Leisure Adjustments of Older Finnish Adults during the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The current approach to “aging well” emphasizes the importance of active leisure participation in late adulthood. This relates to the view that leisure activities enable older adults to stay physically, mentally, and socially active, and they thereby contribute to wellbeing. In spring 2020, leisure activity engagement was significantly hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores leisure-related experiences and adaptation strategies among Finnish older adults during the period of strict physical distancing. The data comprises letters (N = 77) written by Finnish people (aged 70–93) that were analyzed using content analysis. The study suggests that the reorganization of leisure was particularly influenced by the social significance of leisure activities, the age identities of the participants, and the prevailing ideals of active aging. The paper introduces three strategies of leisure adjustment: building new routines, maintaining activeness, and enjoying slow leisure. The article highlights the importance of investing in older adults’ leisure participation in the aftercare of the pandemic.The current approach to “aging well” emphasizes the importance of active leisure participation in late adulthood. This relates to the view that leisure activities en- able older adults to stay physically, mentally, and socially active, and they thereby contribute to wellbeing. In spring 2020, leisure activity engagement was significantly hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explores leisure-related experiences and adaptation strategies among Finnish older adults during the period of strict physical distancing. The data comprises letters (N = 77) written by Finnish people (aged 70–93) that were analyzed using content analysis. The study suggests that the reorganization of leisure was particularly influenced by the social significance of leisure activities, the age identities of the participants, and the prevailing ideals of active aging. The paper introduces three strategies of leisure adjustment:building new routines, maintaining activeness, and enjoying slow leisure. The article highlights the importance of investing in older adults’ leisure participation in the aftercare of the pandemic.Peer reviewe

Perhehoitoa paikantamassa

nonPeerReviewe

Asumisen yhteisöllisyys ja hyvä vanhuus

nonPeerReviewe

Assessment of parental contributions to fast- and slow-growing progenies in the sea bream Sparus aurata L. using a new multiplex PCR

Molecular tools to assist breeding programs in the gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) are scarce. A new multiplex PCR technique (OVIDORPLEX), which amplifies nine known microsatellite markers, was developed in this work. This multiplex system showed a high mean heterozygosity (>0.800) and a high mean number of alleles per marker (>14) when tested in two sea bream broodstocks (A: 40 breeders and B: 38 breeders). We tested this multiplex PCR for inferring parentage in a Spanish hatchery that graded the animals by size as part of their management procedure. The progeny of the broodstock were divided into fast- and slow-growth groups. Parentage studies revealed that this management procedure entailed a global reduction of the breeders' representation in progeny and that breeders' contributions were significantly unequal. Due to this, effective sample sizes fell to N ê¿13-14 for fast- and N ê¿18-24 for slow-growth progeny groups. These results imply a 3 to 4% rate of inbreeding per generation in the fast-growth group, which is more important to hatchery managers than the slow group. Not all the progeny were evaluated in this experiment (due to the discarding steps), and thus it is difficult to know if the phenotypic performance showed by the fast-growing progeny will be heritable. However, there were genetic differences between the differentiated growth progeny groups (fast vs. slow, F ST values=0.016 to 0.023; P<0.01). We also identified breeders with significantly different contributions to the fast- (10 breeders) or to the slow- (15 breeders) growth progeny groups. Our results demonstrated that this new multiplex PCR could be useful for quantitative programs (breeding programs, detection of QTL, inbreeding control or reconstruction of fish genealogies) to improve the aquaculture of the gilthead sea bream (S. aurata). © 2011 Elsevier B.V.This work was carried out in collaboration with the fish farm Granja Marina Safor, S.L. (Gandia, Valencia, Spain) and the hatchery Piscicultura Marina Mediterranea, S.L. (Burriana, Castellon, Spain). It was financed by JACUMAR (the PROGENSA project) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN; National Program of Resources and Food and Agriculture Technologies, AGL2006-13411-C03-00, SELECTSPARUS, and AGL2007-64040-C03-00, SELECTBREAM, including European Regional Development Funds). V. Gallego was supported by a FPI scholarship financed by MICINN; C. Garcia-Fernandez was supported by a FPU scholarship financed by MICINN; and I. Mazzeo was supported by a FPI scholarship financed by Generalitat Valenciana. We are indebted to three anonymous referees and the journal editor for valuable comments.Borrell, YJ.; Gallego Albiach, V.; García Fernández, C.; Mazzeo ., I.; Pérez Igualada, LM.; Asturiano Nemesio, JF.; Carleos, CE.... (2011). Assessment of parental contributions to fast- and slow-growing progenies in the sea bream Sparus aurata L. using a new multiplex PCR. Aquaculture. 314(1-4):58-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2011.01.028S58653141-

