Sociology
Sociology is a general social science that studies the relationships between individuals and society. It examines social relations and institutions, conditions of action that society provides for individuals and groups, and how these conditions change. Sociology has also a critical task: it deals with grievances and contradictions and the struggles and interpretations related to them.
Sociology at the University of Turku focuses on the following research areas:
Politics: We study political imagination and utopias, social movements, social theory and politics of knowledge, polarisation and political economy.
Social inequality: We examine inequalities related to class, gender and race/ethnicity, inequality related to appearance, inequality of education and intergenerational transmittance of inequality.
Gender: Our research addresses educational and occupational gender segregation, gender identities, the relationship between appearance and gender, and feminist politics and theory.
Health and wellbeing: We study health policy, welfare state, health-related expertise and contestation, and therapeutic culture.
Work: Our research focuses on gendered divisions in the labour market and the changing concepts and structures of work in sustainability transformation.
Culture: We are interested in questions of consumption, lifestyle, social norms, agency, trauma and experientiality.
Our sociologists have multifaceted expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methods. Our research is also characterised by a strong theoretical orientation. We are actively involved in national and international research networks, and interact with society.
The chair of Sociology at the University of Turku is the oldest one in Finland. It has been established in 1926.
Professors
Uno Harva (1926–1949)
Esko Aaltonen (1951–1963)
Yrjö Littunen (1963–1964)
Antti Eskola (1965)
Erkki Asp (1968–1995)
Ari Haavio (1970–1995)
Seppo Pöntinen (1997–2010)
Harri Melin (2003–2008)
Hannu Ruonavaara (2010–)
Jani Erola (2012–)