‘Then we decided not to tell the adults’. Fieldwork among children in an international school

Korpela, Mari

doi:10.1177/14661381221091916

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Afterwards, I talked about the photos with the child who had taken them. I also visited the homes of some of the children, joining them on their way to or from school (for a more detailed account of the fieldwork, see Korpela, 2022).…”

Section: The Case Study and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

International lives and Finnish rhythms: Mobile professionals’ children, time and agency

Korpela

2023

Global Studies of Childhood

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This article investigates temporality in the everyday lives of 9-year-old children of international professionals in Finland. The children’s transnational mobility causes ruptures and discontinuities in their position within various timescapes. The institutional timescapes of schools in different countries appear to be somewhat incompatible, which can be challenging for these mobile children, especially if their sojourns are temporary. At the same time, the timescapes of the Finnish school system provide children with particular agency beyond the school setting, since school days are relatively short. Children also view differing timescapes differently depending on the length of their stay in the country. The article shows how past, present and future timescapes, and potential ruptures within these, become entangled when mobile professionals’ children negotiate their position and agency within various timescapes.

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Section: The Case Study and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

International lives and Finnish rhythms: Mobile professionals’ children, time and agency

Korpela

2023

Global Studies of Childhood

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“…I visited the homes of some of the children, joining them on their way to or from school. In the classroom, I often assumed the role of teaching assistant, but outside of it I was more closely involved with the children, playing and chatting with them (see Korpela, 2022, for a detailed account of the fieldwork among nine-year-olds).…”

Section: The Case Study and Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Under the Radar – Expatriate Children and Integration in Finland

Korpela

2023

Barn

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In policies and research, migrant children tend to be seen as underprivileged and vulnerable. This discourse ignores the more privileged migrant children, those labelled expatriates or third culture kids. Finland wants to attract skilled professionals from abroad. They are often accompanied by their children. Although the families typically intend to sojourn in the country temporarily, Finnish society tends to see them as ‘permanent immigrants’ who need to be integrated. This is visible in international schools that follow the national curriculum, including extensive Finnish language studies and exposure to Finnish culture. This article is based on an ethnographic study among expatriate children in an international school in a Finnish town. I ask how the integration aims affect the expatriate children’s lives, and how they navigate those aims. Using empirical examples, I elaborate on the contradiction between being a ‘privileged’ temporary expatriate child and being defined as an ‘underprivileged’ permanent immigrant.

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“…I made a conscious choice to keep handwritten notes during the school days. Not only did this help me to remember what had happened but it was also a visible reminder to the students (and teachers) of my researcher role (see Korpela 2022). My note-writing definitely did not go unnoticed.…”

Section: A Suspicious Spy? Making Sense Of the Researcher’s Rolementioning

confidence: 99%

Having a Laugh and Negotiating the Situation: The Significance of Humor During Fieldwork Among International Teenagers

Korpela

2024

Journal of Contemporary Ethnography

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This article elaborates on the significance of humor and playful interactions in an ethnographic research project among 14- and 15-year-old teenagers in an international middle school in Finland. First, it discusses the role of humor among students and their teachers in the school. Second, the article elaborates on the role humor played when an adult ethnographer was negotiating her role and actions with these teenagers; humor and playful interactions provided useful tools with which to negotiate the researcher’s role and made the project a fun and enjoyable experience for the researcher and participants alike. The article employs the concept of reality play when analyzing everyday interactions in a school context, and it argues both that the use of humor can contribute to forming meaningful and ethically sound relationships between researcher and participants and that elaborations on research and ethics should pay more attention to the significance of humor and playfulness as essential parts of human life.

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‘Then we decided not to tell the adults’. Fieldwork among children in an international school

Cited by 4 publications

References 11 publications

International lives and Finnish rhythms: Mobile professionals’ children, time and agency

International lives and Finnish rhythms: Mobile professionals’ children, time and agency

Under the Radar – Expatriate Children and Integration in Finland

Having a Laugh and Negotiating the Situation: The Significance of Humor During Fieldwork Among International Teenagers

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