Tensions and resilience : the experiences of adult foster-care workers in Finland

This article examines adult foster care for older people in Finland. This is a semi-formal service in which older people are cared for by foster carers who are remunerated for their work by the local municipality. In the article, the tensions and resources of resilience of foster-care work are analysed. The data consist of 12 thematic interviews with foster carers. The results suggest that foster-care work is emotionally draining and has adverse effects on social relationships. However, foster carers see caring as purposeful, they see themselves as professionals and they have enough social resources.peerReviewe

Syrjäytymisvaarassa olevien nuorten aikuisten kokemuksia kouluviihtyvyydestä

Tämän tutkimuksen tehtävänä on selvittää syrjäytymisvaarassa olevien nuorten aikuisten kokemuksia kouluviihtyvyydessä. Huomio kiinnittyy etenkin heidän opettajiensa merkitykseen viihtyvyyden tai viihtymättömyyden tunteen rakentumisessa. Aiemman tutkimuksen perusteella kouluviihtyvyys vaikuttaa nuorten päätöksiin jatkokouluttautumisesta, jonka on edelleen tutkittu olevan tärkeimpiä nuorten syrjäytymiseen liittyviä tekijöitä. Kouluviihtyvyyskokemusten merkityksiä tutkimalla onkin tarkoitus pohtia opettajan mahdollisuuksia syrjäytymisen varhaisessa ennaltaehkäisyssä. Tutkimus on toteutettu laadullisen tutkimuksen menetelmin ja sen lähestymistapa on fenomenologis-hermeneuttinen. Tutkimusaineisto on kerätty puolistrukturoidun teemahaastattelun avulla ja sen analysoinnissa on käytetty teoriaohjaavaa sisällönanalyysiä. Haastateltaviksi valittiin kuusi vailla peruskoulun jälkeistä tutkintoa olevaa nuorta aikuista, jotka eivät olleet haastatteluhetkellä työelämässä. Tutkimustuloksista käy ilmi, että haastateltavat ovat kokeneet koulunsa turvattomaksi ympäristöksi, jossa he ovat saaneet osakseen epäoikeudenmukaista kohtelua ja suhteet opettajiin ovat jääneet etäisiksi. Heidän kouluaikainen opetuksensa on ollut pääsääntöisesti opettajakeskeistä. Tulokset saavat vahvistusta aiemmasta aiheeseen liittyvästä tutkimuksesta. Keskeisenä johtopäätöksenä voidaan todeta, että tuloksissa korostuu oppilaan yksilöllisen kohtaamisen merkitys koulun mielekkääksi kokemisen kannalta

Caring in space : the boundaries between public and private spaces in Finnish adult foster care homes

The purpose of this article is to explore a hybrid community-based form of care for older people called adult foster care. In the article, the nature of the foster care home as a place of care is explored from the foster carers’ point-of-view. It is based on an interview study of 12 foster carers. In this article, the theoretical frameworks from human geography and work–family research are combined in order to analyse the boundaries between private family-life and public work-life in the particular space of the foster care home. The research questions are: What kinds of public and private spaces exist in adult foster care homes? What kinds of boundaries separate (a) the public and private spaces and (b) the foster care home and the outside world? The findings suggest that foster care homes are very complex socio-spatial places of care, in which the questions of power (who can do what and when in a certain space), the re-organisation of home, and the division of private and public spaces all contest the idea of home as a mere ‘safe haven’ from the pressures of work life. Different boundaries and boundary management strategies enabled the foster carers to regard their place of living and working as their home, even though it had altered to a place of care of ‘strangers’.peerReviewe

