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Rethinking everyday solidarity – insights from two studies with young people in Finland

Riikka Korkiamäki is professor in social work in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Tampere University. She will be at Trinity College on 8 Novermber to give a talk on her latest research paper- "Rethinking everyday solidarity – insights from two studies with young people in Finland".

Building social solidarity is necessary for the functioning of societies and to advance the quality of life of individuals and communities. However, as a misleadingly simple notion, by 'solidarity' we often refer to the degree to which individuals are bound to each other through a sense of empathy, shared values and mutual interests. The starting point for this introduction is that because we live in pluralistic communities where we do not all share the same values and interests, the concept of solidarity needs to be redefined. Also, as a ‘concept-in-practice’ solidarity lacks thorough analysis of how it is embodied and enacted in people’s everyday encounters with others.

This talk tackles the concept and practice of ‘everyday lived solidarity’ through two research studies with young people in Finland. The first has investigated teenagers’ local gatherings and the second has studied university and college students’ experiences during the Covid pandemic. Both studies have aimed to make sense of young people’s everyday enactments of solidarity by bringing the notions of belonging and space into the discussion of solidarity. The purpose therefore is to understand what solidarity means to young people and how it can be promoted in their everyday environments. In addition, in this seminar we wish to promote (and will allow time) for a discussion on the concept of solidarity and how it is played out in practice among various groups of people at all ‘levels’ of society.

Lunch time seminar 1pm – 2pm  Room C6.002 TRISS Seminar Room
Tuesday 8 November 2022
Tea /coffee and pastries provided 

Professor Riikka Korkiamäk