Welcome to the new academic year!

 

We hope the summer has been restful and joyful for you and that you have the energy and motivation to start the new academic year, regardless if you are a newcomer or an “oldie” to the program.

 

The start of a new academic year also entails the start of a new Antiracist Reading List. Once again we will recommend one book per month for the whole academic year. We will also, similarly to last year, have three themes that we will recommend books in, meaning three books per theme. Our themes this year will be Institutional Racism, Indigenous Knowledge and Banned Books.  Our first theme will be Institutional Racism and the first book we are recommending within this theme is Sara Ahmed’s book On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life (2012). 

 

The Social Exclusion master’s program will hold an Alumni gathering for its current students and Alumni on May 9th, 2023, from 17:00 to 20:00 at The Runda Rummet Hall, Theologicum Building, Turku.

We will have a panel discussion with the program’s Alumni during the event. We will also have drinks, snacks, and some goodies from our event sponsors.

The event is open for the program’s current students and Alumni, and registration is required for attendance. (Registration link has been sent by email)

SUMMER IS AROUND THE CORNER!

 

We are only a month away from the end of this academic year, meaning that the summer holiday is soon upon us! The summer can be spent in various ways, like visiting family and friends, going on a vacation, reading that book you have been planning to read all semester long or simply enjoying the summer sun. In this blog post, we have collected some ideas of how to spend your summer if you choose to stay and spend your summer holiday in Turku.

 

work during the summer

The summer should hands down be a time for relaxation and a time to charge one’s batteries. However, some might be interested in doing some work, whether that is academic work or non-academic work. Here you can find a list of both types of work that you can do during the summer.

• • Starting with academic work. Many of our students might begin doing research for their thesis during the summer, which can benefit the workload of thesis writing in the fall. Some of the university libraries are also open during the summer and it is worth visiting their webpage for more information if you need to borrow a book or two. The university space is also open for students during the summer if they possess an HID key. Read more on how to receive one here ( log in with university credentials).

• • The Open University at ÅAU offers summer courses which can be found here.
  • The summer can also be an ideal time to do an internship. More info on internships can be found here or by contacting the staff of the master’s program.

• • If you are not interested in doing any academic work during the summer but would like to receive more career-related experiences we recommend a summer job. You can see the site for JobTeaser, which advertises internships and summer jobs on their site, but you can also see the vacant summer job positions on Career in Southwest Finland.  You can also see the following sites for summer jobs: Duunitori, Jobly, Oikotie and some organizations also market their open positions on Facebook or on Instagram.

Activities during the summer

However, the summer is, as mentioned, meant for relaxing and work is not mandatory. The master’s program is scheduled and planned to be completed during the academic year, so there is no need for studies to take place during the summer, only if one has the desire to. In the summer we do encourage our students to take a vacation if possible to have the necessary energy for the next academic year. Here are some summertime activities you can do if you decide to spend your holiday in Turku.

• • Visit the archipelago. The Southwest region in Finland has a beautiful and peaceful archipelago that is easy to visit by bus or by boat. You can visit some of the smaller islands on a day trip or even stay at the site for some nights and rent a cabin. For more info about the archipelago and how to visit the islands kindly see Visit Turku’s webpage.
    

 

• Attend a music festival! During the summer there are many events happening in Turku. Music events being is one of them. Annually music festivals are Kesärauha, Aura Fest, DBTL (Down By the Laituri) and Ruisrock to mention some of the bigger happenings. These festivals have both Finnish and international artists.

 

• If music festivals aren’t your scene, there are also other events happening in the summer, like a medieval fair, the Paavo Nurmi marathon and various other events that you can find on the official site of the city of Turku or on Visit Turku’s webpage. You can also visit the Moominworld located about an hour from Turku centre.

 

• • Enjoy the riverside in Turku. The Aura River that runs through the city of Turku also comes alive in a different way during the summer. You can, for instance, spend a lovely sunny day by the riverside and enjoy an ice cream from one of many ice cream kiosks. You can also enjoy a nice beverage at one of the many bar boats, such as Donna or Papa Joe. But you can also walk along the river and look at the scenery on both sides of the river, all the way from the Turku castle to the Cathedral to the lovely park area upstream.
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• • Picnic in a park. There are multiple parks located around the city, which offer a nice break from city life and an opportunity to enjoy nature. Parks near the centre where you can spend a nice day having a picnic with friends, get your tan going or read a book are Kuppittaan Park, Vartiovuori, Puolaanpuisto, Tuomaanpuisto, The park surrounding the Paavo Nurmi stadion and Samppalinnanpuisto.
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• • The City of Turku also has multiple outdoor trails, with various different themes and distances. Some of the trails are fitness oriented, these trails include stairs and hills, while other trails are in nature parks or culture-themed trails, such as a love excursion in Turku following different love stories in the city and a walk following war traces from the civil war and the Second world war.  These trails are easy to follow by downloading the pdf from the website and a fun way to explore the city with friends or family. You can find the different trails here.

