Biography
I am a doctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä in the Department of Political Science. In my research, I often approach topics from a conceptual historical perspective, combining the focus areas of history, political theory, and political philosophy.
In my view, conceptual history opens up opportunities to treat political language as an open and changing semantic field, and a historical understanding of the changes and continuities in concepts broadens the perspective of what is politically possible.
Currently, I am interested in the basic concepts of Finnish political culture and in their temporalities. In my dissertation, I discuss a few of them that I believe are closely intertwined: early modern police, order, security, and welfare.
Due to the subject of my research, I am writing my dissertation in Finnish, but my goal is to also publish the results of my research in English in international publications.
Research interests
My doctoral dissertation examines the concepts of security and welfare characteristic of the Finnish state, as well as the interrelationship between these concepts. In the dissertation, I address the structures and historical development of internal security in the Finnish state from a conceptual historical perspective by analysing the Finnish concept of security. In this context, conceptual history is understood more broadly than as a purely semantic or linguistic inquiry: concepts and the meanings attached to them influence political thought and action both indirectly and directly.
My central argument is that the internal security of the Finnish state is grounded in a conception of security that emphasises anticipatory and preventive measures oriented towards the welfare of the state as a whole. The Finnish concept of security is linked to aims such as welfare and “success”, which in turn shape the temporal understanding of security as a set of proactive measures—including anticipation, prevention, preparedness and security of supply.
Contemporary Finnish security policy is based on the doctrine of comprehensive security ("kokonaisturvallisuus" in Finnish), which is founded on close cooperation and interaction between the state, various sectors of society, and citizens in the coordination, organisation, and implementation of anticipatory and preventive security measures. This tradition brings together internal and external security as well as defence policy perspectives, which can be analysed separately but, in Finland, form a tightly interwoven whole.
In scholarly research on state security, the emphasis has traditionally been on external security and defence policy, while studies focusing on internal security have been more limited in scope. These latter studies have often concentrated on established institutional actors such as the police, border control, rescue services, and most recently, civilian intelligence, along with their operational roles. Other topics have included extremist movements, organised crime, and the emergence of street gangs. However, little attention has been paid to the conceptual and historical foundations of internal security policy.
To date, there is no comprehensive study of the historical formation or distinctive features of internal security in the Finnish state. Moreover, the close link between internal and external security has not been sufficiently examined. This omission is significant, as the comprehensive security framework—as well as the state’s current internal security strategies and policy reports—reflect a broad conceptualisation of internal security, which also influences Finland’s foreign and security policy orientations and the range of possible actions by the state.