Language Relationships/ Kielisuhteet Seminar was held on 9 October 2025 at UEF Joensuu campus, in hybrid mode. (see announcement and the full programme here)

The event brought together scholars and practitioners to explore the interconnections between language, media, culture, place, and mobilities and offered interdisciplinary perspectives on multilingualism and minority languages in shifting sociocultural and political landscapes.

The day began with the guest lecture by Ilkhom Khalimzoda, “Moderation, Media, and the Power of Words: Narrative Dynamics in Russian-Language Facebook Groups in Finland”, which examined how online moderation and gatekeeping shape narratives and community dynamics of Facebook groups. Connecting to earlier studies on Russian-speakers’ media use, the presentation explored the strategies used by online groups’ moderators and participants in discussions of news articles, which act as arenas for negotiating identities and belonging.

This was followed by Juha Ridanpää’s lecture, “Meänkieli: Whose Language?”, focusing on the Meänkieli-speaking minority in northern Sweden. Placing recent developments in the historical context, the lecture highlighted the challenges of building and maintaining linguistic identity for Meänkieli speakers and outlined the approaches regionalists Bengt Pohjanen and Mikael Niemi adopted in preserving and celebrating the language and culture of this group.

After lunch, Reiko Shindo delivered the lecture “Language as a Countable Entity? Reflecting on Migrants’ Relationships to Languages in Finland”, inviting participants to rethink how the use of language is conceptualized in migration contexts. Drawing on the interview data, the lecture discussed migrants’ language use and language learning trajectories in the context of ideologies connected language, culture and identity.

The event concluded with a panel discussion, “The changing role of the Russian language in Finland – cultural sector, education, and societal debate”. Combining insights from different sectors and disciplines, panelists Tuulia-Tuulia Tummavuori, Larisa Leisiö and Erja Vottonen discussed how shifts in geopolitical contexts reflect in higher education (teaching and learning of the Russian language), the museum sector (use of language in museums and presenting difficult histories), and the attitudes towards cultural productions (particularly the reception of Russian literature in Finnish translation).

Speaker lineup:

Guest presenters:

  • Ilkhom Khalimzoda (Postdoctoral researcher, University of Jyväskylä)
  • Juha Ridanpää (University Lecturer, University of Oulu)
  • Reiko Shindo (University Lecturer, University of Helsinki)

Panelists:

  • Tuulia-Tuulia Tummavuori (Organisation coordinator, The Union for Museum and Cultural Heritage Professionals MAL)
  • Larisa Leisiö (Professor, School of Humanities, University of Eastern Finland)
  • Erja Vottonen (Postdoctoral researcher, School of Humanities, University of Eastern Finland)

Panel convenor: Evgenia Amey (School of Humanities, University of Eastern Finland)

The seminar was organized by Kieliviha/Språkhat/Language Tensions project and the BOMOCULT research community

Language Relationships/ Kielisuhteet Seminar, organized by Kieliviha/Språkhat/Language Tensions project and the BOMOCULT research community

9 October 2025, UEF, Joensuu campus, Aurora, AU210/online (hybrid), 9.00-16.15

The one-day seminar welcomes researchers and students interested in the interconnections between language, media, culture, place, and mobilities, particularly in the Nordic context. The seminar will be held in English, in hybrid mode, on-site in Joensuu (AU210) and online.

Guest lectures and a panel discussion will offer interdisciplinary perspectives on the changing role of minority languages and multilingualism in the shifting sociocultural and political contexts. By exploring how evolving attitudes towards language use, teaching and learning manifest in everyday practices and public discussions, the seminar will open up a space to consider the questions of language, culture, place and power from the perspectives of cultural studies, media and communication, cultural geography and political sciences.

Program:

9.00 Opening

9.15 Guest lecture 1: ‘‘Moderation, Media, and the Power of Words: Narrative Dynamics in Russian-Language Facebook Groups in Finland” by Ilkhom Khalimzoda (University of Jyväskylä)

10.15 Break with refreshments

10.30 Guest lecture 2: “Meänkieli: Whose Language?” by Juha Ridanpää (University of Oulu)

11.30 Lunch (Self-financed)

13.00 Guest lecture 3: “Language as a Countable Entity? Reflecting on Migrants’ Relationships to Languages in Finland” by Reiko Shindo (University of Helsinki)

14.00 Break with refreshments

14.30 Panel discussion: “The changing role of the Russian language in Finland – cultural sector, education, and societal debate”. Panelists: Larisa Leisiö (UEF), Tuulia-Tuulia Tummavuori (The Union for Museum and Cultural Heritage Professionals MAL), Erja Vottonen (UEF). Convenors: Tuija Saresma and Evgenia Amey (UEF)

16.00 Closing remarks

Welcome!

For more information and questions, please contact Evgenia Amey ([email protected])

As researchers, we often encounter topics that are difficult to navigate, either due to their content or because they sit at the heart of polarised discussions. How should we approach such sensitive topics? What steps should be taken when the subject matter affects us personally? As cultural researchers, we engage with people’s stories, which can be both moving and distressing. Investigating contentious subjects can be emotionally draining, and researchers themselves may become targets of online abuse when their work addresses sensitive topics or when they offer expert commentary in public discourse.

These urgent questions formed the basis of discussion in our panel at the 36th Nordic Ethnology and Folklore Conference (NEFK), held in Turku, Finland, from 11–14 June 2025. Our session titled “Researching Sensitive Topics in the Nordic Context: Methodological and Ethical Challenges” brought together scholars from across the Nordic region to examine how researchers approach sensitive materials in disciplines such as ethnology, folkloristics, cultural studies, cultural geography, and gender studies. Together, we explored the methodological and ethical considerations that arise when research delves into contentious or potentially harmful subjects.

The panel featured four thought-provoking presentations:

• Venla Österberg, Doctoral Researcher in the Study of Cultures at the University of Turku, presented “Ethical Principles and Challenges of Forced Migration Research,” discussing the moral responsibilities of representing displaced voices with care and integrity.
• Professor Emeritus Anders Gustavsson from the University of Oslo offered reflections in his talk “Fieldwork on Sensitive Themes: Subjective Experiences and Reflections,” emphasizing the emotional dimensions of ethnographic engagement and the researcher’s positionality.
• Viliina Silvonen, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Karelian Institute (University of Eastern Finland) and Research Fellow at the Finnish Literature Society, addressed “Accusations of Cultural Appropriation and Clashes in Lament Research,” grappling with the ethical implications of researching living cultural traditions.
• Evgenia Amey, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Kieliviha / Språkhat / Language Tensions project (University of Eastern Finland and University of Jyväskylä), presented a paper entitled “Studying the Changing Role of the Russian Language, Culture, and Cultural Productions in Finland: Ethical and Methodological Challenges and Considerations,” highlighting the sensitivities of linguistic and cultural identity in shifting political climates.

Each contribution was followed by lively and respectful discussion, underscoring the importance of creating scholarly spaces where methodological challenges can be shared and ethical complexities openly addressed.

We, the panel organizers, extend our sincere thanks to the presenters and participants for their engagement. As research increasingly intersects with social and political tensions, it is imperative that we continue to reflect critically on how we conduct our work—and how we care for ourselves and our communities in the process.

Let us continue this conversation and contribute to shaping a more thoughtful and resilient research culture in the Nordic context and beyond.

Karin Sandell, Postdoctoral Researcher, Kieliviha/Språkhat/Language tensions