The practice architectures of party-political education

An analysis of the aims and preconditions of member education in three Finnish political parties

Authors

• Annika Pastuhov Åbo Akademi

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.107676

Keywords:

party-political education, popular education, liberal adult education, practice, practice architectures, Finnish parties

Abstract

This article illuminates educational practices in three Finnish parliamentary parties: The Centre Party, The National Coalition Party, and The Social Democratic Party. The theory of practice architectures is employed as a theoretical-methodological framework, which provides opportunities to study practices – that is, collective human activities, based on established conventions and a shared intention – as well as the preconditions of the practices. The aim of the article is to scrutinize the aims and preconditions of member education practices in three Finnish political parties. The research questions of the article are: What are the main aims of member education in the researched parties? What preconditions enable and constrain member education practices connected to these aims? In light of the results, the main aim of member education in the Centre Party is to provide equal competencies for all members by investing in educational planning and supporting political aspirations. The main aim of member education in the National Coalition Party is to support the expertise and success of the members by individualized and effective education. The main aim of member education in the Social Democratic Party is to engage the members and to renew the party by openly accessible education and paying attention to local circumstances and historical understanding. The concluding scrutiny of the analysis shows that the aims and preconditions of member education are established in relation to two questions: Is the party understood to be a political agent or an arena for political involvement? Is education a means for establishing hierarchical or equal relationships between the members?