The Social Policy Conference, Joensuu 24.-25.10.2024
The theme of the Social Policy Conference 2024 is security. From the point of view of social and public policy, this theme is particularly linked to social security. In a broader context, numerous prefixes can be attached to security, such as psychological, social, bodily security and everyday security. In this way, it becomes possible to identify various risks that threaten individuals and communities, which individuals, groups and communities are expected to prepare for. In this sense, security is a type of resource, also from the point of view of traditional security politics.
What forms of economic security does the post-capitalist welfare state produce and what are we called upon to resort to? Private insurance, investment in funds or real estate are among the means of security, the importance of which has risen alongside – or even to replace – social insurance.
Security and the lack of it, insecurity, are powerful generators of emotions and affects. What means do we have to strengthen the sense of security that is eroded by the precarity of life? What kind of security can we all afford, can we still rely on jointly produced social security? The division of labour between municipalities, the state, wellbeing services counties, associations and companies is in a constant state of negotiation, and this, too, may cause mistrust and insecurity.
With this theme of the Social Policy Conference, we want to raise the question of the possibilities of institutions, individuals and communities to support and strengthen ontological and everyday security. We talk about the faith in the future, trust and the ability to plan for the future.
You are warmly welcome to Social Policy Conference, University of Eastern Finland and the City Joensuu!
The call for workshop presentations has opened as of 18.6.2024
Workshop papers’ abstracts are due 2.9.2024.
The accepted abstracts will be announced no later than 18.9.2024.
Registration for the conference will be open 18.9.2024–13.10.2024.
Wednesday 23 October
A social policy doctoral researcher meeting will be held again this year on the day before the conference during the afternoon. In the afternoon meeting, doctoral researchers will present their ongoing research in small groups led by senior researchers and professors from different universities. You are welcome to the meeting whether your research is in the planning or finalisation stages. The working languages of the meeting are Finnish and English. Come and get to know your colleagues from other universities for a small-scale seminar and relaxed togetherness! Registration for the event opens in August on this website. For more information, please contact Helena Hirvonen (helena.m.hirvonen@uef.fi).
Thursday 24 October
10:15-12:00 Registration
12:00-12:15 Opening speech (in Finnish) by professor Mikko Jakonen and associate professor Tiina Sotkasiira. Greetings from Sosiaalipoliittinen yhdistys, president Helena Hirvonen
12:15-13.00 Associate professor Dr Emma Power (Western Sidney University, Australia): Making shadow care infrastructures durable: the work of surviving in post-welfare cities
13:00-13:30 Comment and discussion
13:30-14:00 Coffee break
14:00-16:30 Working groups
17.30-19.00 Social political walking tour in Joensuu
19.00-21.00 Conference dinner at Restaurant Kerubi
Friday 25 October
08.15–10:00 Global crises and the academia workshop. From 10.15 until 11 discussion that is open to all.
09:00-11:00 Working groups
11:00-12:00 Lunch
12:00-12:45 Docent Noora Kotilainen: Militarismi ja yhteiskunnallinen turvallisuus (in Finnish)
12.45-13.45 Panel discussion (in Finnish)
13:45-14.00 Master’s thesis award of Sosiaalipoliittinen yhdistys, prof. Eeva Jokinen (in Finnish)
14:00 Invitation for the 2025 Social Policy conference (in Finnish)
Working Group “Global crises and the academia”
Acute wars are ongoing in Gaza, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine and dozens of other major armed conflicts are occurring in various parts of the globe. Most of these military crises show no clear signs of ending. They have far-reaching impacts on many individuals and communities, including diverse university communities in Finland, causing psychological and physical distress as well as social tensions. Political control, an agitating informational environment, and strict policy responses at the international, national, and university levels further constrain the possibility of conducting university work as usual. In addition to wars, multiple other crises, including political violence, socioeconomic decline, and environmental disasters, severely stress many university community members.
The working group invites members of the University of Eastern Finland community and other academic communities from various disciplines, professional fields, and departments to identify these entanglements and collaboratively develop possible solutions to the existing and emerging risks posed to the community by multiple global crises. The workshop aims to detect the wide-ranging effects of wars and crises, analyse individual and collective responses, and map out best practices and approaches to address them. The expected outcome is to produce recommendations for the University community on how to substantially support those directly and indirectly affected by wars and crises and mediate potential tensions between diversely positioned individuals and groups within the community. Thus, the workshop will strengthen the solidarity and mutual support of colleagues and fellows at the University of Eastern Finland in the face of advancing polycrisis.
