Social Policy

Research in social policy at Åbo Akademi University primarily focuses on concepts such as welfare, well-being, health, inclusion, and participation. The central target groups for our research include children, youth, families with children, migrants, older adults, and individuals with disabilities. Additionally, research is conducted on the demographics of the Swedish-speaking population in Finland, as well as on rural, urban, and environmental issues closely related to the subject.

Regarding research on economically disadvantaged children and families with children, as well as youth-related issues, we are currently investigating changes in family policy, child poverty, the well-being of families with children, children, and youth in a pandemic context, and the outcomes of the parental leave system.

In research on older adults and successful aging, we study, among other things, civic engagement and social and political participation, social inclusion of linguistic minorities, health and well-being, caregiving, and issues related to loneliness.

Our research on migration examines how migration and global hierarchies shape people’s daily lives and their opportunities for equality and social justice in various arenas. From an intersectional perspective, we study, among other things, the experiences of newly arrived families with children, individuals with disabilities, and older adults with local welfare institutions, multilingualism and linguistic vulnerability in the welfare service system, and the emergence of new ethnic hierarchies in social and care work.

Research Infrastructure in Social Policy

• Gerontological Regional Database (GERDA) – a longitudinal, interdisciplinary research project mapping the health and living conditions of older adults in Western Finland and Northern Sweden.

Ongoing Research Projects in Social Policy

• Children First: Nordic policies and children’s well-being (ChildrenFirst). A multidisciplinary project with the aim of producing new scientific knowledge on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on child wellbeing and identifies policy options to enhance child-wellbeing and resilience in Nordic countries. NORDFORSK.
• CIVEX – Exclusion from civic engagement of a diverse older population: Features, experiences and policy implications.
• Nordic Research Environment on Language, Justice and the Welfare State (ReJustice). Swedish Research Council.
• Overcoming Barriers to Democratic Participation with Minoritized and Marginalized Groups (OBAMA). The Strategic Research Council of Finland.
• The Tensions of Street-level Social Work for Migrant Inclusion: Discretion, Differentiation and Deportability (TESMI). NordForsk.
• Identifying and counteracting language-based vulnerabilities in social work with children through the lens of professional discretion (LIVICS). Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.
• Blue Zones – Regional Differences in Longevity, Health, and Lifestyle.
  In research funded by the Swedish Cultural Foundation and the Swedish-Ostrobothnian Association, Sarah Åkerman and Fredrica Nyqvist are studying regional differences in longevity, health, and lifestyle in Western Finland and Västerbotten. The project investigates whether regions with high longevity are linked to the Blue Zone lifestyle and good health outcomes. The research project uses official statistics and data from the GERDA survey. Colleagues from Amsterdam University, Åland University of Applied Sciences, and Umeå University are also participating in the project.

Completed Projects in Social Policy

• SOSKIELI – Flerspråkighet och språklig utsatthet i socialarbetets digitaliserande miljöer.
• Erfarenhetsmentorer för närståendevårdare.
• FamWell – Finländska barnfamiljers välbefinnande i den ekonomiska krisens skugga.
• Ordering the “migrant family”.
• Social- och hälsovård i förändring – ett planeringsprojekt.
• Äldres sociala inkludering ur ett minoritetsperspektiv – en nationell och internationell jämförelse (AgeMin).
• Sustainable care for older adults in Swedish-speaking Finland with a focus on informal caregiving.
  The research project was funded by the Professor Jan-Magnus Jansson’s fund for geriatrics and elderly care. In the project, qualitative interviews were conducted to investigate informal caregivers’ experiences of peer support. The project also studied risk factors for loneliness among older family caregivers in western Finland and northern Sweden using the GERDA database. The GERDA database was also used to study factors affecting older informal caregivers’ use of formal support. PD Sarah Åkerman was the responsible researcher in the project. The studies were conducted in collaboration with Fredrica Nyqvist and Mikael Nygård, as well as other colleagues from the University of Helsinki, Vic University, Umeå University, and Novia University of Applied Sciences.

Dissertations in Social Policy

• Dissertations in Social Policy (this page is in Swedish)

Developmental Psychology

There are several focal points in research with relevance to education in the social sciences, such as, geriatric research, research related to children, youth and families, research concerning the health status, living conditions and welfare among the Finnish population, demographics of Finland Swedes, aggression research (including bullying and harassment at schools and workplaces), research of conflict mediation and resolution, research of child abuse and gaming addiction, media research, crisis psychological research as well as research related to rural, urban and environmental issues.