Reetta Riikonen

I am a doctoral researcher in the field of social psychology in the MAMANET project, where I study Finnish majority and immigrant mothers’ intergroup contacts and outgroup attitudes in multiethnic neighbourhoods in Helsinki. The project focuses on mothers of small children.  The MAMANET project has found that there are only few encounters between Finnish majority mothers and immigrant mothers in neighbourhoods. In my mixed-method dissertation, I explore the factors influencing this situation and how motherhood as a common ingroup identity can support the development of positive intergroup contact and positive outgroup attitudes in neighbourhoods. The results shed light on how to support the development of positive contacts between mothers which may also support mothers’ wellbeing, inclusion and integration in the Finnish society. I am a doctoral student in the doctoral program in Social and Cultural Encounters (SCE). My dissertation is funded by the Kone Foundation, the Alli Paasikivi Foundation and the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s North Savo Regional Fund.

After the completion of my dissertation, I will start working as a post doctoral researcher in the FriendMUM project in summer 2025. The project focuses on intercultural friendships between Finnish majority mothers and mothers with an immigrant background in the “Friend for an Immigrant Mum” program organized by Mannerheim League for Child Welfare. The FriendMUM project is funded by the Alli Paasikivi Foundation and the Kone Foundation.