Papers by Kristiina Brunila
Multidisciplinary Journal of Gender Studies
This article concerns the discursive power relations that have led to equality work in Finland. I... more This article concerns the discursive power relations that have led to equality work in Finland. In addition to marketisation, publicly-funded projects, especially those funded by the European Union, have permeated the public sector. Equality has been labelled women’s work and something that women do and the continuity of equality work requires a complex form of competence. In this article, ways have been looked to analyse the current situation by conducting an analysis that will enable to see not only the discursive power relations that shape gender equality work but also how it has been possible that gender equality work has succeeded in remaining continuous. Persistence of problems concerning equality as well as co-operation between women and the ‘discourse virtuosity’ of equality work have opened up opportunities for continuity but not without problems.
Policy Futures in Education, Aug 22, 2017
Equality work is often conducted as education and teaching, and both are an intrinsic part of equ... more Equality work is often conducted as education and teaching, and both are an intrinsic part of equality work. In this article, we focus on equality work and challenging heteronormativity by contextualising our focus both on the educational system as a whole but especially on teacher education. The promotion of equality in teacher education began in Finland in the 1980s with nationwide experimental projects, and Finnish universities undertook active efforts to promote equality in the 1990s as a result of the strengthening of women's studies and discussions on gender equality. We show what kind of persistent problems promoting equality and challenging heteronormativity in education in Finland faces, but we also indicate how it is possible to promote equality and challenge heteronormativity by focusing on teacher education. This article is based on student teachers' essays (N ¼ 51) written as a part of their study in a course on social justice. The essays were analysed based on a discursive reading of the data.
Policy Press eBooks, Jan 16, 2023
Power and Education, Jun 24, 2021
There is general agreement overall about the desirability and importance of youth support systems... more There is general agreement overall about the desirability and importance of youth support systems as being crucial for young people 'at risk' to help them cultivate their subjectivities about employability. In this article, we take a closer look at these support systems and especially at outreach youth work in Finland. We focus on the construction of knowledge and subjectivities of young people related to it. We argue that among the good intentions in cultivating young people's subjectivities, outreach youth work tends to operate as a practice for enhancing the construction of psycho-emotional vulnerabilities and employability of young people while translating wider societal questions of austerity, poverty and inequality into questions of individualised deficiencies.
International Studies in Sociology of Education, Apr 16, 2020
Young people’s unemployment and social exclusion – the so-called ‘youth problem’ – is one of the ... more Young people’s unemployment and social exclusion – the so-called ‘youth problem’ – is one of the main focuses in Finnish youth policies. We examine youth policies and youth support systems by apply...
Power and Education, Jan 13, 2016
In Finland, young people who are neither employed nor in any education or training programme are ... more In Finland, young people who are neither employed nor in any education or training programme are expected to participate in short-term education, the aim being to improve their work life and employment skills, and thus make them more accountable for their labour market outcomes. An extensive assortment of so-called transition activities is created to guide young adults 'into society'. The empirical data is analysed by using a discursive approach. The focus is on the consequences of entrepreneurial discourses, with specific attention given to project-based educational practices that train young adults on the margins of education, working life and society. Based on their results, the authors show how entrepreneurial activities offer skills for representing oneself in accordance with entrepreneurial ideals, but might limit opportunities to speak otherwise.
Subjectivity, Jan 4, 2018
Based on the crafting of seven fictional stories, the making of academic subjects in universities... more Based on the crafting of seven fictional stories, the making of academic subjects in universities in times of neoliberal ethos is examined. The simultaneous configuration of subjects and objects of research is grasped in the term research(ing) subjects. Neoliberal governing generates the affect of anxiety as a socially manufactured intensity connected to precarity. We claim that the power effects of neoliberal configurations through the affect of anxiety is a particular governing strategy of subjectivation, and that its effects in making both researching and research subjects direct toward an economic logic where the self of academics and their work is shaped as insufficient. Putting the gaze on research(ing) subjects and anxiety is a way to disclosing the public secret of governing through affect and thus reimagining possibilities for resistance and meaningful academic work. Keywords Affect Á Anxiety Á Neoliberalism in academia Á Researching subjects Á Fictional stories Á Subjectivation Á Precarity The fast train approaching We will define for you the boundaries and focus of your labour the purpose and means of research what counts as knowledge whose knowledge counts & Kristiina Brunila
Pedagogy, Culture and Society, Apr 13, 2015
This is a repository copy of Governing emotionally vulnerable subjects and 'therapisation' of soc... more This is a repository copy of Governing emotionally vulnerable subjects and 'therapisation' of social justice.
Routledge eBooks, May 9, 2023
Kasvatus, Feb 18, 2023
Yksityisen sektorin merkitys nuorten koulutuksen järjestämisessä on vahvistunut Suomessa viime vu... more Yksityisen sektorin merkitys nuorten koulutuksen järjestämisessä on vahvistunut Suomessa viime vuosikymmenien aikana merkittävästi. Valmennuskursseja, koulutusteknologiaa ja erilaisia hyvinvointi- ja opiskelijapalveluita tarjoavien yritysten verkosto vahvistaa jatkuvasti asemaansa koulutusta määrittelevissä ja rakentavissa keskusteluissa. Analysoimme tässä artikkelissa nuorten koulutusta tarjoavien yksityisten yritysten markkinointitekstejä ja tavoitelausumia koulutuksen markkinoitumisen näkökulmasta. Kysymme, minkälaisia ratkaistavia ongelmia yksityiset yritykset tuottavat materiaaleissaan ja minkälaisia oletuksia näiden ongelmien taustalla on. Yksityinen sektori rakentaa käsitystä koulutuksesta yksilöllisenä ja dekontekstualisoituna tietojen, taitojen, kykyjen sekä kompetenssien oppimisena ja perustelee omaa olemassaoloaan perinteisen koulutusjärjestelmän tehottomuudella, joustamattomuudella ja vanhanaikaisuudella.
Educational review, Jan 10, 2023
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Papers by Kristiina Brunila