Finns and Finland: Sociology of Nation and Ethnicity

Spring 2009

Coordinator Pekka Rantanen, researcher, Msocsci

pekka.j.rantanen@uta.fi

Department of Sociology and Social Psychology

Pinni 53 B

33014 University of Tampere

DESCRIPTION

The aim of the seminar is threefold. First, the course is to offer information and basic facts about Finland and Finns to foreign students. Secondly, the course reviews different sociological approaches in studying and researching Finland, Finnishness and society (themes include topics such as comparative research, nationalism, stereotypes of people, ethnicity, sociology, society). Thirdly, the course will provide theoretical and methodological tools for studying ethnicity and nationalism. The course includes an ethnographic practice where students observe a chosen topic and gather information (observation, interviewing, collecting material etc.) outside the university and learn how to make and use ethnographic field notes. Students will write and present and discuss their findings and material in separate sessions. Participants are required to read collection of articles about Finland and review them in groups. Visiting lecturers will consist of presenting different approaches for studying Finnish society. These include Finnish family and welfare state, humour in Finland, history of Finnish political unity, Finnish radicalism, Finland and its immigrants, Finnish oddities (silence, sauna and viina), Finnish popular culture. Students are required to write 1 lecture diary during the course and a writing assignment as group work.

(max. 25 students): Please send e-mail to pekka.j.rantanen@uta.fi in order to register in the course AND register by NettiOpsu by 9th January. In the registration e-mail, write

1. your name, major and minor subjects

2. the reason why you want to participate in this course

3. how the course theme fits with your study interests in general.

The course is in English but Finnish-speaking students may also attend if there is room.

FORMAT

The seminar includes lectures, research practice, reviewing articles, writing a lecture diaries and group work and discussions.

Seminar consists of an introductory lecture (2 h), lecture on ethnography (2 h), field work practice and its presentation and discussion (2 h), reviewing articles (2 h). 4 hours of group work. Seminar continues with 9 different lectures which deepen the understanding of studying Finnish society. There will be 8 different topics (16 h). End discussion will take 2 hours where students can reflect and discuss with a teacher about the course and possibly present some ideas of their further research (2 h). Lectures will held by teachers and researchers of Department of Social Research. Total of 30 h.

REQUIREMENTS

Students are required to participate lectures and do the practices, review articles and write lecture diaries.

EVALUATION & CREDIT: Participation, practices and lecture diaries. 4 ov/6 study points/6 ECTS

Course Schedule:

Session I from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 13th of January

Introduction: Msocsci Pekka Rantanen: Finland in History (2h)

Session II from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 20th of January

Msocsci Pekka Rantanen: Introduction to ethnography (2h)

Session III from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 27th of January

Presentations of ethnographic practice by students. Msocsci Pekka Rantanen (2h)

Session IV from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 3th of February

Presentations of reviewing articles by students in groups. Msocsci Pekka Rantanen (2h)

Session V from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 10th of February

Planning of the Group work

Session VI from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 17th of February

Lecture: Msocsci Pekka Rantanen: Finnish Society: Sociology of nation and ethnicity (2h)

Session VII from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 3th of March

Lecture: Dr Pasi Pyöriä: Finland as an Information Society (2h)

Session VIII from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 10th of March

Lecture: Dr Petri Ruuska: Finnish oddities (2h)

Session IX from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 17th of March

Lecture: Dr Laura Huttunen: Finland and its immigrants (2h)

Session XI from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 24th of March

Lecture: Dr Eriikka Oinonen: Families in Finland (2h)

Session XII from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 31 th of March

Finalizing the Group work (2 h)

Session XIII from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 7 th of April

Lecture: MA Mikko Pollari: Finnish radicalism (2h)

Session IX from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 14th of April

Lecture: MA Marjo Kolehmainen: Finnish Popular Culture (2 h)

Session X from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 21nd of April

Lecture: Dr Jari Aro: Humour in Finland (2h)

Session XI from 12.15 pm to 2 pm, Linna 6017

Tuesday 28th of April

End discussion: Msocsci Pekka Rantanen (2h)

Lecture diary

Instructions for writing a lecture diary

Lecture diary is not just writing down what you have heard during the lecture or set of lectures. It means more that you think about what you have heard and written down during the lecture. The main idea in writing a lecture diary after the lecture is to reflect on what you have heard, what thoughts and insights the lecture provided about its subject matter and what questions and ideas the lecture has given to you. It is always good to relate the lecture to the knowledge you have learned elsewhere during your previous studies.

The lecture diary can be organized in several ways. You can write a short account on every separate lecture where you highlight the most important information and key insights of the lecture. You can also take as a starting point the topics of lectures, or problems that were presented, or write about the different views that were presented during the lectures. Your lecture diary presents a condensed and well-organized account of your notes that you wrote down during the lecture. It is good if you are able write down your own reasoned insights and critique about the lecture?s subject matter.

A lecture diary may be based on one lecture only, but it is often a case that a student is asked to write a longer lecture diary that is based on a complete course. Please ask the course coordinator for further information about the format and length of the lecture diary. The coordinator of a course usually provides necessary technical information about the lecture diary during the first session of the course.

through NettiOpsu and by e-mail (see above)