The working group is convened by Antero Puhakka and Vadim Romashov from the Department of Social Sciences at University of Eastern Finland with the support of the Association of Researchers and Teachers in Eastern Finland (ITTE). This workshop builds on the series of similar events organized by peace researchers Anitta Kynsilehto and Vadim Romashov in 2022-2023. The first workshop “Addressing war anxieties in university communities” was held on 3 November 2022 in Tampere as part of the UNIFI and Arene Sustainability and Responsibility Seminar, the second “Addressing impacts of wars and crises within and by academic communities” was held on 17 February 2023 in Helsinki as part of the Development Days conference, and the third “The impact of wars and crises on the Tampere University community” was organized by the Association of Academic Workers at Tampere University (TATTE) on 14 November 2023.
The meeting will take place on Friday 25th October at 8.15 onwards in lecture hall M109. No presentations are required for this working group. If you would like to participate, please send a short message (max. 100-150 words) to the conveners explaining why such discussions are important to you. Please note that the number of participants is limited. The results of the working group will be presented to general audience from 10.00 onwards in lecture hall M109 and the participants from the Social Policy Conference are invited to come to hear the discussion on the matter.
Travelling to Joensuu
Joensuu is easily accessible by train or bus. The distance from the bus and railway stations to the Joensuu campus is just over two kilometers. Joensuu can also be reached by plane since the airport is about 12 kilometers from the city centre.
Travelling in Joensuu
There are good bus connections to the Joensuu campus. The journey planner can be found at https://jojo.joensuu.fi/en/web/jojo-english and in the Waltti mobile app, where you can buy your ticket directly. You can also pay for your tickets in cash or with a credit/debit card. A single City zone ticket costs 3.80 € and a mobile ticket 3.40 €. The price of a day ticket in the City zone is 8,00 €. In the journey planner, you can enter the name of the building or the name of the nearest bus stop as the destination. When arriving from the city centre (i.e. also from the train station or bus station), the nearest bus stop is called Yliopistokatu P.
Taxi services in Joensuu are provided by, for example, Taksi Itä-Suomi (tel. 060110100) and Menevä (tel. 0800 02120).
Joensuu campus is compact and easy to navigate, as several buildings are located along Yliopistokatu. The campus area is located right next to the centre of Joensuu: Joensuu Market Square is located 1.5 km from the campus.
Most of the university’s facilities are accessible and usable for different groups of people with disabilities. The newer the buildings, the better they have been able to take up-to-date accessibility solutions and regulations into account. Disabled parking has been arranged on campuses, and accessibility has also been taken into account in outdoor access routes, such as structural solutions and winter maintenance. The main entrances to the buildings are equipped with wheelchair ramps and, as a rule, the doors also have buttons that you can use the open them. The coat racks of the buildings have storage possibilities at different heights. The elevator buttons are marked in Braille and some lifts also have voice prompts. All buildings have lifts and disabled toilets with signs. The largest teaching facilities have induction loops and they can also be borrowed for space-specific use.
Induction loops in lecture halls:
Joensuu campus auditoriums: M100, M101, M103.
Accommodation
We have reserved hotel quotas for conference participants that are valid 23.-25.10.2024. Below you will find more information about the accommodations and how to book them. Everyone books and pays for their hotel room themselves. Please book your accommodation in advance!
Accommodation
93 € / single room / night
105 € / double room / night
Prices are net prices and include valid VAT. GreenStar Hotels Oy reserves the right to change the price if the VAT rate changes.
Reservations
Everyone books and pays for their own accommodation. Please complete the bookings by 23 September directly from the hotel by phone or email, booking reference ”Social Policy Days”. Please also note that we have limited rooms with special rates.
Payment terms
Everyone pays at the hotel with cash or by credit card.
Arrival
Hotel reception opening hours: https://www.greenstar.fi/en/ The booking confirmation is accompanied by a pin code that can be used to check in at the check-in machine when reception is closed. Check-in is done using the booking number and pin code.
You can book a discounted hotel room in the hotel Vaakuna with the booking code BSosPol24.
or directly at the hotel reception: vaakuna.joensuu@sokoshotels.fi, tel. 010-7823100. Room reservations must be made by 2 October after which the extra rooms will be released for sale again: please also note that after 2 October reservations can only be made at the same price according to availability. Current situation with the rooms: there are rooms available for 10 x 1 persons per night and 10 x 2 persons per night.
Guests can choose their preferred room type and receive an additional discount when paying for the reservation immediately at the time of booking.
The cancellation policy for an individual reservation depends on the type of reservation chosen by the guest. To confirm reservation, guests must provide the hotel with valid credit card information.
Rooms can be booked up to 10 days prior to arrival, but please note that this if affected by the availability at the hotel.
The conference secretary is Anna-Pieta Kokko (anna-pieta.kokko@uef.fi) until 9 August. Meeri Tillonen will start as the secretary from September onwards.
Organizing committee
Tiina Sotkasiira (chairperson) – Mikko Jakonen (chairperson) – Antero Puhakka – Helena Hirvonen – Laura Mankki – Pirjo Pöllänen – Tuija Koivunen – Iiris Lehto – Armi Mustosmäki – Vadim Romashov – Anna-Pieta Kokko – Meeri Tillonen
