WHO WE ARE?
I am a senior research fellow at the University of Oulu, Faculty of Education, and associate professor of the University of Turku. Combining new materialist theories, gender studies, educational sciences, the arts and Sámi studies, my research investigates the political, ethical and methodological affordances of co-productive, arts-based methods and activism in exploring and addressing the unequal power relations of children and young people—and in generating possibilities for sustainable change in those cultures. Moreover, my research examines the cross-generational transmission of trauma among the Sámi as a consequence of settler colonialism. I lead the Academy of Finland research project Mapping Making and Mattering: Arts and research-activism for addressing sexual harassment in pre-teen peer cultures (2019-23), and the University of Oulu flagship project Intervening in Sexual Harassment in Primary School: How Arts and Research Activism Matter (2022 –2025). I also lead the research collective FIRE – Fostering Intra-activist Response-able Research for Education, revolving around the aforementioned theme areas.
Learn more:
https://www.oulu.fi/university/researcher/tuija-huuki
University of Oulu,
Faculty of Education,
Gender Studies
Senior research fellow, Assoc. Prof. /docent,
TUIJA HUUKI
I work as a post-doctoral researcher in gender studies at the University of Oulu, for which I also defended my doctorate in 2018. My research is currently focused on how sensitive issues such as harassment can be researched, addressed, and communicated to decision-makers and the wider public with children and young people in a safe and ethically sustainable manner. At the same time, my interest is also a little boarder. When we do research, we often get to hear and address issues that really matter to the participants and communities in the research. That is why how we research and what we do with research is incredibly important. In my work, I am fundamentally interested in how we understand the ethics and ethical sustainability of research, and in exploring methods that might help us strengthen them in our research practices.
Learn more:
University of Oulu,
Faculty of Education,
Gender Studies
Dr. Postdoctoral researcher,
SUVI PIHKALA
I work as a post-doctoral researcher at the Gender Research unit, University of Oulu. I defended my PhD in Education (Majoring in Educational Psychology) in 2019. Over the past 12 years, my research focus has been on the sexual violence experienced by children and young people. This research emphasis also continues in my current and future research. I use feminist new materialist theories to explore the potential of art-based methods in investigating, addressing and identification of experiences of sexual violence experienced by children and young people. Second, I will develop pedagogical material for teachers to identify, prevent and address sexual violence. I believe that generating new knowledge about the mechanisms and terminology of sexism and sexual violence is a key to building a safer world for children and young people.
Learn more:
www.oulu.fi/yliopisto/tutkija/helena-louhela
University of Oulu,
Faculty of Education,
Gender Studies
Dr. Post-doctoral researcher,
HELENA LOUHELA
I have a Master’s degree in Education and I am a class teacher currently working in the University of Oulu Gender studies research group as a doctoral researcher. In my dissertation I use arts-based methods to explore the ways in which elementary school girls become attached to and detached from children's romantic and sexual peer cultures. Furthermore, I am interested in how the normative gendered relationship cultures of primary school children can be skewed or acted upon. In my research, I utilize feminist, new materialist approaches to examine children’s relationship cultures and the gendered power relations associated with them, considering how these phenomena evolve in the interplays of various temporal, local, and material factors such as everyday objects and the school environment. My research aims to increase understanding of the relationship cultures of primary school children and to help those working with children to identify and address the potential for change associated with them.
Learn more:
University of Oulu,
Faculty of Education,
Gender Studies
Doctoral researcher,
EVELIINA PUUTIO
I am doctoral researcher in the University of Oulu. My PhD research focuses on posthuman literacies and emergent life-affirming events in the margins. In my research I am interested in minority perspectives and postqualitative methodologies.
Learn more:
University of Oulu,
Faculty of Education,
Gender Studies
Doctoral researcher,
PÄIVI JOKINEN
I am a doctoral researcher in the University of Oulu, Faculty of Education, Gender Studies research group. My educational background is in pedagogy and psychology, and I have always had an interest in arts. My doctoral research explores how arts-based methods can be used when working with children on sensitive topics. Many times, it’s difficult to express traumatic events through words or talk about taboo issues. I am exploring how arts come in the place where words are insufficient, and how each component in the artmaking process matters. I use participatory arts-based activities to collect data with children. Education and arts are my passions, so I aim to impact children’s and education specialists’ lives by my research.
Learn more:
University of Oulu,
Faculty of Education,
Gender Studies
Doctoral researcher,
MARIAN TUMANYAN
I have a master's degree in social sciences, majoring sociology. I am currently working at the University of Oulu Gender studies research group as a doctoral researcher. As a part of the research collective, I have e.g. built creative workshop spaces and curated exhibitions of children's artwork. In my doctoral research, I explore the intertwinings and possibilities of art-based methods and activism in supporting equal peer relations for children and young people. I examine art research and relationship cultures from a feminist neo-materialist perspective.
University of Oulu,
Faculty of Education,
Gender Studies
Doctoral researcher,
SATU SUVANTO
I have a master's degree in education, and I´m also early childhood education teacher, visual artist, environmental educator and environmental operative. I work at the University of Oulu's Faculty of Educational Sciences in the gender studies group as a doctoral researcher. In my research, I am interested in how art based methods and art based research activism (artivism) can promote, support and develop teachers' pedagogical skills and the school community, and how these can be used to communicate more broadly in society. My research focuses on the development of creative transformative and equality-oriented relationship education from the perspective of teachers. In my research, I use neomaterialist feminist research, diffractive methodology and art orientation. I am also interested in the possibilities of posthumanism and eco-social education to renew our way of thinking, e.g. regarding education and educational policy decisions.
University of Oulu,
Faculty of Education,
Gender Studies
Doctoral researcher,
EEVA-MARIA KORHONEN
Media producer,
SAMI HÄNNINEN
Kulttuurivoimala
- Culture Power Station ry / Visiokonsultit AY
I am a multi-skilled media professional with my strongest areas of expression in film and photography. In addition, I compose and produce music. I have years of work experience in the media as well as in social and health sectors. Therefore, I feel one of my biggest strengths is in social interaction, for example in video interviews or photo shoots. Technology is just a tool, and art is born of human interaction. Sociality and communality are strongly reflected in my productions.
Senior researcher, docent, PhD,
JUKKA LEHTONEN
University of Oulu,
Faculty of Education,
Gender Studies
I have a title of docent in Sociology of Education, and I work in Faculty of Education in the University of Oulu. I am part of research collective FIRE, and I work in research project ”Mapping, Making & Mattering: Arts and research-activism for addressing sexual harassment in pre-teen peer cultures”. My research focus is sexuality and gender diversity in comprehensive school. I have researched gender and sexuality in education and work environment from 1990s onwards. I work also in the University of Helsinki (Gender Studies).
See also
Research potral, Orcid