Department of Social Research

Social Policy, Social Work, Sociology and Economic Sociology form the Department of Social Research. Areas of expertise profiling the departments teaching and research include social divisions and well-being, policy and politics, and cultural phenomena.

Head of Department

Mia

Hakovirta

Professor, Social Work

miahak@utu.fi

+358 29 450 2183

+358 40 751 1168

Vice Head of Department

Kim

Holmberg

Senior Research Fellow, Economic Sociology

kim.j.holmberg@utu.fi

+358 29 450 4924

+358 50 443 7635

Professors

Merja

Anis

Professor

Professor, Social Work

Social work and religion, SOWREL project; Adolescents with neuropsychiatric symptoms, NEPSOS project

Professor, Social Policy

Professor, Social Work

Professor, Social Work

Professor, Social Work

Professor, Social Policy

Professor, Economic Sociology

PhD, title of docent in Sociology/ VTT, dosentti

Professor, Sociology

suvi.salmenniemi@utu.fi

Professor, Department of Social Research

antti.tanskanen@utu.fi

Professor of Practice, Department of Social Research

hanna.tiirinki@utu.fi

+358 29 450 2328

+358 50 593 3864

Teaching staff

Minna

Alin

University Teacher, Social Work

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

Doctoral Researcher, Social Policy

University Teacher, Social Policy

mari.k.anttila@utu.fi

Heidi

Elmgren

University Teacher, Department of Social Research

heidi.elmgren@utu.fi

Camilla

Granholm

PhD in Social Work, University Lecturer

University Lecturer, Social Work

Earlier active in SOSKIELI (2021-2023) research project: https://www.abo.fi/en/project/language-diversity-and-vulnerability-in-social-work-in-the-era-of-digitalisation/ and MULTIPRAX (2022-2024)

camilla.granholm@utu.fi

Helena

Hautala

University Teacher, Social Work

ahhaut@utu.fi

Anne-Mari

Jaakola

PhD Senior Researcher and Lecturer of Social Work

University Lecturer, Social Work

anne-mari.jaakola@utu.fi

University Teacher, Department of Social Research

johannes.kananen@utu.fi

Ph.D., Docent in sociology

University Lecturer, Sociology

University Lecturer, Department of Social Research

University Teacher, Social Work

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

Ongoing research projects on homelessness: ASKE, RADAR, HACL and Homelessness Counts.

University Lecturer, Sociology

University Lecturer, Sociology

University Lecturer, Social Work

Docent, Economic Sociology

University Lecturer, Department of Social Research

University Lecturer, Department of Social Research

Docent, Department of Social Research

Senior Researcher, INVEST Research Flagship Centre

University Teacher, Social Work

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

Teacher, Open University and Continuous Learning

sanni.a.salonen@utu.fi

University Teacher, Social Work

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

anna.siegfrids@utu.fi

University Teacher, Social Policy

Doctoral Researcher, Social Policy

PhD thesis research, Smartland, CaST

VTT / PhD in Social Work

University Lecturer, Social Work

enna.toikka@utu.fi

Minna

Tuominen

Doctor of Social Sciences, Senior researcher

Senior Researcher, INVEST Research Flagship Centre

University Teacher, Sociology

INVEST Research center and flagship (INVEST - INVEST), University of Turku, Finland LEARN (Longitudinal Educational Achievements | University of Helsinki), University of Helsinki, Finland

minna.r.tuominen@utu.fi

Erica

Åberg

University Teacher, Economic Sociology

erica.m.aberg@utu.fi

Researchers

Hamed

Ahmadinia

Ph.D in Information Studies

Senior Researcher, Economic Sociology

Working on science communication and retraction studies in two UTU-based projects on unreliable scientific information, led by Kim Holmberg.

