I am an ethnologist interested in the everyday experiences of people and in the ways they tell about them. In my previous research, I have approached cultural heritage by examining ethnological questionnaires and their role in the process of defining cultural heritage. In the 'Touching Collections' project, I am responsible for exploring the emotions stirred by collections among museum audiences and the impact of these emotions on experiences of inclusion or exclusion.
I am an ethnologist interested in material culture and the processes of constructing cultural heritage. In my doctoral thesis Neulonnan taito (Skill of Knitting) I examined the individual and societal meanings, as well as power dynamics related to knitting in Finland from the late 19th century to the present day. My research also delved into the processes of enriching museum collections and the traditional image conveyed by these collections. In the Touching Collections project, I focus particularly on the potential of cultural heritage to generate personal and collective experiences of belonging, understanding of foreign cultures, and serving as a bridge for acclimatizing to new cultural environments.
I have a PhD in European Ethnology from the University of Helsinki, but I also consider myself partly a museologist. In museums I am particularly interested in the stories and people behind the scenes. I also delved into these themes in my own doctoral thesis, which dealt with changes in museum work and practices in Finland in the late 20th century. In the Touching Collections project my main responsibility is to examine the perspectives of museum workers.
I received my PhD in Spring 2023 at the University of Turku. My research topic was the Finnish kink community from the points of view of belonging, everyday life, and affects. Currently I am interested in delving further into affects related to cultural heritage.