23.03.2011

Researching multiculturalism through sociology and history

Professor Peter Kivisto has been studying multiculturalism and migration for a long time, and is currently carrying out his research as a visiting FiDiPro professsor at the University of Turku. As an internationally renowned researcher, he endeavours to construct a theoretical overall understanding of the concept of multiculturalism and contribute to education in the field in Finland.

FiDiPro Professor Peter Kivisto from Augustana College, USA, works at the Department of History of the University of Turku on a project researching the concepts of migration and multiculturalism.

"Within the project, we're providing interdisciplinary instruction to the students at the University of Turku and producing research results that will benefit the entire scientific community," sums up Professor of General History Auvo Kostiainen, who heads the project.

The research project is being jointly funded by the Academy of Finland and the University of Turku, and it pursues to further clarify the theories and concepts related to multiculturalism and migration. Kivisto has been studying the role of multiculturalism for decades, and the Augustana College in Illinois has proven to be the ideal location for this research, since the College was founded by Swedish immigrants in the 1860s. Kivisto also has his own multicultural roots.

"The dots over the ‘o' in my surname have disappeared at some point in history. My roots trace back to Finland, but I'm a third-generation American," Kivisto explains with a smile.

An interdisciplinary approach facilitates versatile research

Professor Kivisto is a sociologist with a particular interest in examining multiculturalism and dual citizenship. Through his research, he endeavours to construct a theoretical overall understanding of the concept of multiculturalism and its significance to modern society. He has been involved in planning the FiDiPro project from the very beginning. The project began in 2009 and will end in 2012.

"I've known Professor Kostiainen for decades and I was very pleased to be asked to join forces with him on this project. When our research project got underway in 2009, I was surprised that it was the only social science programme at that time. It seems that the natural sciences play a major role here," Kivisto explains.

The multicultural research project is, however, not purely sociological; rather, the research also has a fundamental historical dimension.

"The roots of modern society lie in its past, and therefore, in order to understand our current issues and problems, it's wise to begin by trying to gain an understanding of their background," Kostiainen states.

The lectures and international seminars organised by the research team for the project cover comprehensively the entire spectrum of faculties at the university.

"In the short run, the most obvious benefit of the project, in terms of the progress of our field of research, is precisely the opportunity to build an interdisciplinary network that also extends abroad. The FiDiPro project has played a significant role in creating the Network for Research on Multiculturalism and Social Interaction (MCnet)," Kostiainen adds.

Operational models for everyday society

The project "Multiculturalism as a New Pathway to Incorporation" will run through 2012. The objective is to arrange a sizeable international conference for the autumn of 2012 that will attract all of the top experts in the field in Turku. Furthermore, Professor Kivisto is planning to write a book to share the results of the research project.

"On the international level, research on multiculturalism has, during recent years, focused more specifically on the issue of citizenship. Another important point of interest right now is second-generation immigrants, for example, the children born in Finland to those who have immigrated as refugees," explains Kostiainen.

Multiculturalism and social integration are also interesting areas of study in terms of their topicality and political nature. Many Western countries have drawn a great deal of attention to these issues during the last few years, often as a reaction to unsuccessful integration efforts.

"Domestic terrorism has also arisen as an aspect of this issue within Great Britain and the USA. By researching and striving to understand multiculturalism, we may find solutions to many of the ethnic conflicts present in today's society. Mutual respect and social integration are key aspects of this resolution process," states Kivisto.

National and international multiculturalism

There are a lot of global theories within the field of multicultural research. However, there are clear local differences within the actual research and social attitudes toward the topic.

"One might ask whether there exists a shared Nordic concept of multiculturalism. Although the Nordic countries are in many ways very similar, their individual attitudes toward immigrants vary greatly. Sweden is committed to multiculturalism, while Denmark has adopted a relatively hostile attitude toward this issue. Finland and Norway are somewhere in the middle," Kivisto assesses.

The European Union plays a significant role in the creation of a united migration policy. In the future, important social and research topics related to migration will focus on the improvement of integration and the impacts of migration on society, both in sending and receiving countries.

"Migration is not going to disappear. That's a fact on which everyone agrees. The next migrational wave could very well be climate-related, and this idea represents a growing area of interest within the research community," Kivisto states.

Text and photos: Riikka Söderlund

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