Research at TCLS
The key research interests at TCLS relate to contemporary economy and society, bringing together interdisciplinary exchange of scholarship associated with economic sociology, sociology, science and technology studies (STS) and philosophy of science, in order to address complexity of topics such as platformization as a new social order, its’ forms and varieties, and expertise, expert work and academia. We use innovative and varied methodological approaches and critical analysis in research.
Read more about the unit's research profile in the summary that opens by clicking on the picture.
Research projects at TCLS
Digital Society – Exploring critical junctures and breakages
The Digital Society project addresses the various facets of digitalised society and economy, new forms of digitalised work and its organising in society.
The project is internationally networked with comparative data gathering, international collaboration and publishing. The project provides analytical interdisciplinary answers with a strong future orientation to the questions of how digitalisation is changing societies through all the new arrangements.
Read more on project's website: https://digitalsociety.fi/
The ReGrow - Reigniting growth through innovation project, funded by Business Finland between 2020 and 2022, addressed the key challenges to the current growth paradigm and searched for novel policy levers to increase the effectiveness of innovation in a landscape of global turmoil following the pandemic.
Read more on project's website: https://regrow.fi/
SWiPE research consortium studied work, entrepreneurship and education in the new platform economy and produces knowledge to support societal decision making.
Visit SWiPE website to learn more.
The Knowledge Governance project analyses new forms of academic knowledge production from various perspectives, with special focus on the modes of collaboration of academy/university with its external partners. Another emphasis is on developing innovative and multidisciplinary research initiatives at University of Turku, and in this, the central ambition will be in promoting science and technology studies by both internal alliances and collaboration between different faculties and units, and external, international alliances and co-operation.
Visit Knowledge Governance website to learn more.
International research collaboration
Visiting Professors
Professor Valeria Pulignano (KU Leuven, BE) and Professor Emeritus Steven Vallas (Northeastern University, US) are visiting professors at Turku Centre for Labour Sciences TCLS.
Professor Valeria Pulignano is Professor in Sociology at the Centre for Sociological Research (CESO) - KU Leuven. She has published extensively on topics related to the sociology of work, comparative European industrial (employment) relations, labour markets and inequality, working conditions, job quality and workers’ voice. She is PI of a ERC Advanced Grant ResPecTMe where she studies the forms of unpaid labour in the platform economy, creative industries and care.
Professor Emeritus Steven Vallas is Professor of Sociology at Northeastern University in Boston. Most of his research is concerned with the transformation of work, struggles over new technologies, and responses to the demands of the new economy. He is currently at work on an NSF-funded study of the algorithmic workplace, focusing on ride hailing, home maintenance, courier, and caregiving platforms.
Researchers Seppo Poutanen and Anne Kovalainen were invited to participate in an ESRC-funded international research project at Lancaster University's Faculty of Education. The ESRC project 'Universities and Unicorns: building digital assets in the higher education industry' has produced a conference in Lancaster in 2023, as well as co-publications during 2024.
Researchers Seppo Poutanen and Anne Kovalainen have been invited to the University of Cambridge, Clare Hall College, as visiting researchers. The visit will take place in the academic year 2024-25. During the visit, Kovalainen and Poutanen will participate in the research activities of Clare Hall College, give presentations in the multidisciplinary scientific community also at other Cambridge University Colleges, and continue research related to the introduction of economics and society.
TCLS organises biannually an international, multidisciplinary WORK conference on work and working life research.
For more information on the conference and previous conferences, please visit WORK conferences - Multidisciplinary working life research in an international network.