaikutusta autonomian, toimijuuden ja sosiaalisuuden näkökulmasta. Aineistoanalyysin selektiivisessä vaiheessa ydinkategorioiksi nousivat auktoriteetin laatu ja valvonnan määrä. Tutkielman empiirinen aineisto koostuu tutkimuskohteeksi satunnaisesti valitun, suuren eteläsuomalaisen kunnan koulun tiloissa järjestetyn iltapäiväkerhon etnografisesta havainnoinnista, 14 lapsen parihaastatteluista ja kymmenelle vanhemmalle lomakkeella esitetyistä kysymyksistä. Analyysimenetelmänä on etnografia ja grounded theoryna tunnettu metodi. Tutkielman perusteella henkilökunnan pedagogisen auktoriteetin laatu ja kasvatusote kuvastavat kasvatuskulttuurien ja lapsuudesta käytävän määrittelyn murrosta, samoin kuin kerhon asemaa koulun ja vapaa-ajan välimaastossa. Vuorovaikutuksessa auktoriteetin laatu näyttäytyy enemmän autoritäärisena kuin neuvottelevana ja osallistavana, mutta on sekoitus molempia. Lasten autonomisuus ja osallisuus toteutuvat aineiston valossa puutteellisesti. Myös lasten käsitys ja tieto oikeuksistaan tuoda esiin mielipiteensä on epävarmaa. Jatkuva valvonta ja toiminnan muutokset edellyttävät lapsilta herkeämätöntä reagointi- ja muutosvalmiutta, mikä ei vastaa iltapäiväkerhoille asetettujen toiminnan perusteiden mukaista rentoutumisen, virkistyksen tai levon toteutumista. Toisaalta vertaissuhteilla on suuri rooli lasten voimavarana tiukan aikuisjohtoisessa toimintaympäristössä. Toimijuutta ilmentävä, vaikeasti havaittava ja monia muotoja saava lasten keskinäinen vertaiskulttuuri toimii yhdistävänä siteenä lasten välillä ja vahvistaa heidän keskinäistä sosiaalisuuttaan ja yhteenkuuluvuuttaan. Samalla se korostaa lasten ja aikuisten suhteen hierarkkisuutta ja vastakkaisuutta yhteistoiminnan sijaan. Tutkielma jättää avoimeksi kysymyksen auktoriteetin laadun ja valvonnan määrän vaikutuksesta iltapäiväkerholapsiin ja heidän myöhempään kasvuunsa itseensä luottaviksi, autonomisiksi kansalaisiksi nopeasti muuttuvassa maailmassa. Jatkuvan konfliktin uhan alainen ilmapiiri ei edesauta luottamuksellisen ilmapiirin syntymistä. Kasvatusinstituutiossa välttämätön auktoriteetti voi olla monenlaista, autonomiaa ja luottamusta edistävää, yksipuolista kurikasvatusta tai epäröivä sekoitus molempia. Sen laadulla ja määrällä on merkitystä iltapäiväkerholasten hyvinvoinnin kannalta. Koulun jälkeisessä iltapäivässä lasten vapaan toiminnan, levon ja liikunnan mahdollisuuksiin, riittäviin ja tarkoituksenmukaisiin toimintatiloihin ja ohjaajien kasvatusvalmiuksiin tulee tämän tutkielman valossa myös kiinnittää nykyistä enemmän huomiota. Avainsanat – Nyckelord – Keywords Lapsuus, hyvinvointi, joustava kasvatus, kasvatuskulttuurien murros, vertaiskulttuuri, vuorovaikutus, auktoriteetin laatu, valvonta

Uutta, vanhaa ja lainattua : Tampereen Kaupunkilähetyksen kristillissosiaalisen työn asemoituminen hyvinvointivaltion rakentumisessa vuosina 1939−1973