• • Do nothing! Relaxing also entails not doing anything! Just enjoy your time, relax, remember to keep yourselves hydrated and take care of yourselves.

On March 19th we celebrate the day of Minna Canth and the day of equality.

 

Minna Cath became the first woman to be celebrated with having a dedicated official day of hoisting the Finnish flag. Therefore, ever since 2007, you can see a Finnish flag waving at the top of each flagpole on March 19th. But who really was Minna Canth and why do we celebrate her?

 

 

Minna Canth (1844–1897) was an educated writer, businesswoman and activist. She (then known as Ulrika Wilhelmina Johnsson) was born on March 19th 1844 in Tampere, Finland and her parents wanted her to have a good education. She moved to Jyväskylä in 1863 to proceed with her studies to become a teacher. It was also here that she started to go by the name Minna Johnson. However, her studies were interrupted when she got married to Johan Ferdinand Canth. After staying home for some years as a housewife, she started writing in her husband’s newspaper about injustice in Finnish society. During this time she used pseudonyms, such as Wilja, Teppo and M.C. This also led to her becoming the first Finnish-speaking female journalist. Having visited some plays she also became interested in writing screenplays.

 

While Minna Cath was pregnant with her seventh child, her husband died and she became a single mother at the age of 35. To provide for her family, she moved to Kuopio and started working for her father and on the side, she writes plays. In her writings, Minna Canth often reflected on real issues and strived to better the situation of women and people living in poverty. In 1885 she released her play “Työmiehen vaimo” [The Wife of a Worker], which became the first realism play in Finnish. She later published many more plays, eight extended short stories and a two-part novel collection. She wrote from her home, which not only became her workspace but also a community space, called “salonki” [the salon]. Here various writers and artists at the time such as Akseli Gallen-Kallela, Järnefelt and Sibelius spent time. It was also here where “Kuopion naisintelligenssi” [the women intelligence of Kuopoio] was formed, which was a collective that discussed relevant social issues and made statements regarding injustices. This space Minna Canth created in her own living room was considered a liberal and free environment and she also supported freedom of religion. Minna Canth upheld the salon until her death in 1897 when she passed at the age of 53 due to a heart attack.

 

Minna Canth is considered one of the most important Finnish screenplay writers and prosaist along with Aleksis Kivi. She has also paid the way for numerous women to enter male-dominated spaces. She was privileged in society with her education and status, and it is said that she was aware of her status and used it to uplift others. It is also said that Minna Canth was the frontperson of realism in Finland, where she depicted the life of women as it truly was. This was something she was thoroughly criticized for, but she did not care. She spent time with the women she wrote about and knew that their experiences, lives and stories were real. Her life is said to have had a tremendous impact on the Finnish society and equality.

 

 

Sources:

Minna Canthin päivä, tasa-arvon päivä 19.3. | Ihminen ja yhteiskunta | Oppiminen | yle.fi

Finland celebrates equality on Minna Canth Day | News | Yle Uutiset

MINNA CANTHIN SALONKI – Kuopionkorttelimuseo.fi

 

Each year when the application for the Social Exclusion Master’s program opens, the program receives a plethora of applicants. Many of the applications are in order, with a well-put-together motivation letter and with the right documents included. However, each year the program also receives applications that have made an error or two, which results in the applications being rejected. To reduce these frequently made mistakes, we have compiled a list of don’ts most applicants do. Additionally, check out Information for Applicants on the blog, where all the essential information for applicants has been gathered. So, without further ado, avoid these 6 things when applying for the Social Exclusion Master’s program.

 

1. Applying to the wrong track!

It is important to notice that the Social Exclusion Master’s Program has two tracks. 1. Master’s Degree Programme in Social Exclusion, Master of Arts, and 2. Master’s Degree Programme in Social Exclusion, Master of Theology.

The first track, Master of Art, is the more popular track. This track allows for a wider perspective on what Social Exclusion entails. This track also offers the students to specialize in Gender Studies, History, Philosophy, or the Study of Religion during the second term. Applicants with a BA in subjects like the Study of Religion, Gender Studies, History, Philosophy, or Theology can apply for this program. The other track is Master of Theology. Applicants with a BA specifically in Theology should apply for this program! Additionally, applicants who have a BA in Theology or Theology and another subject can apply for both programs.

