The quest for a good life: young people’s wellbeing in Northern Finland

Research output: ThesisDoctoral ThesisCollection of Articles

Abstract

This ethnographic study focuses on young people’s perspectives on wellbeing in northern Finland. It highlights the importance of anthropological contributions to studies on Arctic youth and urges a more nuanced understanding of young people’s aspirations when they are in the process of deciding whether to stay in or leave their rural home town. Theoretically, the work draws on the debates on anthropological wellbeing and links these to concepts of relations, arguing for a shift from rigid definitions of wellbeing towards a more fluid understanding of the concept. In examining youth wellbeing in detail and from multiple perspectives, the thesis reveals the adaptive potential of the region’s youth. The empirical examples demonstrate varying relations on the part of young people that go beyond their relation to place. Salient considerations figuring in youth wellbeing span close relations to nature, home communities, family, friends, work, education, safety, welfare state and well-working infrastructures. Significantly, the multi-sited research brought to light that considerations relating to where and how to live, work and study lie at the core of young people’s decision-making about their futures. In this light, young people’s agency and age become an important focus in exploring mobility, immobility and lifestyle migration. The five articles presented in this thesis provide distinct answers to the question of what young people consider to be the building blocks of a good life. Through this contribution, the work closes gaps in empirically grounded ethnographic studies of youth wellbeing and provides a novel perspective on the present anthropological understanding of wellbeing.
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDoctor of Social Sciences
Awarding Institution
  • University of Vienna
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Schweitzer, Peter, Supervisor, External person
  • Stammler, Florian, Supervisor
Place of PublicationWien
Publisher
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023
Externally publishedYes
MoEC publication typeG5 Doctoral dissertation (article)

Keywords

  • Arctic Youth
  • Youth Well-being
  • Finnish Lapland
  • Youth Mobility
  • rural stayers
  • arctic
  • Northern Finland
  • rural youth
  • lifestyle migration

Field of science

  • Social and Culture Antropology

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