Language, culture and society

Societies and organisations need up-to-date, high-quality information on cultural, structural, demographic and ecological changes, among others. Without reliable information on activities and the environment in which they operate, it is difficult to make the right decisions. Timeliness, agility and responsiveness are often underpinned by a strong scientific understanding of the nature of things.

The study of human activity in all its diversity

The focus of language, culture and society is on human activity in all its diversity. The focus is on linguistic and cultural practices in everyday life, on the functioning of communities and institutions, and on processes of social change.

The research takes a multidisciplinary approach to current developments from the perspectives of language, art, culture and society. The contemporary era is characterised by complexity, global interconnections and inter-dependencies, and the challenges and opportunities they present. Key themes in this area include ethnicity, identity, migration, poverty, inequality, crises, digitalisation, energy transition and climate change. Our research is helping to understand the nature of these phenomena in greater detail and also providing tools to address the challenges.

We are proud that the humanities and social science research and education we provide enables people to develop critical thinking skills, cultural awareness, ethical reasoning and the ability to deal with the complex issues of today's societies.
Vice Dean, Professor Tapio Litmanen, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Contact details of Tapio Litmanen

A multidisciplinary examination of social change 

The Ģֱ produces knowledge and understanding of contemporary reality and current linguistic, cultural and social phenomena, but also of human beings in general, our existence and our knowledge. We are interested in cultural practices in everyday life as well as in the culture of art. A strength of the field is the study of cultural processes of change in societies in the context of relations with nature, the economy, technology adoption and well-being.

High quality research is interdisciplinary, based on strong disciplinary traditions. Cognitive musicology, research on ageing and care, and research on game cultures are among the internationally leading research areas.

Research in the humanities at the Ģֱ has a strong connection to societal phenomena.

Collaboration

At different levels of society, vigilance is needed to respond to ongoing or expected changes with accurate information. Language, culture and society researchers and research projects provide up-to-date information for a variety of stakeholders and partners. Our researchers collaborate with a wide range of institutions, including the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense.

We are also influential on issues at the provincial level. We have good relations with provincial businesses, well-being service counties and collaborative areas (YTAs), as well as with different levels of public administration. This is reflected in our involvement in the development of policies and services in different organisations.

The university's specific national tasks include, for example, general language examinations and sign language. These tasks require national and international cooperation with researchers, policy-makers, teachers and other key players in language education.

Looking for a partner for collaboration?

Read more about the collaboration with JYU

Key actors of the strategic core field

Research at the Department of Language and Communication Studies

Multidisciplinary research responds to the challenge of society to understand the diverse and changing linguistic and communicative landscapes of our environment.

Research at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy

The Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy is a multidisciplinary and internationally networked unit dedicated to the study of social change processes.

Research at the Department of History and Ethnology

The Department of History and Ethnology studies the activities of people and human communities, their conditions and outcomes, and their temporal complexity.

Research at the Department of Music, Art and Culture Studies

The research of the Department uses the points of view of culture, art and music to assess topical global developments such as digitalisation and technologisation, multiculturalisation, social polarisation and rootlessness.

Research at Centre for Applied Language Studies

The Centre for Applied Language Studies (CALS) is a research unit in the Ģֱ Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences , providing research-based information on language education and language-related phenomena.

Research groups related to the strategic core field

Research group

Active Mind Lab

In the Active Mind Lab, we study how the brain processes information; in particular, we study communication through speech and facial expressions. The name of our group reflects our aim to produce information that can help promote effective learning and t
Research group

Ageing and comparative care policy (CoE AgeCare, RG1)

RG1 is placed inthe Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy at the Ģֱ.
Research group

Bilingual pedagogy / Tvåspråkig pedagogik / Kaksikielinen pedagogiikka

The members of this research group are examining how bi- and multilingual practices can be used as a resource for language learning and teaching in Early Childhood Education and Care contexts.
Research group

Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain

The Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain studies music as a multimodal human experience and as a versatile engine of change, throughout the life span and in health and disease.
Research group

