Regions, Places, and Spaces

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The Migration Institute of Finland has strong expertise in research on regions, places, and spaces in migration studies. We approach this research theme both qualitatively and quantitatively from interdisciplinary perspectives. 

Our regional development studies address, for example, migration flows between urban and rural areas, regional wellbeing, and municipal approaches to integration. We also study the interaction between language, regions, and places. We research place from both historical and contemporary perspectives, with an emphasis on migrant narratives and heritage in national and transnational contexts. In recent years, our research has increasingly incorporated analyses of migrant settlement in the contexts of (settler) colonialism and environmental humanities.

Both our place and spatial research focusing on migrant experiences often draw on conceptualizations of intimate and emotional geographies. We are interested in understanding how places and spaces shape identities and people’s sense of belonging (or lack thereof). Much of our work focuses on spatial politics and spatial justice, or the ways spaces are shaped to include or exclude people. Our research includes projects on the creation and maintenance of borders, understood both broadly and concretely.     

Keywords: regional development, rural migration, municipalities, regional wellbeing, reception centers, intimate/emotional geographies, (settler) colonialism, environment, extractive industries, place/spatial identities, spatial politics, spatial justice, borders, peripheries, rurality, place belonging, language regions/spaces, networks, GIS, legal geographies, climate mobilities

Examples of Projects

Research Theme Leads