To further see the differences between the two tracks, check an earlier blog post about them.

 

2. Forgetting to apply for the scholarship!

Applying for scholarships is foremost for international students. When applying it is important to tick the box for the scholarship in the application to be considered for the scholarship. More detailed information about scholarships can be found on the Åbo Akademi University’s website.

 

3. Uploading faulty documents

Uploading the right documents is vital. It is important to remember to upload the documents and to check that the uploads are right. Any application with a faulty document will be discarded and seen as faulty. What is a faulty document you may ask? A faulty document can be someone else’s transcript or certificate, which is not your own. Even if you have all your other documents in order but by mistake included a faulty document, your application will be removed. In other words, double or even triple-check that you upload your own documents and NOT a friend’s or family member’s documents.

 

4. Choosing the wrong language requirement!

When applying, double-check the language requirements. You can either submit your IELTS results, however, if your score is low or you have not done the test you can ask the program to assess your English language skills. For further information about the language requirements when applying check Åbo Akademi University’s website for the requirements and scroll all the way down to see all the exemptions and to see what is required for domestic applicants.

 

5. Not knowing how to sell oneself in the motivation letter!

A motivation letter is meant for the applicant to stand out from the mass. It is a letter that gives the applicant character, it offers a way for the applicant to introduce themselves and connect to the program. What is most important when it comes to motivation letters is to WRITE ONE! Even if it might seem hard and difficult to sell oneself in the form of a motivation letter, there is a significant difference between writing one and completely leaving it unwritten. The motivation letter can include various interesting aspects of the applicant, like what have they learned in their academic career and what they want to achieve with the help of the program, or it can be more creative writing showing the personality of the applicant. Including a motivational letter in your application shows interest in the program, and your application will be taken more seriously.

 

6. Leaving things to the last minute!

Immediately when you are interested in applying for the program start to think about your application. What you should include in the application, what to write in your motivation letter and which documents do you need to prepare. This will reduce stress when it is finally time to click send. The application time is shorter than you expect so start to think about your application as soon as possible.

 

When avoiding these common mistakes, you should be ready to apply for the Social Exclusion MA program with a stunning application.

 

Good luck!

It is September again, meaning a new start to our Monthly Antiracist Reading List. This year we are going to recommend books to our audience with the help of three themes. These themes will assist in categorizing the book and give them more context and help readers understand what specialization, subject or concern the book in question wants to raise. We will recommend three books per theme, equaling to nine recommended books this academic year.

 

The first theme of this semester will be GENDER EQUALITY. Gender equality highlights different gender inequalities and gives an overview of equity between the genders in different areas of society. Many see gender equality as a binary question, only targeting issues between men and women, however, the issue is much more complex. Within Gender Equality one also must consider race, religion, sexuality, nationality, and class, to mention a few aspects since they all give depth and context to gender-related struggles.

 

 

Additionally, gender is not a duality, but gender is rather a fluid concept where people can identify as they desire. Understanding this complexity is also an issue one can discuss from a Gender Equality perspective and something we want to expand on with some of our reading suggestions.

 

The first book within the theme of Gender Equality is already up! It is Sex and Lies by Leila Slimani, who discusses the taboo of female sexuality in Morocco.

On June 21st 2022 I, Jasmin Slimani, had the privilege to have a speech to the graduating bachelor’s and master’s degree students. In my speech, I wanted to be honest about the current rough times affecting all students along with how the life of a student is filled with highs and lows, but regardless we succeed and we are now eagerly waiting for new adventures. Below is my written speech.

 

Dear audience, welcome

Kära publik, välkommen

Rakas yleisö, tervetuloa

 

I want to start by thanking the faculty for the opportunity to have this speech at this graduation ceremony of both bachelors’ and masters’ students from the faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology. I feel privileged, lucky, and honored to be standing up here in front of you all.

 

Jag vill först tacka er alla för att jag får stå här uppe framför er alla dimitterade och era familjer, vänner och partner, för att hålla detta års dimissionstal. Trots att Åbo Akademi är ett finlandssvenskt universitet, måst vi inte glömma den breda diversiteten vi har av studenter, doktorander, forskare och annan personal. Bland annat, har vi även i dag en handfull av studerande som dimitteras från det internationella magisterprogrammet, Social Exclusion, som är det enda internationella magisterprogrammet här på Fakulteten för humaniora, psykologi och teologi. Därmed kommer jag även att köra detta tal främst på engelska, ett språk som är mer inkluderande i detta rum.

 

And for those who just sat cluelessly wondering what I was saying, I basically said that I will be doing this speech in English since otherwise many in the audience will not understand me.