Centre of Excellence in Research on Ageing and Care

The Centre of Excellence explores the ongoing transformation of ageing and care.
Research group

Civil Society and Citizenship in Development (CitDe)

Research group on civil society and citizenship in development
Research group

CoCoDigi – Communication and Collaboration on Digital Platforms

Cocodigi is a research group at the Ģֱ in Finland. Our research focuses on communication and collaboration on digital platforms.
Research group

Cognition Learning & Arousal (CLeAr) Research Group

We study how our minds, learning, and physiological responses intertwine. We measure skin conductance (electrodermal activity) to understand how cognitive and emotional processes, like learning Finnish, affect sweat gland activity.
Research group

Economic and Business History

Economic and Business History
Research group

Embodied Eureka

Research Society for Affective Flow and Aesthetics of Experience in Clinical Interactions
Research group

Equity Team

A group of teachers and researchers interested in issues connected to equity and social justice at and beyond JYU.
Research group

Food System Studies

Our aim is to produce research that helps decision makers understand how environmental, social and political changes impact on the food system and, hence, for the food security, health, and well-being of citizens.

Research projects related to the strategic core field

Project

'Broken Finnish': Accent perceptions in societal gatekeeping (2018-2022)

'Broken Finnish’ focuses on accent perceptions in the National Certificates of Language Proficiency test in Finland.
Project

“A Farewell to Arms”: Anti-Nuclear Protest, Emotion and Gender in Finland, 1979-1987

I propose to add a historical dimension to contemporary conversations regarding the survival of humankind by producing the first study examining anti-nuclear protest in Finland during the 1980s.
Project

“Russian World” Next Door

Russian World Next Door
Project

A "room" of their own - training cultural workers for facilitating rural youth culture (R YOUCULT)

The objectives of the project is to develop and design a universal high-quality training program for cultural workers in rural municipalities and rural cultural institution in the EU.
Project

AASIS - Automatic assessment of spoken interaction in a second language

The AASIS project (Automatic assessment of spoken interaction in second language) develops automatic assessment of spoken interaction for Finnish learners.
Project

ACACIA Project - LGBTQI+ and Street-level Bureaucrats: Assessing Motives, Violence and Possibilities for Collective Advocacy in Sub-Saharan Africa

ACACIA project produces new theory on the social control of stigmatized groups in developing countries and will refine our theoretical concept of bureaucrats’ adaptation to multivocal authority.
Project

Aesthetic Practices in the Transformation of Self and World

A research project which investigates leisurely activities and hobbies as aesthetic practices, that mold our identities and relations to the world and other people.
Project

After Avicenna

After Avicenna investigates the metaphysical thought of the Muslim philosopher Avicenna (d. 1037 CE), its Islamic reception, and its connections to contemporary metaphysical essentialism.
Project

AHJO - Individual and organisatory development of Academic wellbeing

Academic wellbeing in an individual and organisatory perspective
Project

An Ontological Reconstruction of Gaming Disorder: A Qualitative Meta-Phenomenological Foundation

Videogames have become one of the most prevailing forms of cultural production around the world.
Project

Applying Sustainability Transition Research in Social Work tackling Major Societal Challenge of Social Inclusion - ASTRA

ASTRA paves the way for a radically new approach to tackle the major societal challenges faced in the practice of social work.
Project

Artrepreneneurs on the Edge: Artistic Autonomy, Marketization and the Organization of Creative Practice in the Baltic Sea Region (ArtR)

The project responds to the ongoing policy debate about artistic freedom and the role of creative practitioners in the context of the neoliberal political economy.

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Opiskelijoita istuu Oppion sohvalla läppäreiden kanssa

Learning, teaching and interaction

Learning, teaching and interaction are examined in a range of learning, growth and work environments, along with a thorough consideration of the societal questions of education.

Physical activity, health and wellbeing

The aim is to increase scientific knowledge to support the promotion of physical activity and health and to achieve the individual and societal benefits of physical activity.

Sustainable business and economy

The focus area sustainable business and economy explores environmental, social, and economic sustainability at the levels of consumers, firms and organizations, as well as society as a whole.