The main purpose of this study was to provide a full account of the Christian social work carried out at the Tampere City Mission (TCM) as well as the Missions sphere of operations from the Second World War to the early 1970s, comprising a period of significant change. The study consists of charting the processes of change and connections within the activities of the TCM and how examining these were linked to the general tendencies of the period, in lay work, social work, professionalization and the representation of gender. The positioning of the activities is described on the basis of these tendencies. The main sources for the study were the archives of the Mission, for example the minutes of meetings, correspondences as well as annual reports, and the archives of its partners, such as the City of Tampere, the Evangelical Lutheran parishes of Tampere and the State Welfare Administration. The archives of the Helsinki, Turku and Stockholm Missions supplied comparison reference and other material. In particular, social welfare and Christian social work technical journals of were used as printed sources. The principal method used was the genetic method of historiology. The research subject was also evaluated from the point of view of third sector research in addition to that of professionalization studies and gender studies. By the beginning of the research period, the TCM had turned more and more dedicatedly into a multipurpose social service organization maintaining social services such as old people s homes and children´s homes. This development continued, even though new areas of activity emerged and older ones fell into disuse. Social innovations sprang up, marriage counseling being one of them. On the national level, the TCM pioneered the provision of sheltered industrial work for intellectually disabled persons as well as housing services for them. As new activities were initiated, they overlapped with the established ones, and the TCM handed some of its child protection functions over to the municipality, in accordance with the current adaptation theory. The use of its own property to produce ever-changing social services may be the reason why the association s work continued on with vitality. Functional networks and political aid in the field of social services also bolstered the association. As in other Nordic countries, nonprofit organizations served as partners rather than competitors, with the State establishing institutional welfare arrangements. In the 1960s the municipal takeover of social services impacted the TCM activities. Rules for government subsidies and municipal allowances were not well established; hence these funds were not easily available, making improvements difficult. The TCM was a community in which women had a relatively strong position and an opportunity to make a difference. Female staff were reasonably equal to men, and women worked as heads of a several institutions. Care work employed a number of men, which went against the traditional segregation of labour between the sexes. The TCM s operations were from early on very professionalized, and were developed with particular care. Keywords: Christian social work, third sector, professionalization, gender

Water Management in Cambodia Resources and Relations

In Cambodia, water has a special purpose as a source of life and livelihoods. Along with agriculture, fishing and forest use, industry, hydropower, navigation and tourism compete for the water resources. When rights and responsibilities related to essential and movable water are unclear, conflicts emerge easily. Therefore, water management is needed in order to plan and control the use of water resources. The international context is characterized by the Mekong River that flows through six countries. All of the countries by the river have very different roles and interests already depending on their geographical location. At the same time, water is also a tool for cooperation and peace. Locally, the water resources and related livelihoods create base for well-being, for economical and human resources in particular. They in turn are essential for the local people to participate and defend their rights to water use. They also help to construct the resource base of the state administration. Cambodia is highly dependent on the Mekong River. However, Cambodia has a volatile history whose effects can be seen for example in population structure, once suspended public institutions and weakened trust in the society. Relatively stable conditions came to the country as late as in the 1990s, therefore Cambodia for example has a weak status within the Mekong countries. This Master s thesis forms international, national and local interest groups of water use and analyzes their power relations and resources to affect water management. The state is seen as the salient actor as it has the formal responsibility of the water resources and of the coordination between the actions of different levels. In terms of water use this study focuses on production, in management on planning and in power relations on the resources. Water resources of Cambodia are seen consisting of the Mekong River and Tonle Sap Lake and the time span of the study is between the years 1991 and 2006. The material consists of semi-structured interviews collected during summer 2006 in Finland and in Cambodia as well as of literature and earlier studies. The results of the study show that the central state has difficulties to coordinate the actions of different actors because of its resource deficit and internal conflicts. The lessons of history and the vested interests of the actors of the state make it difficult to plan and to strengthen legislation. It seems that the most needed resources at the central state level are intangible as at the village level instead, the tangible resources (fulfilling the basic needs) are primarily important. The local decision-making bodies, NGOs and private sector mainly require legislation and legitimacy to support their role. However, the civil society and the international supporters are active and there are possibilities for new cooperation networks. Keywords: Water management, resources, participation, Cambodia, Mekong

"Se luulo on aina paljon vaikeempaa kuin se tieto”: kokemuksia perinnöllisen sydänsairauden riskistä

