Vuokko Jarva

Curriculum

Curriculum vitae and researcher profile

I started my career as free lance journalist working for magazines, radio and television. First I worked with youth problems but specialized gradually in social problems and planning. The beginning of my researcher career was in 1973 when I started as administrative planner in the ministry of justice and completed in the meanwhile my masters (1978) and licentiate (1981) degrees in social policy and social psychology. My reports and theses from that time concern with the problem of information systems and strategic planning.

In 1982 I started as professional researcher of the Academy of Finland working with anticipation of "life scenarios" of ordinary people in information society, just beginning its formation in Finland . The situation is now in some measure better, than I anticipated, but the problems of unemployment and everyday life have became worse, as I anticipated.

Then I worked in several projects for various Ministries and Research institutes in studies on how to transform our welfare society without loosing its beneficial characteristics. Meanwhile I completed my doctorate in 1996 with the thesis "Family economic crisis and survival in the light of futures research". For that I got the FUTURES Award of the Finnish Society of Futures Research. In the year 2000 I became an adjunct professor in social policy and begun my work as university lecturer at the Department of Home Economics and Craft Science in the faculty then called Faculty of Education. My special sector is Household Economy and Consumer Education, which I both teach and study in the framework of social sciences and futures research.

Inbetween substantial research I have extended my theoretical profile in futures research. My theoretical approach I have named as social design, and it belongs to the family of communicative and action research. In the field of futures research I have developed three methodological tools: dramatic scenario, dramatic analysis and social diagnostics, which form a qualitative toolkit for analysis of developments and creation of futures scenarios.

I have been since my journalist days member of several specialist organizations connecting research and the members of the parliament. Then I took the responsibility of Coordinator of Helsinki group and member of Board, Finnish Society for Futures Studies 1994-2000. Have been, by accident, member of delphi-panels: forestry futures 1994, barometer of municipal futures 1998-2002, delphi of education and teacher education 1998.

In international connections I have managed to keep my low profile for quite a long time. The only exceptions being : Club of Rome conference 1984, when I was editor of the proceedings and, after that invited Member of the Club of Rome Finland Committee and the working committee 1985-2000. Have been member of World Federation for Futures Studies, since 1994.

Presentations in several other international conferences in several fields of research. See my ENGLISH PUBLICATIONS and PRESENT STUDIES.

Scientific activities, profile and plans: The predominant characteristic of my researcher career is, that most of the time I have been working in practical development and research projects. That is why my research work has ripened late. The advantage of this is, that I have extensive practical experience on the problems I study. See my PRESENT STUDIES.