Social positioning and cultural capital : An ethnographic analysis of Estonian and Russian language social media discussion groups in Finland
Permalink
Citation
Sippola , M M , Kingumets , J & Tuhkanen , L 2021 , ' Social positioning and cultural capital : An ethnographic analysis of Estonian and Russian language social media discussion groups in Finland ' , International Journal of Intercultural Relations , vol. 86 , pp. 36-45 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.10.005
| Title: | Social positioning and cultural capital : An ethnographic analysis of Estonian and Russian language social media discussion groups in Finland |
| Author: | Sippola, Markku Matias; Kingumets, Jaanika; Tuhkanen, Liisa |
| Contributor organization: | Faculty of Social Sciences |
| Date: | 2021-11-14 |
| Language: | eng |
| Number of pages: | 10 |
| Belongs to series: | International Journal of Intercultural Relations |
| ISSN: | 0147-1767 |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2021.10.005 |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10138/336612 |
| Abstract: | Cultural capital can act as an asset for migrants in a host society, and it can be negotiated and validated in contact with the majority and minority population groups. These negotiations can occur discursively, such as in social media discussions. This study analyses minority members’ discursive social positioning in social media discussions that take place in Facebook groups aimed at two of Finland’s larger minority groups, Estonian- and Russian-speaking. The ethnographic analysis draws on Bourdieu’s forms of cultural capital: the embodied, institutional and objectified forms. Along with validating the framework, we empirically confirmed the central role of the embodied cultural capital with regard to enhancing one’s social position in host-country. The ability to grasp the host society’s normative, often unwritten, rules by a process of socialisation was presented as the key to ‘correctly’ locating oneself in the Finnish society. Present in our analysis were the resources relating to education, taste and language. Besides serving as a means for positioning, these resources were employed in making distinctions. Accounts of familiarity and expressions of Finnish taste also offered the discussants the opportunity to highlight their cultural resources. |
| Subject: |
5141 Sociology
Cultural capital Ethnocultural minorities Social positioning Social media discussions 5143 Social and cultural anthropology |
| Peer reviewed: | Yes |
| Rights: | cc_by |
| Usage restriction: | openAccess |
| Self-archived version: | publishedVersion |
Files in this item
Total number of downloads: Loading...
| Files | Size | Format | View |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sippola_etal2021.pdf | 413.5Kb |
View/ |
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
-
Articles from TUHAT system
[53185]
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
(2017)With a purpose to comprehend intention-behaviour gap about acceptance of solar energy and solar community concept (houses and/or block of flats under specific solar power plant) among Finnish respondents, this qualitative study found respondents’ positive responses towards solar energy and their rationality and honesty in admitting their real behaviour. It focuses on the qualitative interpretation of individual’s intention that corresponds to specific behaviour. In terms of their ‘impression in principle’ by thinking solar energy as a non-polluting, inexhaustible and renewable energy source although all respondents were positive, the highest numbers were non-adopters. However, they were optimists. They mentally accepted (acceptance in principle) solar energy. They would adopt it later on after being satisfied with their most contextual conditions (‘impression in practical’). This study provides recommendations that indicate more future adoption and future research direction.
-
(Helsingin yliopisto, 2018)This research examines how social work lecturers and fourth-year students reflect on the journey towards becoming a social worker in the Zambian context, and how the challenges the students face can be understood. Through a case study approach, the research aims to capture the becoming that occurs during the years of education, before the students graduate and enter the field as professionals. The 'becoming' is approached as a process of identity formation, influenced by interconnected external and interior dimensions. The research examines the challenges that the students and lecturers face, both within the training but also in society at large. The concept of becoming is used as a key tool when trying to capture the transition from student to professional. Since the process of becoming is considered to be connected to time, change and transition, the informants have been asked to reflect on the past, the present and the future. The informants discuss their career choice, the training provided at the institution and the professions current status within the Zambian society. The research framework has a postcolonial approach and constitutes of Margaret Archer's theory on reflexivity and Henry Giroux's thoughts on the crisis of higher education. Due to the lack of previous research within this topic, the importance of both contextualising the research, as well as addressing the professions Western roots is emphasised. The study argues that the impacts of colonialism has to be considered when trying to understand and connect the prevailing rhetoric and practices of social work in general. The question of whether the western theories and methods really are applicable in the Zambian context is raised. The concept of indigenous social work and the struggle to localise the profession is discussed in relation to the idea of a standardised, universal and international profession. The empirical phase of the research was carried out in Lusaka in June and July 2017. Eight semi-structured individual interviews with lecturers in social work and one group interview with five fourth-year social work students were conducted at the University of Zambia. A questionnaire completed by 34 fourth-year students in social work was used as a third source of data. The data has been analysed through a thematic approach. The themes were abstracted mainly through a qualitative thematic content analysis, however a quantitative content analysis was also used on the questionnaire to provide the study with an overview of the educational context. The analysis starts with examining how the university training shapes the students’ processes of becoming professional social workers. The lack of teaching resources and the hierarchy within the institution are discussed topics. Further on the analysis examines the informants’ thoughts on the future, both for the graduating students as well as for the profession. One of the main themes that run through the findings is the profession's lack of recognition and resources, which affects the students and practitioners in many ways. The lack of a clear policy for social services as well as the absence of institutional guidance are also challenges that affect the Zambian welfare system and the people working within it. According to the study, these challenges have resulted in a struggle for the profession to form a collective identity and maintain a certain level of professionalism. Another common thread is the need for contextualisation of the profession, meaning redesigning the profession and the education to better fit the local context and decrease the western influences. To conclude, the biggest challenges for both the social work profession in Zambia as well as for the graduating students were said to be the lack of recognition, resources, regulation and local academic knowledge. This study maps out these challenges and how they are positioned in relation to each other.