 

As many of you might wonder, who am I and why am I standing here before you. And to answer the latter question first, and to be honest, when I was asked to have this year’s speech I was startled. I started thinking immediately about all the inspirational things I could say, the witty puns and jokes to lighten up the mood and of course also what I should not say in this speech. Regardless, here I am now, still taken by surprise at how I ended up here, maybe I am here because I like to speak and when I do I tend to speak a lot. This was also one of the reasons why I did my master’s thesis partially in the form of a three-part podcast series. As less writing and more talking is the way to go for me.

 

Going then to who am I. I’m Jasmin Slimani and I moved here to Turku in 2016, right after graduating high school, thinking of myself as mature, when moving from my childhood home. How cute of me. After finishing my bachelor’s studies, I wanted to continue right away with a master’s, and luckily, I was admitted into the Social Exclusion master’s program, which I started in the fall of 2019. Going into a master’s I looked forward to the upcoming two years of studies. Things that I eagerly waited for were meeting and hanging out with new people, making new friends, partaking in events, and exploring Turku in new ways. But as we know the past two years did not go as anyone could have planned.

 

The hopes of having study circles turned into sitting alone by the computer. The hopes of having student events turned into having dance parties at home alone. And the hopes of creating new supportive communities turned into a need of finding that support from within.

 

In hopes of not only escaping the situation here in Finland but because I really wanted to do something else than the usual studies, I decided in the fall of 2020 to do an internship abroad. I wanted an unforgettable experience, and to travel a bit further away from the comfortableness of Europe. Hence, I packed my bags with Dar es Salam, in Tanzania as my destination. The hope and idea were to work with girls and women and aid them in any way possible. This included things like, educating them on different issues like sexual health and consent, giving tools of empowerment, and helping these girls and women be more economically independent. But even if I was filled with excitement and eagerness, it didn’t take long for me to realize that the NGO I was working for was money-hungry, didn’t want to make an actual change and the whole organization was run by a greedy fella. Although the internship itself left much to be desired, the experience was unforgettable. I learned a lot about myself in relation to my environment, I met some great and funny people and the beautiful and colorful nature that I was lucky to experience will always stay vibrantly in my mind.

 

I think I am not alone when I say that the past years have been a rollercoaster. It has been filled with unexpected turns, some occasional laughter, and a feeling of rush in your stomach, but there have also been times when you just want to scream. Furthermore, I do not think I am the only one who will admit that the past two years of studies have been incredibly difficult and lonely, not to mention exhausting. The mix of living in a state of uncertainty, boredom, and stress, has definitely not been a positive contributor to one’s studies.

 

Despite everything, the ups and downs that these past years have resulted in, I am not looking back at the time with regret. Having lived and studied through a difficult time and to finally be on the other side, I can gladly say that I have grown. I am not the same little 18-year-old wide-eyed girl who thought of myself as mature when moving to another city. But what I now can say, is that I am at least a wiser 24-year-old, who still has plenty to learn but is grateful for the journey so far. I hope that you all graduates can also see the growth within yourselves. I might not know most of you on a personal level, but I do think that each and every one of you has had battles to go thru or still have obstacles to overcome, however, I want to say that all your journeys are valid, plus you have already come a long way. Whether you see it or not, I can promise you that you have grown compared to who you were two, three or five years ago. For instance, look back at pictures of yourself from a while back and you might look at them with a slight feeling of embarrassment or detachment and that shows a certain growth from the person in the picture. Or for instance, can you have seen yourselves sitting here today, a year ago? or even six months ago? I can say that I did not expect myself to be here, so in honor of you, all graduating pat yourselves on the shoulder because you all have done a great job and you all should be proud.

 

All in all, the past years have presented some of the lowest lows but also some great highs. I have met people I would not have met if I hadn’t chosen Turku to be the place of my studies. I have explored what this city has to offer and found a new love and calmness in nature. I have been more politically invested and I feel stronger and more confident about my opinions and ideology. My time as a student has been fruitful, brought me confidence, and allowed me to grow into the person you all see today. And I wish you all graduates can also list things that your time as students at Åbo Akademi University have granted you.

 

Slutligen vill jag önska er alla lycka till med alla era nya äventyr.

All that is now left to say is that I wish you all the best of luck in all your upcoming adventures.

 

Tack! Kiitos! Thank you!

The Master’s Degree Program in Social Exclusion offers two pathways to Master’s education, the Master of Arts or Master of Theology. Keep in mind however, that the Master of Theology requires applicants to have a background in studies of religion, theology, or similar. Applicants should note this difference and be mindful of this difference when applying to the program.

 

Year 1 (70 ECTS):

Semester 1 = 7 Courses (35 ECTS)