hamed.ahmadinia@utu.fi

Saara

Aho

Project Researcher, Social Work

saara.aho@utu.fi

Sami

Ahonen

Doctoral Researcher, Economic Sociology

sami.ahonen@utu.fi

Santeri

Ahtikari

Doctoral Researcher, Social Policy

Project Researcher, Social Policy

santeri.e.ahtikari@utu.fi

Mari

Anttila

Doctoral Researcher, Social Policy

University Teacher, Social Policy

mari.k.anttila@utu.fi

Özlem

Celik

PhD, TIAS Collegium Fellow

Collegium Researcher, Sociology

Turku Institute for Advanced Studies (TIAS)

The Emergence of Municipal-led Green Financialisation of Urban Development in Sweden and Finland

ozlem.celik@utu.fi

Laleh

Golamrej Eliasi

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

laleh.l.golamrejeliasi@utu.fi

Ossi

Haltia

Doctoral Researcher, Economic Sociology

Project Researcher, Economic Sociology

ossi.m.haltia@utu.fi

Kaiju

Harinen

yliopisto-opettaja / University Teacher at the department of French

Department of Social Research

Member of the research project INTERACT / In the Shadow of Polycrisis. The Lived Experience of Young People in Societies of Intersecting Crises.

kaiju.harinen@utu.fi

Juha

Hedman

Project Researcher, Economic Sociology

Project Researcher, Social Work

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

Social worker as a service selector, decision maker and monitorer in child welfare in-home services; Sustainable social work careers on wellbeing services counties

johanna.e.holappa@utu.fi

Kim

Holmberg

Senior Research Fellow, Economic Sociology

kim.j.holmberg@utu.fi

Senior Researcher, Sociology

paivi.kaipainen@utu.fi

Senior Researcher, Social Work

Financial social work in families among children (VaRa) intervention research / INVEST & Sustainable career paths for social workers / social work

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

Project Researcher, Social Work

meakarv@utu.fi

Teo

Keipi

Senior Researcher, Economic Sociology

Docent, Faculty of Social Sciences

teo.a.keipi@utu.fi

Leena

Koivusilta

Docent, Social Policy

leeko@utu.fi

Iida

Kulmala

Project Researcher, Social Work

Doctoral Researcher, Sociology

iida.e.kulmala@utu.fi

Anna

Kuusela

Doctoral Researcher, Sociology

anna.a.kuusela@utu.fi

Elina

Laine

Senior Researcher, Social Work

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

elina.a.laine@utu.fi

Tiina-Riitta

Lappi

Docent, School of History, Culture and Arts Studies

Department of Social Research

tiina-riitta.lappi@utu.fi

Senior Researcher, Economic Sociology

Research Director, Department of Social Research

Director of Turku Urban Research Programme, Research Director (urban studies)

Project Researcher, Social Policy

Doctoral Researcher, Social Policy

Doctoral Researcher, Sociology

Sociology

elli.w.peltonen@utu.fi

Postdoctoral Researcher, Sociology

terpii@utu.fi

Toni

Rajala

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

Open University and Continuous Learning

toni.j.rajala@utu.fi

Guna

Spurava

Project Researcher, Economic Sociology

guna.spurava@utu.fi

Minna

Taipale

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

Project Researcher, Social Work

Project and doctoral researcher, licensed social worker

Project Researcher, Social Work

sonja.tihverainen@utu.fi

Ilari

Törönen

Research Assistant, Social Policy

ilari.k.toronen@utu.fi

Panagiotis

Venetoklis

Senior Researcher, Social Policy

panven@utu.fi

Robert

Willadsen

Doctoral Researcher, Social Work

rochwi@utu.fi

Department Coordinator

Marja

Andersson

MSc

HR Specialist, Faculty of Social Sciences

marja.andersson@utu.fi

+358 29 450 4756

+358 50 463 6781

Social Policy

Social Work

Sociology

Economic Sociology

Turku Center for Welfare Research

Cultural interaction research network KULTVA

Research Unit for the Sociology of Education, RUSE

Koulutussosiologian tutkimuskeskus sulautunut osaksi sosiaalitieteiden laitosta

In the years 1990–2021, in the University of Turku had Research Unit for the Sociology of Education (RUSE), whose operations merged at the beginning of 2022 with the Department of Social Research and its subjects.

>> Check out the research done at RUSE