Keyword: Sociology

Social relationships are formed unequally according to class background even in relatively egalitarian Finland, as shown in Minna Tuominen's doctoral research. Particularly trust, which is strongly linked to well-being, varies by social class, accumulating more among the highly educated and better-off classes. Especially vulnerable are those in lower education and income groups, as well as immigrants, who often rely on relatively fewer social relationships.

The Academy of Finland has granted a continued funding of over 9 million euros to the Inequalities, Interventions and New Welfare State Flagship INVEST. The funding period extends until 2026. The international review panel which completed a mid-term review of the Flagship found its activities excellent and very successful while also considering its plans for the future promising.

The corona crisis affects the well-being, learning and education of children and adolescents in many different ways. It is likely that in most children, the long-term disadvantages of the corona crisis are related to the economic and social impacts on families with children. However, it is possible to minimise the detrimental effects on their well-being. For example, the negative effects of parental unemployment on children's education are most effectively reduced by preventing unemployment itself.

The Finnish welfare system is a success story enjoying global admiration. However, there is one central deficit in the current welfare system: it does not sufficiently help families with accumulated disadvantages. The goal of the INVEST project’s researchers is to build a Welfare State 2.0 in which disadvantages are tackled with targeted interventions.

With the help of a multidisciplinary register and questionnaire study, Finnish researchers showed that both the educational level and its occupational orientation predict the mother’s smoking during early pregnancy.

The research project Inequalities, Interventions, and New Welfare State (INVEST) of the University of Turku has received significant funding.