Care and concern in the countryside (HUOMA)

Rural living may involve diverse concerns, but the countryside is also often seen as a place of community and caring. In this project, rural areas in Finland are explored as spaces of concern and care. University of Jyväskylä and University of Eastern Finland collaborate to gather understanding about experiences of living with low incomes in rural areas and feelings of (in)security related to individual health and local communities.

In this project, the research in University of Eastern Finland focuses on how people living in rural regions experience concern and care regarding to their health. The project explores the feelings of (in)security and concern focusing, firstly, on pregnancy, childbirth and planning a family, and secondly, on older adults living alone. Furthermore, the project studies the ways through which local communities can enhance security and care. Our aim is to gather understanding of how processes of care and caring can be further developed in rural areas.

The project is funded by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland, granted by The Development Fund for Agriculture and Forestry (Makera), as proposed by The Rural Policy Council. The project is led by Hanna-Mari Ikonen from the University of Jyväskylä.