Anna Kinnunen

I am a folklorist and cultural researcher specializing in cultural studies in mental health. In my doctoral dissertation (2020) I examined cultural conceptions and vernacular models of thought related to mental illness. I have also conducted research on old age and dementia. From 2016 to 2019, I worked in the research project Between the Normal and the Abnormal – Cultural meanings of Dementia and Old Age in Finland and Russia, funded by the Kone Foundation. The project resulted in the edited volume Babuškoja, teräsvaareja ja digisenioreita (eds. Kinnunen, Könönen & Vakimo 2022), which explores experiences of ageing and cultural imaginaries related to old age in Finland and Russia.

I work as a university lecturer in folklore studies in the degree programme of cultural studies. In addition to folklore studies, I teach common core courses in cultural studies and supervise theses in both folklore and cultural studies. I am also responsible for the study module Terveyden monikulttuuriset ulottuvuudet (Multicultural Dimensions of Health, 25 ECTS), which introduces students to cultural aspects of health, illness and well‑being across different populations and sociocultural contexts. Among other things, I am in charge of the courses Kulttuurinen mielenterveystutkimus (Cultural Mental Health Studies) and Vernakulaari terveyskulttuuri (Vernacular Health Culture). I have received the Good Teacher Award granted by the cultural studies student association Nefa in 2023 and 2024.