Tiivistelmä – Referat – Abstract Tausta: Perinnöllisyystutkimuksen kehittymisen on katsottu johtavan siihen, että tulevaisuudessa perimää koskevalla riski-informaatiolla saattaisi olla keskeinen rooli terveydenhuollossa. Perimää koskeva riski-informaatio perustuu todennäköisyyksiin ja sen avulla saattaa olla mahdollista ennustaa tulevaa terveydentilaa ympäristöön ja käyttäytymiseen liittyvät tekijät huomioiden. Riski-informaatio voi mahdollistaa yksilöllisten terveyskäyttäytymisen muutokseen tähtäävien interventioiden räätälöimisen. Tutkimuksen kontekstissa on keskusteltu siitä, tulisiko yllättävistä, perinnölliseen riskiin viittaavista löydöksistä kertoa tutkittaville. Kertominen saattaa parhaassa tapauksessa pelastaa ihmishenkiä, mutta myös aiheuttaa huolta yksilölle ja tämän lähipiirille. Metodit ja tutkimuskysymykset: Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan 2000-luvun alkupuolella Suomessa tehtyyn laajaan terveystutkimukseen osallistuneiden kokemuksia tutkimusprosessista, jonka yhteydessä heille kerrottiin terveystutkimuksen yhteydessä havaitusta, perinnölliseen rytmihäiriöalttiuteen (pitkä QT-aika -oireyhtymä) viittaavasta geenimuutoksesta. Metodologisena lähestymistapana käytetty tulkitseva fenomenologinen analyysi (IPA) on fenomenologiaan, hermeneutiikkaan ja idiografiaan pohjaava laadullinen lähestymistapa yksilön kokemusmaailman tutkimiseen. Tutkittavien kokemusmaailman kuvauksen ja tulkinnan kautta on etsitty vastausta seuraaviin kysymyksiin: 1) Miten haastateltavat kokivat tilanteen, jossa heille kerrottiin pitkä QT-aika -oireyhtymään viittaavasta löydöksestä? 2) Millaisia kokemuksia haastateltavilla on kertomista seuranneesta ajanjaksosta ja toimenpiteistä? 3) Millaisia näkemyksiä haastateltavilla on siitä, miten perinnöllisiin sairauksiin viittaavista löydöksistä kerrottaessa tulisi toimia? Tulokset ja johtopäätökset: Haastateltavien sisäistä ja välistä kokemusmaailmaa leimaa ristiriitaisuus kaikissa aineistosta esiin nousevassa neljässä kattoteemassa: 1) ristiriitaiset kokemukset pitkä QT-aika tutkimusprosessista, 2) perimästä kertominen kontekstuaalisena kysymyksenä, 3) perimää koskevan tiedonkäsittelyn kompleksisuus ja 4) autonomia. Ristiriitaiset kokemukset pitkä QT-aika -tutkimusprosessista kertovat siitä, että vaikka valtaosa tutkittavista on tyytyväisiä tutkimusprosessiin ja kiitollinen sen kautta saadusta riski-informaatiosta, tutkimusprosessin kulkuun liittyvät seikat synnyttävät ristiriitoja yksilöiden sisäisessä kokemusmaailmassa. Sisäistä ristiriitaa kokeneet toivovat mahdollisuutta jatkoseurantaan ja lisäinformaation saamiseen esimerkiksi asiantuntijakontaktien ja perinnöllisyysneuvonnan muodossa. Epävarmaan geenitestin tuloksen odotusaikaan verrattuna geenitestin tuloksen saaminen ja perimää koskevan informaation henkilökohtaisen merkityksen ymmärtäminen vähentää huolta, mahdollistaa minäkäsitykseen kohdistuvan uhan työstämisen ja hallinnan tunteen palauttamisen, ja sen koetaan tukevan elämäntapoihin ja elämänsuunnitteluun liittyvissä valinnoissa. Kaikki haastateltavat kannattavat perimästä kertomista kontekstuaalisena kysymyksenä, johon ei ole yksiselitteistä vastausta. Kysymys siitä, miten perimästä kerrotaan, näyttää tämän tutkimuksen pohjalta olevan keskeisempi, kuin kysymys siitä, pitäisikö perimästä kertoa. Perimää koskeva tiedonkäsittelyn kompleksisuus viittaa siihen, että todennäköisyyksiin perustuvan riski-informaation käsittely on haastavaa. Autonomia ja siihen liittyvä puhe hallinnasta nousevat esiin eri konteksteissa. Sairauden perinnöllisyyden vuoksi autonomia koetaan toisinaan rajallisena, ja omat vaikutusmahdollisuudet tulevaan terveydentilaan toisaalta tunnustetaan ja toisaalta kyseenalaistetaan. Avainsanat – Nyckelord – Keywords biopankkitutkimus, riski-informaatio, perimästä kertominen, tiedonkäsittely, autonomia

