Pertti Alasuutari

1 Jan 2009–31 Dec 2013

Pertti Alasuutari combines in his work the perspectives of humanities and social science research. His numerous textbooks and scientific publications have contributed to raising Finland’s profile in international social science research. Alasuutari’s main research interests lie in the cultural aspects of social life, everyday life and identity, media reception and audiences, the cultural dimensions of globalisation, social and cultural theory and the methods of social science research and cultural studies. All of these lines of work hold both practical and theoretical interest.

The focus of Alasuutari’s research in the field of cultural studies is on the associations between global and national cultures and on how their interdependencies are changing. In his research project Alasuutari is interested in how global culture is being shaped in nation-states, in how national and individual identities are changed by various factors in today’s global economy, and in how individuals deal with these changes. His project is divided into three parts. The first is concerned with the transformation of political processes into everyday practices. A major focus in the second part is on how the Finnish Government’s policy programmes contribute to renewing administration; this also includes case descriptions of the policy programme for the well-being of children, youth and families. The third part of the project is concerned with changes in cultural policy and taste preferences.