Toni Rajala profile picture
Toni
Rajala
Open University and Continuous Learning
Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

Contact

+358 29 450 2292
+358 50 328 3846
Assistentinkatu 7
20500
Turku

Areas of expertise

youth poverty
relative poverty
qualitative poverty research
structural social work

Biography

I'm currently employed as a doctoral researcher in the unit of Social Work at the University of Turku. In my dissertation, I study the poverty experiences of young people aged 15–21 and their survival in experienced poverty, based on writings and interview data. 

I have a master's degree in social work and I'm also a licensed social worker. I have previously worked as a research assistant, project researcher and university teacher at the University of Turku. I have also previously worked as a social worker in an adult social work unit.

Research

I am working on an article-based doctoral dissertation on youth poverty. In four different articles, I study 15–21-year old young people's experiences of poverty using various qualitative methods, examining how young people define poverty and the methods they use to manage poverty in their everyday lives.

The primary qualitative data for the dissertation is based on a national writing-based research data collection in Finland titled "Young People's Everyday Experiences of Poverty", conducted in 2022. The secondary data for the dissertation consists of research interviews made with young people in Finland.

Publications

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