Pirkkoliisa Ahponen (Ph.D.) Professor (Emerita) Department of Social Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland. Her earlier research dealt with every day-life issues and comparative evaluations of institutional cultural policy. The current research topics concern problems of politics of culture and socio-cultural border-crossings with aims to decrease alienation and advance social and cultural equality of transnational citizens. Expertise of environmental ... Read morepolicy issues in developing countries is included in her current interest areas from the theoretical perspective of risks to reflexive modernization. Recent articles include: Miserable or Golden Karelia? Interpreting a Cross-border Excursion of Students from Finland to Russia . Journal of Borderland Studies vol. 26. nr. 2. 2011, 2159-1229, and A Cultural Transformation: The Design of Alienation in the Guise of Creativity in Devorah Kalekin-Fishman & Ann Denis (eds.) The Shape of Sociology for the 21st Century. Tradition and Renewal. (2012) SAGE. Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore & Washington DC, 254-266. Paivi Harinen (Ph.D.) University lecturer of sociology Department of Social Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland Her research has focused on young people's societal and cultural memberships, as well as discrimination and racism as forms of social isolating. Her contemporary research deals with diaspora citizenship in different societal contexts and states. Paivi Harinen (Dr.Soc.Sc) works as a University Lecturer for sociology at the University of Eastern Finland. Her research interests deal with social inequality defined by age, ethnicity, and place of residence. Ville-Samuli Haverinen (M.Soc.Sc.). Previously (2012-2014), Haverinen has worked as a Junior Researcher in a four-year research project entitled Context of Diaspora Citizenship - Transnational Networks, Social Participation and Social Identification of Somalis in Finland and in the U.S. at the University of Eastern Finland. At present, Haverinen works as a part-time Project Secretary at the University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. He is a member of a work group that is responsible to organize the 12th Somali Studies International Association Congress. Revisiting Somali Identities - Addressing Gender, Generation and Belonging in Helsinki, Finland in August 2015. Haverinen is also a Ph.D. student at the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland. His research interests focus on the extent to which national models of immigrant integration can provide an explanation for the reality of different political-juridical surroundings as will be empirically observed by analyzing citizenship and integration policies and legislation in Finland and the United States. Show Less