I work as a senior lecturer in Social Work in the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy. My teaching and research areas include social welfare law and social work, as well as employment services. Recently, my research interests have focused on interdisciplinary studies, particularly from the perspective of combining law and social sciences. This is related to my latest scientific publication (Niemi H. & Valokivi H. 2025) "Sosiaalityöntekijöiden sijaispätevyyden uusi sääntely uhkaa asiakasturvallisuutta", in Yhteiskuntapolitiikka 90(1). My long-term research focus, on which I have also completed my doctoral dissertation, involves the realization of the right to work, especially from the perspective of those who have been unemployed for a longer period. I am interested in the individual level, intersections, and service pathways, as well as the actions and regulation of public authorities. Additionally, social rehabilitation has been a focus of my interest.
I meet social work students for the first time in the introductory course lecture, where I highlight the legal dimension of the profession. After this, I am responsible for the course "Social Welfare Law," which also includes legal case exercises. At the same time, I participate in delivering the lecture portion of the course "Public Law for Social Scientists." I defended my doctoral dissertation in public law at the University of Tampere in 2018.
In master's level teaching, I am responsible for the course "Client Rights in Social and Health Services." On the side of the social work subject, my third master's seminar group started in the fall semester of 2025. An important perspective in my master's seminar group has been the dimension of social welfare law. I have Valvira-licensed social worker qualifications and am particularly enthusiastic about combining social work practice with theoretical knowledge, and I enjoy working at both levels.
Previously, I have worked, among other roles, as an acting social worker in adult and family social work, at the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, and at the University of Tampere in the Department of Public Law.
In my dissertation from 2018 (Link: https://trepo.tuni.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/104153/978-952-03-0818-6.p…)
I research legislation concerning long-term unemployment from the point of view of municipalities. My dissertation regarding public law is primarily a study in legal dogmatics in which the empirical part utilizes interviews from social workers regarding the topic. My main interest has been the application of the fundamental right to work from the perspective of the unemployed individuals as well as the public actor. Legal sociology connects my research interest well to the field of social work. Thematically I am interested in structural social work, in which the legislation is an important way to intervene grievances. My newest interest in the thematics of social rehabilitation has emerged from practical work experience, in relation to which I am in charge of the project “Pilot study for game development based youth work in cooperation between the University Consortium of Seinäjoki and adult education centre of Seinäjoki”.
Before 28.02.2023 my publications can be found in the Tunicris system of the University of Tampere and publications made after that are in the Converis system of the University of Jyväskylä. Link to Tunicris: https://researchportal.tuni.fi/en/searchAll/index/?search=heidi+niemi&p…
