Violence in families, migrancy and the Finnish welfare state (2006-2009)

Responsible researcher: Suvi Keskinen

Funding: UTACAS, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Scandinavian Research Council for Criminology

The research focuses on violence to migrant women in families and the Finnish welfare state as a social context for this. Firstly, the study examines how abused migrant women negotiate their identities, spaces for agency and questions of citizenship. Secondly, the research explores media representations, policies and welfare state practices. The aim is to examine what kind of images of violence to migrant women are created, how are the issues tackled and how are gender, ‘race', ethnicity and nation constructed in these discursive practices.

The empirical data in the research consists of interviews with abused migrant women, interviews with professionals working with violence (police, social work, shelters and other NGOs), newspaper data and policy texts.