PROJECTS
Doctoral project
Student voices for radical inclusion and transition in Finnish music schools
My doctoral dissertation positions Finnish music schools at the heart of global conversations on inclusion and educational transformation. While music schools play a significant role in shaping visions for inclusion, prevailing understandings often frame inclusion as a one-way process requiring only the “included” to adapt. By centering the experiences of young people with diverse backgrounds, the doctoral study critically examines how the Floora social innovation (2013-2023) challenges—or reinforces—dominant discourses of inclusion in Finnish music school education. The analysis amplifies counter-narratives through students’ experiences of music school studies, advocating for radical inclusion that acknowledges students’ musical ecosystems, differences, and power relations. Highlighting the civic and political significance of non-dominant youths’ everyday actions and creative practices, the study rethinks youth agency and institutional practices in Finnish music schools. Grounded in eco-political awareness, the dissertation contributes to wider discussions on diversity and transdisciplinary approaches as tools for systems change. It demonstrates how socially responsive innovations can support transformative potentials in music education and society—particularly when students are actively involved in shaping the educational and policy processes that affect their everyday lives.
Acknowledgement of Funding Support
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Svenska kulturfonden, Kontsuniversitetet, Victoriastiftelsen, Otto A. Malms donationsfond and Sibelius-Akatemian tukisäätiö for their generous support of my doctoral research.
Other projects
Responsibility agents. Raasepori, Finland.