Nordic Migration and Integration Research : Overview and Future Prospects

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Migration and integration are currently highly contentious topics in political, public and scientific arenas, and will remain so in the near future. However, many common migration-related prejudices and inefficien¬cies in the integration of the migrant population are due to the lack of sound, tested and accessible scientific research. Therefore, the study of migration – by developing basic research and by properly resourcing novel methodological approaches and interventions – will be instrumental in providing a better knowledge base for decision-makers and promoting a more informed population at large. This is the grand purpose this overview report seeks to facilitate. This report was commissioned by NordForsk in August 2016, and has been written by two senior researchers at the Migration Institute of Finland (MIF), Niko Pyrhönen and Johanna Leinonen, with supervision by MIF’s director Tuomas Martikainen. It is based on two main sources: 1) interviews with 56 Nordic experts on migration and integration conducted in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden in late 2016, and 2) an online survey of 356 respondents, distributed to researchers via mailing lists of several Nordic research networks and institutions. The report also includes an overview of current migration trends, a review of central aspects of Nordic migration and integration research, and an overview of research infrastructure in the field. The authors set out on this five-month project with an ambitious goal of charting the current state of Nordic field of migration and integration research. On the one hand, the importance and topicality of this work have been underlined by an emerging sense of global and local migration crisis in the aftermath of a sudden and rapid influx of refugees and asylum-seekers into Europe since the autumn of 2015. On the other hand, an overview such as this is also needed to develop Nordic research collaboration in a contested, polarized and politicized field. We believe that documenting, analyzing and distributing critical assessment and constru¬ctive ideas expressed by researchers with a remarkable array of disciplinary and thematic expertise can help unleash a wide range of unrealized potential and further develop Nordic added value to its fullest extent. The most important results are outlined in this summary, and discussed in more detail in the main body of the report. While all the respondents who participated in this project acknowledge the salience of the crisis sentiment in public, political and scientific debates, most would also like to engage in research that further problema¬tizes and deconstructs the very term ‘refugee crisis’. Considering that the number of international migrants has increased by 60 percent since 1990, and that the number of refugees in 2014 was the highest since World War II, it seems evident that there was a crisis already before the crisis. Demographers, human rights lawyers, and researchers of international relations point out that the rising volume of asylum-seekers has revealed a general disillusionment in the ability of international conventions to adapt properly to ‘the new age of migrations’. As a result, more and more migrants are falling between rigid legal categories and thus being defined as ‘irregular’. However, many respondents point out that the local manifestation of this crisis is often one of national solidarity, which especially in the Nordic context has long been marked by a mythical yearning for a common national purpose exemplified in the Swedish concept of 'folkhemmet', the peoples’ home. The formation of distinct political fault lines between those emphasizing global responsibility of the Global North for the refugees and those advocating the use of advanced border measures to bring migrancy under political control started as far back as the early 2000s. Many respondents are worried about a similar polarization of research into ‘humanist’ and ‘technocratic’ ‘epistemic communities’. Such a development is particularly evident in the endeavors to conceptualize migration as a ‘stress test’ for the Nordic welfare state. There is consensus among the research community that directly policy-relevant approaches are needed to create more resilient systems for integrating migrants. Indeed, excellent register and census data make the Nordic countries a unique comparative context for ‘most similar’ research designs. However, in order to find corroboration between different studies and empirically gauge for best practices, the respondents call for more harmonized data, definitions and framings – supported by theoretical development that challenges methodological nationalism and the notion of Nordic exceptionalism. Even though most Nordic research institutions consist of markedly multidisciplinary staff, there is much room for improvement in cooperation between humanists and social scientists. Respondents agree that rigorous nesting of qualitative and quantitative approaches in the same research projects and work packages is called for in order to reach more sound empirical conclusions. It is worth noting that the researchers themselves are overwhelmingly positive towards increased introduction of such nested approaches. A commonly raised concern, however, is that the funders are not able to properly merit or incentivize experimental, mixed-met¬hod projects, and rarely request explicitly that these projects are to be completed in collaboration between institutions from more than one Nordic country. When asked to discuss specific gaps in the contemporary Nordic research on migration and integration, researchers list methodological questions as being among the most common concerns. Here most of the respondents underline the importance of more careful and expansive historical contextualization and network-embedded research of informal movements. Researchers of civil society and the media sphere hope to see new computational methods adopted to tackle big data-related hurdles, possibly also offering prognostics on how to counter increasing xenophobia. Health and welfare researchers, in particular, point to the need to introduce longitudinal and ‘life-course’ follow-up projects and action research components with scalable intervention pilots. The respondents acknowledge that policy-oriented research on certain topics, such as urban segregation, structural discrimination and large-scale labor migration, has matured much more across the Atlantic. As such, many advocate searching for more appropriate benchmarks for integration success and failure outside the Nordic context – instead of merely measuring employment and income gaps between the minority and majority populations against those in other Nordic countries. Most of the experts interviewed further suggest that focusing on minorities and the autochthonous population simultaneously is a particularly fruitful means for examining, illustrating and developing Nordic added value in migration and integration research. The array of challenges is not limited to difficulties in crossing disciplinary boundaries, but is also reflected in the isolation of themes that are pursued in Nordic research projects. Such segregation can be seen, for example, in how policies and their effects in key research streams – movement, settlement and control measures – are commonly assessed by individuals in different research programs or work packages. While the increased availability of funding for sector-based research, especially in the aftermath of the crisis, is acknowledged as a good thing in principle, it also serves to further fragment the research field into more narrowly focused competencies. As rising research areas – such as forced migration, discrimination and health and well-being – are starting to reach the traction held by areas such as integration, labor market and education, there are even more reasons and more avenues for funders to develop Nordic research by demanding synthesizing, nesting and mixed-method approaches

