Hannele Harjunen

Hannele Harjunen serves as Associate Professor in Sociology of Sport at the Department of Social Sciences of Sport within the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland. Previously until 2022, she held a Senior Lecturer position in gender studies at the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at the same institution.

She earned her PhD in gender studies with research examining Finnish women's experiences of fatness, and holds the title of docent in gender studies from Tampere University. Her foundational postdoctoral work (2011-2015) investigated intersections between neoliberal economic frameworks, bodily practices, gender constructions, and fatness discourse.

Harjunen's research critically analyzes sport as an exclusionary field through feminist and fat studies lenses, examining medicalization of fat bodies, gendered fatphobia in athletic contexts, and neoliberal constructions of health. Her work consistently challenges weight stigma while exploring how body norms operate within contemporary Finnish society and globalized fitness culture.

Recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate thematic continuity in examining fatness as sociocultural phenomenon, with increasing focus on media discourse, youth sports, and policy interventions. Key trends include analyzing Ozempic narratives in Finnish media, deconstructing body positivity's neoliberal co-optation, and developing ethical frameworks for weight discourse in healthcare.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Kone Foundation Senior Research Fellowship (2018-2021)

This prestigious fellowship supported her critical investigation of neoliberalism's impact on bodily subjectivity. While no student advising is documented in source materials, her collaborative research on youth sports policy and obesity stigma reduction indicates significant grant-funded project leadership. Her work bridges academic scholarship with practical policy development through Finnish governmental initiatives.