Challenging Power: Equality, Diversity and the Integration of Ethnic and National Minorities in Finland

This research project seeks new ways to understand power around ethnic relations and to reflect on how the commitment to equality could be realised in the Finnish context. The issue will be explored on three interdependent levels:

The first level consists of an empirical assessment of the possibilities of ethnic and national minorities to exercise power within both formal and informal institutions.

The second level focuses on perspectives inside marginalised groups using more ethno-methodological approaches. At this level the symbolic and cultural forms of power exercised by immigrant and minority groups are analysed in order to grasp the contexts in which minority members become activated to participate.

The third level involves a comparative approach with the goal of generating knowledge on why certain groups or parts of certain groups remain outside of the reach of societal empowerment or why they do not seek to participate.

In general terms, the research project will take a critical look at concepts that are commonly used today such as power, empowerment, integration and participation.