Finnish Utopian Communities, Historiographies, and Shapes of Settler Colonialism

AbstractThe goal of this chapter is to critically examine historical scholarship dealing with the histories of migration from Finland. In particular, the chapter looks at those studies that discuss migrant communities labeled as “utopian” by Finnish scholars. Through a close reading of several historical studies on Finnish migration, the chapter demonstrates how the absence of a critical perspective on utopian settlements contributes to the idea of Finland as an “outsider” in the histories of colonialism.Abstract The goal of this chapter is to critically examine historical scholarship dealing with the histories of migration from Finland. In particular, the chapter looks at those studies that discuss migrant communities labeled as “utopian” by Finnish scholars. Through a close reading of several historical studies on Finnish migration, the chapter demonstrates how the absence of a critical perspective on utopian settlements contributes to the idea of Finland as an “outsider” in the histories of colonialism

Navigating affective (in)securities : forced migration and transnational family relationships

Peer reviewe

Vulnerability, resilience and resistance in diverse societies

The editorial presents the fifteenth ETMU Conference,  held at Åbo Akademi University in Turku on 15–16 November 2018, dedicated to the theme "Vulnerabil­ity, Resilience and Resistance in Diverse Societies’. The first two articles of the current issue are based on papers presented at the conference

Vastasyntyneen ja imeväisikäisen vauvan unenaikaisen hengitys- ja syketaajuuden tarkkailu puettavalla liikeanturilla

Vastasyntyneelle ja imeväisikäiselle nukkuminen on elintärkeä toiminto, ja se on välttämätöntä aivoverkkojen kehitykselle. Tiedetään, että huono unenlaatu aiheuttaa pitkällä tähtäimellä muun muassa kasvun hidastumista ja käyttäytymisongelmia. Imeväisikäisillä melko yleisesti esiintyvät unihäiriöt, kuten yöheräily ja nukahtamisvaikeudet aiheuttavat merkittävää rasitusta ja huolta vanhemmille. Objektiivisen mittausmenetelmän puutteen vuoksi ei ole kuitenkaan voitu selvittää imeväisikäisen unen kehittymistä kotiolosuhteissa. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin puettaviin pöksyihin kiinnitetyn liikeanturin ja EKG-kangaselektrodien soveltuvuutta vastasyntyneiden ja imeväisikäisten vauvojen unenaikaisen hengityksen ja sykkeen tarkkailuun. Tutkimuksen ensimmäisessä vaiheessa päiväaikaisten uni-EEG-tutkimuksien yhteydessä verrattiin liikeanturin mittauskanavien rekisteröimiä mittauskäyriä pietsoanturilla varustettuun hengitysvyöhön. Saatujen tutkimustuloksien perusteella liikeanturin gyroskooppi osoittautui tarkimmaksi hengitystaajuutta mittaavaksi parametriksi, kun taas anturin välittämä EKG-signaali oli tulkintakelpoisin osin luotettavaa. Tutkimuksen toisessa vaiheessa vauvaperheille annettiin unipöksyt ja älypuhelimet kotiin arvioidaksemme yön yli kestävää kotikäyttöä. Tutkimustulokset viittaavat siihen, että eri unitilojen tunnistaminen hengityksen vaihtelusta olisi todennäköisesti mahdollista gyroskooppisignaalista. Vanhemmilta saadun palautteen perusteella unipöksyjä pidettiin käytännöllisinä ja helppokäyttöisinä. Tulevissa tutkimuksissa tulisi keskittyä liikeanturin validointiin kliinisesti hyväksyttyjen mittausparametrien avulla, jotta algoritmeja voisi opettaa tunnistamaan eri uni-valve rytmejä automaattisesti. Näin puettava liikeanturi voisi tarjota tietoa vauvan luonnollisen unirakenteen kehittymisestä pitkällä aikavälillä. Lisäksi anturin kliininen validointi voisi mahdollistaa imeväisikäisten kardiorespiratoristen ongelmien ja liikehäiriöiden diagnostisen lisätyökalun kehittämisen.Sleep is one of the most vital functions of newborns and infants, and it is essential for neuronal network development. Therefore, long-term sleep disturbances have been associated with growth delays and behavioral disorders. Commonly reported infant sleep disturbances, such as night awakenings and difficulties falling asleep, cause distress to parents. Yet, the development of infant sleep in the home environment has not been fully elucidated due to lack of objective measurement parameters. In the current study, we assessed the feasibility of a motion sensor, attached to wearable pants, and ECG textile electrodes to monitor sleep-related respiration and heart rate of newborns and infants. First, we compared signals recorded by the motion sensor’s measurement channels to the standard respiratory piezo effort belt’s signal during daytime EEG recordings. According to our results, the motion sensor’s gyroscope proved to measure respiratory rate most accurately, while the ECG signal transmitted by the sensor was reliable in interpretable sections. We then provided wearable garments and smartphones to families with infants to assess overnight home-use. Our results indicate that different sleep states could likely be identified based on respiration fluctuation visible in the gyroscope’s signals. Moreover, the wearable system was considered practical and easy to use by the parents. Future studies should focus on validating the sensor with clinically approved measures, in order to train the algorithms to automatically identify different sleep-wake states. By doing so, the wearable sensor could provide information on natural infant sleep structure development over long time periods. Additionally, clinical validation of the sensor may result in the development of a companion diagnostic tool for infant cardiorespiratory and movement disorders

Intraoraalikuvantamisen osaamisen kehittäminen Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulun Suunhoidon opetusklinikalla

