Interviewees for a research about intercultural couples

[Duo]

I am looking for interviewees for a research (University of Joensuu) about the integration of foreign spouses into Finland. You can participate in the research if you are a man or a woman (of immigrant background) living in Finland because of your relationship with a Finnish partner (i.e. you moved to Finland after meeting your Finnish partner). The views of people who have lived in Finland for at least three years are particularly welcome.

The research aims at discovering how Finnish partners support their foreign spouses in adjusting to Finland and what type of support the foreign spouses would need from their Finnish partners.

If you are interested in participating in the research, please email hanna.kinnunen(at)familiaclub.fi or call 050-4522393 (Monday to Friday 11-14) to find out more about the research and to arrange a date and a time for the interview (which takes no more than one hour). All interviews will be in strict confidence, and all identifying details will be changed as needed to protect the anonymity of interviewees. Face-to-face interviews are preferable but email and telephone interviews are also possible. Face-to-face interviews take place in Helsinki and all interviews can be done in English or in Finnish.

You can also write about your experiences (with your name or anonymously) about moving and adjusting to Finland. Questions to reflect on in your reply include:

* What things have been difficult or stressful about moving into Finland and living in here?
* What would you say was or is the most difficult thing for you to cope with or adjust to?
* What things have helped you to adjust and integrate into Finland?
* How has your Finnish partner supported you with adjusting and what, if anything, could they have done differently?
* If you knew what you know now, would you do something differently?
* How have different life situations and phases (a birth of a child, for example) affected you and the way you have felt about living in Finland?
* How do you think living in Finland has affected your relationship with your partner or has it?
* What advice would you give to an intercultural couple who has just moved into Finland? What would you say to the Finnish partner and what would you say to the foreign partner?

You can send your story to the above mentioned email address or send a letter to "Hanna Kinnunen, Duo Project, Vilhonkatu 4 B 15, 00100 Helsinki". You can write anonymously, but do include your age (year of birth), original nationality and details about when you moved into Finland and how long your relationship has lasted.

[Rosamunda]

Just to clarify...

The face to face interviews would have to be in Joensuu? Or are you planning to come to Helsinki/Espoo/Vantaa?

[Duo]

Apologies for the less than clear original message! The interviews would take place in Helsinki where I am based.

[enk]

Is this restricted solely to couples that are still together?

-enk

[Duo]

Is this restricted solely to couples that are still together?

-enk

No. You can participate even if you have broken up with or divorced from your Finnish partner.

[enk]

No. You can participate even if you have broken up with or divorced from your Finnish partner.

Good to know; you might find more of us on here than ones still together

-enk

[Mikie]

If I may ask, what is this research for? What are you hoping to ascertain from the responses? I ask this because I see on here and a bunch of other locations people asking for different survey groups for this question. Well not this question exactly, but along the lines of this. And I am just curious are these questions strictly for different thesis topics or is this information aimed to be used for a certain purpose.

Anonymous or not, it's nice to know what your information is going to be used for.

[Duo]

If I may ask, what is this research for?

I am writing a research paper (thesis) for the University of Joensuu ( Department of Social Sciences, Cultural Diversity) and the interviews form the basis of the qualitative research.

I am also working as a project manager in Duo Project, that offers a variety of services for intercultural couples and families in Finland and the results of the research may also be utilised in the project.

If you want to know more about the research or my work, please contact me by phone or email.

[Duo]

I am still looking for suitable interviewees, so please contact me if you are interested in helping out in the research and meet "the criteria":

1. A man or a woman of immigrant background who
2. lives in Finland because of their relationship with a Finn and
3. moved to Finland after meeting and starting a relationship with their Finnish partner.

Thank you for all those who have contacted me so far!

Email hanna.kinnunen(at)familiaclub.fi
Tel. 050-4522393