Turun Yliopisto/ University of Turku (UTURKU), Finland
Organisation:
The Social Sciences Faculty at Turku University, launched in 1967, offers facilities for the study of all the central social science disciplines, and of psychology. There are ten subjects available as majors within the Faculty: the social science disciplines of philosophy, contemporary political history, political science, social policy, social work, sociology, economic sociology, logopedics and statistics; the Master’s programme in biostatistics; and psychology. In addition, the Faculty operates several multidisciplinary programmes with a problem-centred approach, such as Asian Studies, European Studies, and postgraduate programmes in migration and multiculturalism, or in social gerontology. There are at present altogether 1800 students working for degrees within the Faculty, one sixth of these in graduate school beyond the Master’s degree. At the undergraduate level the Faculty offers both the Bachelor’s and the Master’s degree (in Finland most university curricula lead without a break to the Master’s level). In 2010 social policy, social work, sociology, economic sociology and statistics formed the Department of Social Research.
Tasks assigned:
UTURKU will lead work package 1 and will also be involved in 9 and 13.
Previous experience:
The Department of Social Policy together with Turku Centre for Welfare Research (TCWR) and Prof. Ritakallio have been involved in several international and domestic (Finnish) research projects, e.g.
- “Poverty and social exclusion survey (Finland) project”, which still continues. During the project has been done in Finnish conditions large survey data collections at 1995, 2000, 2005 and 2010. This allows reliable analysis of trends of poverty in Finland. Several national contributors. (directed by Ritakallio)
- EU COST A15 “Reforming Social Policies”. Finnish country delegate at working group II: Outcomes of the Social Policy Reforms in Europe 2001-2004.
- “Welfare State Institutions, Labour markets and Poverty. A comparative study of EU countries and the United States 1994-1999”. Directed by professor Olli Kangas Social Forskningsinstitut, Denmark.
- “Child Poverty in Large Families”. Directed by professor Jonathan Bradshaw (2004-2005). Financed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
- “Sustainable Social Policy”. Directed by professor Joakim Palme Institute for Future Studies, Sweden.
Report: “The new social patterning of poverty in Europe: Cross-national and cross-temporal changes (with Johan Fritzell) 2004-2005. - “Reassessment of the Nordic Welfare Model” directed by Professor Björn Hvinden Nova, Norway.
Nordic Centre of Excellence in Welfare Research (NCoE, in welfare research) 2007-2012, Ritakallio is a member of the board and head of a stream: “Changing Patterns of Poverty and Social Exclusion in the Nordic Countries”.
Staff involved in the project:
