Research Professor
+358 44 416 5374
sofia.laine@youthresearch.fi
Sofia Laine is a Research Professor at the Finnish Youth Research Society, Finland. The Academic of the Year 2024 recognition was awarded to Laine by the Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers. She has a PhD in Development Studies and has actively worked and published on issues related to (more) global youth research, youth engagement and more recently on the concept of planetary youth research. She is also a Dance Movement Therapist (DMT), a resource for developing artistic and creative embodied techniques for conducting youth research. She is the author and editor of several academic books and anthologies.
Planetary youth research
Her main ongoing project focuses on planetary youth research. Planetary youth research is a new framework proposal in youth research (Laine 2023) that encourages youth research to turn towards a ‘global ethics’ through its four dimenstions:
1) Youth research co-working with young people. Youth research is one of the key disciplines engaged in listening to, collaborating with and studying the young generations, and therefore it has crucial role when co-developing best practices to involve young people in society, research and politics today and in the future. The future of the planet, including of Homo sapiens, necessitates the greater involvement of young generations in discussions and decisions about the future—their future. Currently, Laine is working together with members from the young people’s climate change and nature group (NUOLI) under Prime Minister’s Office. The initiative for their co-working came from the youth. The youth planned a survey for diversity of youth organisations that participated in the Youth Climate Summit 2023.
2) Studies on young people’s planetary citizenship and postcolonial youth research. This dimension underlines the importance for the youth research to elaborate methodological cosmopolitanism, decolonial and postcolonial approaches, and more global youth research. This dimension analyses also the possibilities of “planetary citizenship” (see Salonen et al. 2024). Existing geopolitical inequalities in knowledge production between the Global North and the Global South should be disrupted by giving greater recognition to Southern theories and allowing them to take on a new role. Currently, Laine is continuing the collaboration with Moroccan and Algerian, jointly studying a gardening school for young people in Morocco. This collaboration began during the Academy of Finland-funded What Works project.
3) Multi-species studies on young people in relation to their planetary wellbeing and “planetary praxis”. Here Laine proposes applying indigenous and ecofeminist research methods into youth research. She also encourages studies on eco-social pedagogy, as well as studies on young people’s environmental attitudes and nature connectedness. With upper secondary schools in Finland Laine has started to build together with young people something that is called “Planetary Garden Field Station”. Planetary Garden is new multi-species way of thinking (see Clément 2021) how to protect all kinds of life, and simultaneously grow food corps with minimal harm to other species. Planetary garden is like a miniature of the whole planet, teaching to take care of it, respecting all kinds of life, seen here as one practical solution of “planetary praxis” (see Heikkinen et al. 2024).
4) Studies on new environmental ethics: action, emotional engagement and self-care. The importance of embodied arts and collective creative movements in coping with, adapting to and living with the ecological crisis is explored in this dimentsion. Laine has been elaborating e.g. Trebbe Johnsson’s Radical Joy for Hard Times practice (see the story-birds on the map over Finland). Social rituals strengthen more-than-human relations and open a collective space for environmental ethical work on the era of climate catastrophe. Here research also asks, how to live within social and planetary boundaries, what are the alternative economies, and what kind of consumption corridor studies would be beneficial in youth studies. The process model of eco-anxiety and ecological grief (Pihkala 2022) is highly relevant here. Recently, together with Panu Pihkala and Juni Sinkkonen Laine wrote a blog on how Environmental Emotions Arrived in European Youth Policy – Youth research (nuorisotutkimus.fi).
Other main fields of research
Laine’s research also focuses on young people’s leisure activities in public and semi-public spaces, including themes on youth, control and crime. In this theme, her latest co-authored articles include The Social Compass Guiding the Movement of Young People in and Between Urban Spaces (springer.com) together with Eila Kauppinen and Sirpa Tani. With Eila Kauppinen and Aino Tormulainen she also published Encountering Young People in Detached Youth Work in Finland in Child and Youth Services journal (please ask for the full article if you do not have access). During the Covid-19 pandemic, together with Eila Kauppinen and Tommi Hoikkala, Laine led an extensive study on young people’s leisure activities and detached youth work. Laine was the PI of the ethnographic teamwork and editing process of a large book (in Finnish) analysing the topic multi-dimensionally.
Currently, Laine is also editing Youth Barometer 2025 together with statistical researcher Konsta Happonen.
ORCHID:Sofia Laine (0000-0003-4153-8344) – ORCID
ResearchGate: (16) Sofia Laine (researchgate.net)
A Peer-reviewed scientific articles in English
Kauppinen, Eila & Tani, Sirpa & Laine, Sofia (2024) The social compass guiding the movement of young people in and between urban spaces. International Journal of the Sociology of Leisure, Special Issue “Youth cultures, leisure and space”. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41978-024-00166-0
Kauppinen, Eila & Tormulainen, Aino & Laine, Sofia (2024) Encountering young people in detached youth work in Finland. Child & Youth Services. https://doi.org/10.1080/0145935X.2024.2336902
Laine, Sofia (2023) New Framework Proposal: Planetary Youth Research. Youth and Globalization 5(1), 15-43. https://doi.org/10.1163/25895745-bja10027, Special Issue “Re-envisioning youth in times of global risks”.
Salmi-Niklander, Kirsti & Savolainen, Ulla & Taavetti, Riikka & Laine, Sofia & Salmesvuori, Päivi (2022) Approaching localized politics of European memories. In Kirsti Salmi-Niklander & Sofia Laine & Päivi Salmesvuori & Ulla Savolainen & Riikka Taavetti (eds.) Friction, Fragmentation, and Diversity: Localized Politics of European Memories. Leiden: Amsterdam University Press, 9-23. (open access)
Laine, Sofia & Myllylä, Martta (2019) Political chronotopes of youth engagmenet: Towards more inclusive and enabling environments. In Elena Sánchez-Montijano & José Sánches García (eds.) Youth at the Margins. Perspectives on Arab Mediterranean Youth. London: Routledge, 162-180.
Henri Onodera, Bruno Lefort, Sofia Laine and Karim Maïche (2018) Dynamics of engagement among youth in Arab Mediterranean countries. The Journal of North African Studies (FNAS). Article ID: FNAS 1547197 (open access)
Laine, Sofia & Suurpää, Leena & Ltifi, Afifa (2018) Respectful resistance: Young musicians and the unfinished revolution in Tunisia. In Oinas, Elina & Onodera, Henri & Suurpää, Leena (eds) What politics? Youth and political engagement in Africa. Leiden & Boston: Brill, 58-74. (open access)
Mai, Yên & Laine, Sofia (2016) Blogging Activism of Young Educated and Global Women in Tunisia and Vietnam: a two-case study. PArticipation and Conflict Journal PACO 9(3): 893-917. Special Issue: ‘Youth and the Reinvention of Politics’. DOI: 10.1285/i20356609v9i3p893 (open access)
B Non-refereed scientific articles in English
Laine, Sofia & Salmi-Niklander, Kirsti (2017) Volunteer work among asylum seekers and refugees in Finland from 2015 to 2017. Gränsløs, nr 8: Flykt, 90-100. (open access)
C Scientific books in English
Salmi-Niklander, Kirsti & Laine, Sofia & Salmesvuori, Päivi & Savolainen, Ulla & Taavetti, Riikka (eds) (2022) Friction, Fragmentation, and Diversity: Localized Politics of European Memories. Leiden: Amsterdam University Press. (peer-reviewed)
Pisani, Maria & Basarab, Tanya & Giovanni Bello, Barbara & Laine, Sofia (eds.) (2018) Between insecurity and hope: Reflections on youth work with young refugees. Youth Partnership, Youth Knowledge #24. Strasbourg: Council of Europe Publishing. (open access)
Tommi Hoikkala & Pekka Hakkarainen & Sofia Laine (eds.) (2005) Beyond Health Literacy – Youth Cultures, Prevention and Policy. Finnish Youth Research Network/Finnish Youth Research Society, publications 52 & Stakes. (peer-reviewed)
D Publications intended for professional communities in English
Maïche, Karim & Onodera, Henri & Lefort, Bruno & Laine, Sofia & Myllylä, Martta (2017) SAHWA Policy Report: Breaking the triple marginalisation of youth? Mapping the future prospects of youth inclusion in Arab Mediterranean countries. 9.2.2017. http://sahwa.eu/OUTPUTS/SAHWA-Policy-Reports/Policy-Report-on-youth-marginalisation-in-the-AMCs (16.8.2017) (open access)
Laine, Sofia & Lefort, Bruno & Onodera, Henri & Maïche, Karim & Myllylä, Martta (2016) SAHWA Policy Report: Towards more inclusive youth engagement in Arab-Mediterranean countries. 1.12.2016. http://www.sahwa.eu/OUTPUTS/Publications/SAHWA-Policy-Report-on-youth-engagement-in-Arab-Mediterranean-countries (9.12.2016) (open access)
Sánchez García, Jose & Feixa, Carles & Laine, Sofia (2014) Contemporary Youth research in Arab Mediterranean Countries: mixing qualitative and quantitative methodologies. SAHWA Concept Paper 01-2014. http://sahwa.eu/ (29.4.2020) (open access)
Gretschel, Anu & Kiilakoski, Tomi & Laine, Sofia & Levamo, Tiina-Maria & Mäntylä, Niina & Pleyers, Geoffrey & Raisio, Harri (2014) Youth Participation Good Practices in Different Forms of Regional and Local Democracy. Background paper for the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the EU-CoE Youth Partnership. Helsinki: Finnish Youth Research Network/Finnish Youth Research Society, electronic publications 69. http://nuorisotutkimus.fi/julkaisuja/youthparticipation_goodpractices.pdf (18.8.2015) (open access)
E Publications intended for the general public in English
Myllyntaus, Oona & Benyamina, Yahia & Honkatukia, Päivi & Chenier, Valentin & Laine, Sofia & Haikkola, Lotta (2023) Youth inclusion: What works? Helsinki: The Finnish Youth Research Society, blogs. https://www.nuorisotutkimusseura.fi/ajankohtaista/uutiset/2914-youth-inclusion-what-works (18.8.2023) (open access)
F Public artistic and design activities in English
Loitsu (A Spell) 16.7.2021 and 17.7.2021. A Spell is performance, consisting of six miniature works, which twines its way across the estate of Tuomarinkylän kartano, Helsinki, Finland. Duration 90 minutes. Main choreographer for one out of six miniature works. https://www.zodiak.fi/en/programme/spel l (29.9.2021). Zodiak — Centre for New Dance, audience workshop course.
Laine, Sofia & Hartman, Maaria (2019) Young people testing art. A study on the young people’s experiences
of the Art Testers initiative. Invited key-note lecture in the International Children’s Culture Forum 1.10.2019, Tampere Comedy Theatre, Tampere, Finland, presented in the format of theatre clownery: https://nuorisotutkimus.fi/hankkeet/taidetestaajat (29.9.2021). Duet choreography and performance.
Rauhantanssi (Planetary Dance) 3.6.2018. Pohjaveden puisto, Helsinki, Finland. Global events: https://planetarydance.org/sponsorship/ (29.9.2021). Main organizer.
Rauhantanssi (Planetary Dance) 9.6.2013. Alppipuisto, Helsinki, Finland. Historic events: https://planetarydance.org/historic-events/ (29.9.2021). Main organizer.
Rauhantanssi (Planetary Dance) 26.5.2012. Kumpulan kasvitieteellinen puutarha, Helsinki, Finland. Historic events: https://planetarydance.org/historic-events/ (29.9.2021). Main organizer.
Viimeinen tanssi ennen maailmanloppua (Last dance before the end of the world) (fall 2011) Zodiak — Centre for New Dance, audience workshop course for non-professional dancers where nine people made their own choreographies. Laine’s choreography was strongly linked to her PhD themes, and she also participated with it in the Dance your PhD competition, organized by Science magazine: https://vimeo.com/49609602 (29.9.2021)
G Theses
Laine, Sofia (2012) Young Actors in Transnational Agoras. Multi-Sited Ethnography of Cosmopolitan Micropolitical Orientations. Helsinki: The Finnish Youth Research Network / The Finnish Youth Research Society, publications 121. Doctoral dissertation (article), Development Studies, Department of Politics and Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki. https://helda.helsinki.fi/bitstream/handle/10138/29314/youngact.pdf (23.9.2015)
Adjunct Professor (title of docent), University of Tampere, Youth Studies (January 2017)
Doc. Soc. Sci., University of Helsinki, Department of Politics and Economics,
Major: Development Studies, Minor: World Politics (10.4.2012, University of Helsinki)
M. Soc. Sci., University of Helsinki, Department of Sociology
Major: Sociology, Minor: Social Psychology (19.5.2004, University of Helsinki)
B.A. Soc. Sci., University of Helsinki, Department of Development Studies
Major: Development Studies, Minor: Social Psychology (19.12.2001, University of Helsinki)
Matriculation Examination, Sibelius Upper Secondary School, 31.5.1997, Helsinki
Other education and training, qualifications and skills
Specialist Vocational Qualification in Leadership and Business Management, Competence area of Leadership and Business Management, 5.3.2020, Helsinki
Dance-movement therapist, Eino Roiha Institute, 19.12.2014, Jyväskylä
Science journalist, Suomen Tiedetoimittajien liitto ry., The Finnish Association of Science Editors and Journalists (FASEJ), 2010-
- Member: Consultative Committee for Child and Family Policy, Central Union for Child Welfare, Finland.
- Member: Code Red Alliance