Dokumentation och beskrivning som språkplanering : perspektiv från arbete med tre tecknade minoritetsspråk

Language Documentation and Description as Language Planning Working with Three Signed Minority Languages Sign languages are minority languages that typically have a low status in society. Language planning has traditionally been controlled from outside the sign-language community. Even though signed languages lack a written form, dictionaries have played an important role in language description and as tools in foreign language learning. The background to the present study on sign language documentation and description as language planning is empirical research in three dictionary projects in Finland-Swedish Sign Language, Albanian Sign Language, and Kosovar Sign Language. The study consists of an introductory article and five detailed studies which address language planning from different perspectives. The theoretical basis of the study is sociocultural linguistics. The research methods used were participant observation, interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis. The primary research questions are the following: (1) What is the role of dictionary and lexicographic work in language planning, in research on undocumented signed language, and in relation to the language community as such? (2) What factors are particular challenges in the documentation of a sign language and should therefore be given special attention during lexicographic work? (3) Is a conventional dictionary a valid tool for describing an undocumented sign language? The results indicate that lexicographic work has a central part to play in language documentation, both as part of basic research on undocumented sign languages and for status planning. Existing dictionary work has contributed new knowledge about the languages and the language communities. The lexicographic work adds to the linguistic advocacy work done by the community itself with the aim of vitalizing the language, empowering the community, receiving governmental recognition for the language, and improving the linguistic (human) rights of the language users. The history of signed languages as low status languages has consequences for language planning and lexicography. One challenge that the study discusses is the relationship between the sign-language community and the hearing sign linguist. In order to make it possible for the community itself to take the lead in a language planning process, raising linguistic awareness within the community is crucial. The results give rise to questions of whether lexicographic work is of more importance for status planning than for corpus planning. A conventional dictionary as a tool for describing an undocumented sign language is criticised. The study discusses differences between signed and spoken/written languages that are challenging for lexicographic presentations. Alternative electronic lexicographic approaches including both lexicon and grammar are also discussed. Keywords: sign language, Finland-Swedish Sign Language, Albanian Sign Language, Kosovar Sign Language, language documentation and description, language planning, lexicography

Young Actors in Transnational Agoras : Multi-sited Ethnography of Cosmopolitan Micropolitical Orientations

This study examines young people s political participation in transnational meetings. Methodologically the study aims to shed light on multi-sited global ethnography. Young people are viewed here as a social age group sensitive to critical, alternative and even radical political participation. The diversity of the young actors and their actions is captured by using several different methods. What is more, the study spurs us coming from the Global North to develop social science research towards methodological cosmopolitanism and to consider our research practices from a moral cosmopolitan perspective. The research sites are the EU Presidency Youth Event (2006 Hyvinkää, Finland), the Global Young Greens Founding Conference (2007 Nairobi, Kenya), the European Social Forum (2008 Malmö, Sweden) and three World Social Forums (2006 Bamako, Mali; 2007 Nairobi Kenya and 2009 Belém, Brazil). The data consists of participant observation, documents and media articles of the meetings, interviews, photos, video, and internet data. This multidisciplinary study combines youth research, development studies, performative social science and political sociology. In this research the diverse field of youth political participation in transnational agoras is studied by using a cross-table of cosmopolitan resources (or the lack of them) and everydaymakers expert citizen dichotomy. First, the young participants of the EU Presidency youth event are studied as an example of expert citizens with cosmopolitan resources (these resources include, for example, language skills, higher education and international social network). Second, the study analyses those everyday-makers who use performative politics to demonstrate their political missions here and now. But in order to make the social movement global they need cosmopolitan resources to be able to use the social media tools and work globally. Third, the study reflects upon the difficulties of reaching those actors who lack cosmopolitan resources, either everyday-makers or expert citizens. The go-along method and the use of the interpreters are shown as ways to reach these young people s political missions. Fourth, the research underlines the importance of contact zones (i.e. spaces or situations where the aforementioned orientations and their differences temporarily disappear or weaken) for deeper democracy and for boosted dialogue between different kinds of participants. Keywords: political participation, young people, multi-sited ethnography, youth research, political sociology, development studies, performative social science