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Empowering People towards Socially Inclusive Society

Laurea University of Applied Sciences is a nationally significant authority in the field of expertise-by-experience and in providing practical solutions for marginalization, and the project Empowering People towards Socially Inclusive Society further develops these competences and especially theoretical underpinnings of the area. The project develops theoretical concepts and methodologies that will form the bedrock for practical solutions developed in the project. Co-creation and active stakeholder engagement are inherent in the project design, and naturally experts-of-experience are involved in the studies. In addition to theoretical and practical contributions, the project strives towards a people-centered paradigm shift in the social and health care sector. This kind of approach focuses on the viewpoints and experiences of clients and grassroots-level workers, which will lead to improved wellbeing and more inclusive society.

  • Implementation date1/1/2022 - 6/30/2024
  • FunderOKM Erityisrahoitus
  • Research programmeSustainable and versatile social and health care
  • Project typeMuu / Other project
  • ThemesDigitalisation and information management in society, Pedagogy and cocreation, Ethical competence and foresight competence
  • Project managerSari Heikkinen

Social exclusion is a wicked problem with dire costs for individuals, communities and the social and health care sector. However, previous studies have found expertise-by-experience, an acknowledged form of peer support, to be successful in empowering marginalized people and supporting their inclusion in the society. Laurea University of Applied Sciences is a nationally significant authority in the field of expertise-by-experience and in providing practical solutions for marginalization, and the project Empowering People towards Socially Inclusive Society further develops these competences and especially theoretical underpinnings of the area.

The core of the project consists of 4 studies with separate research themes in different contexts of social marginalization. In addition to these studies, there will be integrating activities for obtaining larger impact. As a whole, the project intends to advance such a paradigm shift in social and health care services, in which the viewpoints and experiences of clients and grassroots-level workers would be the focal point, especially in contexts of marginalization.

Studies:

Study 1: Preventing digital exclusion among vulnerable groups (Virpi Lund, Soile Juujärvi, Birgitta Tetri)
Study 2: Developing the support to children, adolescents and their parents with mental wellbeing challenges (Tiina Putkuri, Mikko Häkkinen, Irene Latva-Korpela)
Study 3: Supporting professional development among experts-by-experience with a history of crime (Janika Lindström, Karoliina Nikula)
Study 4: Supporting wellbeing of employees in elderly care (Tarja Kantola, Soile Juujärvi, Sari Heikkinen)

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