Opinnäytetyömme tarkoituksena oli kehittää suuhygienistiopiskelijoiden osaamista intraoraalikuvantamisessa Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulun Suunhoidon opetusklinikalla. Tarve intraoraalikuvantamisen kehittämiselle vahvistui suuhygienistiopiskelijoille teettämämme alkukartoituskyselyn perusteella. Tämän vuoksi opinnäytetyömme tavoitteeksi muodostui intraoraalikuvantamisen oppaan tuottaminen. Opinnäytetyöprojektimme toteutettiin tutkimuksellisen kehittämistyön menetelmää mukaillen. Tuotimme intraoraalikuvantamisen oppaan ohella myös kuvantamispassin, jota voidaan käyttää oppimisen tukena Metropolia Ammattikorkekoulun Suunhoidon opetusklinikalla. Opas sisältää selkeän ohjeistuksen intraoraalikuvantamisen vaiheista. Toiminnallinen opinnäytetyömme linkittyi Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulun koordinoimaan Evidence-Based Quality Assurance in Dental Digital Imaging -hankkeeseen, minkä vuoksi opas käännettiin myös englannin kielelle. Kirjoitimme opinnäytetyöstämme raportin lisäksi kaksi ammatillista artikkelia Suomen Suuhygienistiliitto SSHL ry:n jäsenlehteen ja Radiografian Tutkimusseura ry:n ja Suomen Röntgenhoitajaliitto ry:n julkaisemaan Radiografia-lehteen. Opas on saatavilla sähköisenä versiona Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulun internetsivuilla sekä Theseus-tietokannassa opinnäytetyöraportin liitteenä. Opas on siten käytettävissä muuallakin kuin Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulun Suunhoidon opetusklinikalla. Toivomme, että opasta hyödynnetään ja tarvittaessa jatkokehitetään tulevaisuudessa.The purpose of our final project was to develop the knowledge of dental hygienist students' in intraoral imaging in the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences' Teaching Clinic of Oral Health Care. The need for developing the knowledge in intraoral imaging was confirmed based on the initial mapping enquiry that was made to the dental hygienist students. This is why the purpose of our final project was to produce a guide for intraoral imaging. Our final project was carried out using a research development process' method. Beside the guide, we also produced an imaging passport which can be used to support learning intraoral imaging in the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences' Teaching Clinic of Oral Health Care. The guide has clear guidelines on intraoral imaging's steps. Our practice-based final project is linked to the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences' coordinated Evidence-based quality in dental imaging project. Therefore, the guide was also translated into English. Besides writing a report of our final project, we also wrote two professional articles to Finnish Federation of Dental Hygienists FFDH's newsletter and to Radiography Research Association and the Society of Radiographers in Finland’s published the Radiografia journal newsletter. The guide is available in an electronic version in the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences' websites and in the Theseus database as the final project's attachment. The guide can be used, therefore, elsewhere beside the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences' Teaching Clinic of Oral Health Care. We hope that the guide is useful and could be further developed in the future if there is need.Opinnäytetyön tekijät: Sini Anttila, Elina Dinh, Ella Günther, Hanna Hakala, Johanna Hollo, Pilvi Kare, Jenni Kauppinen, Miia Kontro, Niina Kurunsaari, Virve Kurvinen, Riina Kämäräinen, Hanna Laulajainen, Sini Leinonen, Karoliina Nironen, Nina Reittu, Susanna Sevón, Jenni Tahkoniemi, Sanna Tala, Saana Terä

Transnational Finnish Mobilities. Proceedings of FinnForum XI.

Research

Does social innovation help understand social impacts of communal neighborhoods?

Cities have been studied as a platform for sustainability transformation and social innovation, mainly focusing on environmental sustainability and emphasizing governance and citizen roles as transition actors. Previous studies have paid limited attention to the social aspects of sustainability and the role of business organizations as producers of socially targeted innovation. Our study develops a framework for the identification of social sustainability impacts of communal neighborhoods. Considering the residents' collaborative efforts for creating the sense of community, this paper explores whether the concept of social innovation is useful in conceptualizing the social sustainability impacts of communal neighborhoods. We use the framework to illustrate initial findings of a case analysis of two Finnish communal neighborhood concepts. The findings of our paper contribute to the discussion on social value, which has been identified as a central theme in the development of social innovation research

Does social innovation help understand social impacts of communal neighborhoods?

Cities have been studied as a platform for sustainability transformation and social innovation, mainly focusing on environmental sustainability and emphasizing governance and citizen roles as transition actors. Previous studies have paid limited attention to the social aspects of sustainability and the role of business organizations as producers of socially targeted innovation. Our study develops a framework for the identification of social sustainability impacts of communal neighborhoods. Considering the residents' collaborative efforts for creating the sense of community, this paper explores whether the concept of social innovation is useful in conceptualizing the social sustainability impacts of communal neighborhoods. We use the framework to illustrate initial findings of a case analysis of two Finnish communal neighborhood concepts. The findings of our paper contribute to the discussion on social value, which has been identified as a central theme in the development of social innovation research