Kohtaamisista kohti osallisuutta – monikultuuristen taidetyöpajojen sosiomateriaalisten suhteiden rakentuminen

Authors

• Anna-Kaisa Kuusisto Tampereen yliopisto
• Kristiina Korjonen-Kuusipuro Kaakkois-Suomen ammattikorkeakoulu

DOI: https://doi.org/10.57049/nuorisotutkimus.9142268

Abstract

From encounters towards participation
– construction of socio-material relations
in multicultural art workshops
Anna-Kaisa Kuusisto & Kristiina Korjonen-Kuusipuro
The Finnish Journal of Youth Research
(Nuorisotutkimus) Vol 41 (4), 22–38

This article examines art workshops with un­accompanied asylum-seeking young people and with young people with a Finnish background. The article contributes to the field of youth research on the construction of multicultural encounters and inclusion, and the importance of socio-material relations as part of this construction. Our analysis shows that art-based work is one way to increase the self-esteem and sense of inclusion of young people who have come to a new society alone. The methodological contribution of the article highlights the dynamics of linguistic, embodied and material experiences. In conclusion, we argue that young people’s multicultural encounters should be supported in everyday environments, such as schools and housing units. However, this requires the presence of trustworthy adults, the enabling of inclusive socio-material relations, and the active facilitation of often emotionally charged social situations.
Keywords: encounter, participation, socio­materiality, ethnography, multiculturalism, asylum-seeking young people