Colour blind gender studies

Research by political demand

Politically commissioned research on gender equality and youth of minority background often revolves around the same few issues. What impact do the links between politics and the production of knowledge have on research quality and results? Read more

Hijab chic

Arranged marriages, genital mutilation, honour-related murders – and hijab. In the public debate, these tend to be treated as part of the same package. Why does the debate not focus on turbans, capes, caps – and hijabs? Or slimming, shaved legs, bridal veils – and hijab? Read more

Publication

What has Pippi Longstocking got to do with post-colonialism?

In the Nordic anthology "Complying with colonialism", the authors address the welfare state from a post-colonial perspective. The book gives examples of how colonial hierarchies are internalized in the Nordic mindset, in fields ranging from politics to children's literature. Read more

Russian Women in Grey Zones of Nordic Welfare

In Europe, the term "new migration" refers to te mass movement of people for Eastern to Western Europe after the dissolution of socialist rule and the eastward enlargement of the European Union. Along the northernmost borders in the Barents region, on their way to the Nordic countries migrants cross the deepest welfare divide on the globe. While the Nordic states are celebrated for their inclusiveness both in social and gender terms, many immigrant women find their agency being restricted due to discriminating institutional boundaries, time lines and the construction of degrading social categories (1). Read more

Tracing Transitions: Young people, Nationality and Difference

There is an increasing interest in Finland on nationality, nationalism and processes of differentiation embedded in these. The Academy of Finland has initiated a Research Programme on Marginalisation, Inequality and Ethnic Relations in Finland, where a broad range of research is represented. One of the projects focuses on young people’s transitions, following their paths through post-sixteen education and training into the labour market and higher education and analyzing how gender, ethnicity and sexuality intertwine. Read more

Birgitta of Sweden as Saint Mother

As a wife and a mother of eight children the noble lady Birgitta (1302/3–1373) was an atypical candidate for sanctity, since female saints were virgins in the high Middle Ages. In order to negotiate this ideal Birgitta concluded that true virginity rather meant humbleness and obedience. In another female saint, the Hungarian princess Elisabeth (1207–1231), she found the source of legitimacy she needed in order to justify her atypical way of life. Read more

"Intra-ethnic Diplomacy" and Labour Market Chances

A recent study based on interviews with young people of immigrant origin living in Stockholm revealed some surprising gendered patterns with regard to possibilities and barriers in the labour market. In general young women, whether Turkish, Latin American or Greek encountered less discriminatory barriers than young men did. They had also more often managed to establish themselves in the labour market. Read more

Interview

– Listen to women’s own interpretations of their religion!

- How do we feminists explain that so many women are religious – is it because they have been brainwashed? There is a kind of feminist blindness concerning the significance of religion for women, particularly its positive and liberating aspects. The view of the Virgin Mary is one example of the gap that exists between secular feminist criticism of Catholicism and women’s own religious experiences, says Elina Vuola. We meet the active Finnish researcher in Helsinki just before her departure to Costa Rica to further discuss with Catholic women why they have such a close relationship to the Virgin. Read more