Agency in community centres narrated by professionals

Toimijuus monitoimitaloissa ammattilaisten kertomana

Authors

• Outi Ylitapio-Mäntylä Oulun yliopisto
• Minna Uitto Oulun yliopisto
• Virve Keränen Oulun yliopisto
• Minna Rossi-Salow Oulun kaupunki
• Maija Lanas Oulun yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.122887

Keywords:

agency, community centers, mentoring, narrativity

Abstract

Community centres as meeting places are a phenomenon of our time. Community centres are places where professionals from different fields work together, in shared premises. This narrative study explores agency in community centres as described by professionals working there. The research question is: How is the agency of professionals working in community centres narrated? The research material consists of videorecorded discussions in peer mentoring groups. People representing different professions and working in community centres participated in the groups. The research material was analyzed inductively. The findings show that professionals negotiated their agency in relation to structures and policies. They negotiated individual and collective agency within their own job descriptions and from the perspectives of rules and responsibility. The research brings up that peer group mentoring offers an opportunity to develop the working culture of work communities and to reflect on the related changes.