Suvi Keskinen
- Department of Social Research / Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences
- Appointed to TIAS in 2009
Gender, Ethnicity and Discourses of Violence in Families
The research analyses the discursive construction of violence to ethnic minority women in families, as well as its links to nation-building processes and questions of national belonging. Of special interest is the role of politicization of the violence question to the formation of racial and ethnic relations in the society. Through a comparative analysis of Finland and Denmark the research seeks to identify processes leading to, on one hand, violence to ethnic minority women being treated as a specific, highly politicized issue discussed mainly in relation to migration and integration (Denmark) and, on the other hand, to the topic being mostly included in general discussions and policies on gendered violence in families with rather low degree of politicization (Finland). The research examines how the gender equality discourse features in negotiations on violence, difference and national belonging. The research is based on three kinds of empirical data from both countries: (1) media data; (2) policy documents and action plans on violence in families; (3) thematic interviews with representatives for main political parties, NGOs and professionals working with violence to ethnic minority women. The data will be analysed with discourse analysis.