Maija
Mäki
Links
Areas of expertise
Biography
I am associate professor in Ethnology and I work as a lecturer in Museum studies. Currently, I lead an urban research project titled "Encounters at the Boundaries of Home" (KOKORA, 2025–2027), as well as projects within the discipline of Museum studies that focus on plant heritage (https://sites.utu.fi/elavakasviperinto/). Furthermore, I am a member of the research team for the project "Nature and Local Environment as Everyday Heritage: Paimio Sanatorium" (BeyondAALTO), funded by the Research Council of Finland (RCF No. 374345, 2026–2030). This project examines the Paimio Sanatorium and its natural surroundings as everyday cultural heritage. I am also involved in a book project titled "Paimio Sanatorium – Waves of Modernism in a Rural Community" (Keskitie Foundation, 2026–2027).
Research
My research interests broadly encompass cultural heritage and tourism as phenomena, often explored through a future-oriented perspective. In recent years, I have focused on urban heritage and issues related to plant heritage. I find participatory and ethnographic methods, eg. sensory ethnography, to be meaningful approaches for conducting research. I am also interested in ways of integrating science and art.