Hyötypelin suunnittelu ja toteutus

Opinnäytetyön tavoitteena oli hyötypelin suunnittelu ja toteutus toimeksiantajan CSE Entertainmentin tapWall-laitteelle. Toimeksiantona oli suunnitella ja toteuttaa peli Unity-pelimoottorilla, joka kehittäisi lapsien ja nuorten kognitiivisia taitoja ja silmä-käsi-koordinaatiota, mutta mikä olisi myös hauska pelattava. Pelin suunnittelussa tuli ottaa huomioon kohderyhmä, käyttöliittymä ja tuotteeseen liittyvät taustaprosessit. Työn tavoitteena oli myös kertoa, mitä kaikkea ottaa huomioon pelinkehittäjän kannalta kehittäessä hyötypeliä. Taustateoriassa käytiin läpi, mitä hyötypelit ovat ja mitä kognitiiviset taidot ja silmä-käsi-koordinaatio tarkoittavat. Suunnitteluvaiheessa tutustuttiin tapWalliin ja Unity-pelimoottoriin ja käytiin läpi pelin suunnitelma. Toteutusvaiheessa käytiin läpi pelin toiminnallisuutta, miten mikäkin toimii ja miksi sellaiseen toiminnallisuuteen päädyttiin. Työn lopussa tarkasteltiin, miten pelin julkaisu onnistui ja pohdittiin, mitä olisi voinut tehdä toisin. Peliksi päätettiin tehdä päättymätön juoksupeli, jossa pelihahmo liikkuisi eteenpäin ja tätä ohjattaisiin kolmella kaistalla esteitä väistellen ja esineitä keräillen. Päättymättömään juoksupeliin päädyttiin, koska niiden kaltaisissa peleissä todettiin tulevan paljon toistoa, mikä auttaisi kehittämään kognitiivisia taitoja ja silmä-käsi-koordinaatiota. Peliin lisättiin myös ennätyslista, mikä kannustaisi pelaajia pelaamaan ja kehittämään taitojaan. Lisäksi peliin tehtiin nuoremmille lapsille suunnattu pelimuoto, jossa tarkoitus olisi kerätä mahdollisimman paljon pisteitä ja päästä maaliin. Opinnäytetyön tuloksena valmistui toimeksiantajalle heidän tapWall-laitteelleen uusi peli, jonka nimeksi tuli TapSkate. Pelistä tuli julkaisun jälkeen pelatuin peli laitteella. Tästä voitiin päätellä, että lapset kehittivät kognitiivisia taitojaan ja silmä-käsi-koordinaatiota

Time to care? : Temporal variations of agency of the Finnish adult foster carers

This article analyses a hybrid form of housing and care service for older people called adult foster care. In Finnish adult foster care model, an older person moves to a foster care home and is cared for by a semi-professional foster carer who is not related to them. A foster care home is thus simultaneously a personal dwelling and a site of intensive care work which also changes the rhythms and routines of both the foster carer and older person. In the article I ask, how do foster carers express their temporal agency and its variations (identity, pragmatic, life course) through time work? By temporal agency I mean individuals' ability to impact on their experience of time, which is done through time work. The article is based on 12 thematic interviews that were analysed using thematic content analysis. The analysis shows that as a resource, time itself was the most valued aspect of foster care work. Being a foster carer was in fact a way of resisting clock-driven, institutional-like care work. The foster carers were able to exercise their professional identity agency, that is, act like ‘a good carer’ should act, but they found it difficult to allocate time for themselves and to their families. This can endanger their well-being and the continuity of foster care relationship. In order to develop the adult foster care scheme to a real housing and care option for older people and a tenable work option for potential foster carers, several issues should be carefully considered. To ensure foster carers' well-being, their statutory right to days-off should be increased, and the support and substitute system should be enhanced so that foster carers can allocate more time for themselves and their families, even when this would mean more costs to the municipalities. Also, older people in need of care should be placed to foster care much earlier.peerReviewe