Sofia Laine, Youth researcher with wild visions

Text Minna hiidensaari images sami perttilä English translation Marko Saajanaho

What would happen if we decided to form a circle and give everyone equal time to speak at meetings? What would happen to the connections between species and our communities if we held our meetings outdoors and participated with our bodies, not just talking heads? What if our planet is out of balance because we have lacked a more holistic, psycho-physical approach to our environment? What kind of information would we discover about the planet through our senses?

Finnish Youth Research Society’s Research Professor Sofia Laine asked these questions at a symposium held in Strasbourg, focused on young people, democracy, and the climate crisis. The event, organised by European Council and European Union cooperative body Youth Partnership, was not only talk, as some action was also taken. Some of the workshops were held on yoga mats, and the methodology included studying environmental feelings present. During her speech, Laine led a mindfulness exercise for all symposium participants.

”We must secure life opportunities for future generations. As long as this is not the number one priority, my mission is not complete.”

Laine completed her doctoral thesis in 2012 from an ethnographic research angle about young people’s participation in international, political meetings.

“I am very much an ethnographer. I want to get into the real environments young people live in.”

She is delighted of her accolade from the standpoint of several research angles and communities. The Academic of the Year has never been chosen from global development research, youth research, or Dance/Movement Therapy.

“The dance/movement therapist in me has this to say to the scientific world: Physicality brings an important contrast to the fundamental stiffness of doing science. Even in the scientific world, there should be room for joy, play, utopias, and wild visions.”

Laine sees youth research as essential for our time.

“We need systematic, multidisciplinary cooperation to solve the sustainability transition. We must secure life opportunities for future generations. As long as this is not the number one priority, my mission is not complete.”

According to Laine, constructive and more holistic approaches are needed to solve the climate crisis. She cites the terminology of Minna Salami’s book Sensuous Knowledge: A Black Feminist Approach for Everyone.

“We need sensuous knowledge and facing difficult issues together. Extreme rationality is not enough, and formulaic, unilaterally western-focused, euro-patriarchal hierarchy will not bring about the change we need.”

Planetary youth researcher

Since 2022, Laine has worked as a Research Professor at the Finnish Youth Research Society. Prior to this, she had worked in the Society in a variety of roles since 2003.

“The professorship is my first permanent position.”

Research professor recruitment was international.

“The planetary perspective was considered as the most essential aspect in my selection as a professor. Climate-related issues are urgent.”

“The Finnish Youth Research Society is small, flexible, critical, independent, multidisciplinary, and funded by multiple sources. A comparable research organization structure cannot be found anywhere in the world.”

The Society has a unique operating model.

“The Finnish Youth Research Society is small, flexible, critical, independent, multidisciplinary, and funded by multiple sources. A comparable research organization structure cannot be found anywhere in the world.”

Laine has conducted research in youth research projects from the Tampere University, the University of Helsinki, the Juvenia unit of the South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, to name a few examples.

”The Finnish Youth Research Society has provided space for bold thinking, agility, and new initiatives. The organizational structure is lighter than in larger institutions, and highlighting societal injustices is possible based on our research.”

Laine is worried about the efficiency measures, fixed-term contracts, competition, and tenure track race at universities.

“With that, you may have to ask if you want to live or work. I would like for higher education institutions to take a broader look at their students and employees.”

Mascots, threats, or individuals?

Laine’s interest in social phenomena led her to study sociology in the early days of her first-degree programme. The spark towards youth research was especially ignited by Emerita Professor Helena Helve’s article, “Ystävämme kettu” (lit. “Our Friend the Fox”). At the time, animal activists known as kettutytöt (lit. “fox girls”) were highly visible in media.

“When reading the article, I thought ‘Can you actually listen and analyse young people and the motives behind their actions like this, too?’ Helve wanted to hear and see what kind of values, attitudes, and ideologies young people have.”

Laine asks what there is to gain by leaving young people outside social discourse and decision-making.

“For example, mascotism and tokenism is often associated with young environmental activists. Greta Thunberg is gladly included but unfortunately, people just primarily take photos with her instead of proactively trying to solve the environmental emergency problems she brings up. Climate anxiety rises among young people when they have to sit and watch as adults fail to make the necessary decisions and young people themselves have no power.”

“Young environmental activists challenge and rebel against the status quo, looking more for justice rather than consensus. They do not primarily think from the perspective of business profits.”

“Young environmental activists challenge and rebel against the status quo, looking more for justice rather than consensus. They do not primarily think from the perspective of business profits.”

Bringing forth the authentic voice of youth in as many different forms as possible is one potential dimension of co-research conducted with young people. Laine is motivated by young people’s participation in the knowledge production about themselves.

“We cannot afford to lose even single youth or single generation. Every young person has enormous potential. However, young people fall between children and adults from society’s point of view, and often they are seen as threats or concerns. While some phenomenon may be seen as a disruption in social discourse, a youth researcher may identify an intriguing research question.

Including the artistic voice

This year, Laine has worked with, among others, NUOLI – the young people’s climate change and nature group under the Prime Minister’s Office. The task of this group is to support ministries in the planning, implementation, and impact assessment of young people’s inclusion as well as ensure the preservation of conditions allowing for a safe and sustainable future for young people, future generations, and nature as a whole.

“At the initiative of the youth in the NUOLI group, we created a survey for young organisational actors in the spring. Together, we have now analysed, written, and reported our first findings both to the youth themselves and in scientific forums. The survey responses reveal, among other things, that young people would like to be more involved in research collaboration.”

Pandemics are part of the environmental crisis. New pandemics are expected to result from deforestation and intensive farming. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Finnish Youth Research Society carried out a large-scale study of young people’s lives amidst the pandemic via the type of expression of their choice.

“In that stage of life when young people were supposed to be reaching out to the wider world, they had to stay home without peer support or the ability to practice freedom. In the worst case, their sociability was broken. Many did not get to experience how we interact in communities. The images, poems and essays created by young people for the research are extremely touching. They can be found in our extensive publication, Nuoruus korona-ajan kaupungissa (engl. “Youth in the city during te Corona ERA ), which is freely available online.”

She also reminds us that the support role art and culture play in mental health is rarely brought up.

“Those are a cost-effective way to maintain your mental health.”