معرفی
Merja Tarvainen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the University of Eastern Finland's Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Administration. Her research focuses on disability social work, narrative methodologies, and citizenship studies. She has led projects like 'Considerate disability social work' (2021-2023) and co-authored "Vaativa sosiaalityö" (2025), a seminal anthology on demanding social work practices. Key themes include disability inclusion, ethical discretion in social services, and future-oriented policy design. Her work bridges qualitative research with real-world applications, emphasizing marginalized voices in welfare systems.
Recent publications (2023-2025) analyze discretion in disability services, Deaf community reconciliation, and future visions of structural social work. She collaborates with organizations like Kehitysvammaliitto and has advised on EU-funded welfare projects. Awards remain unspecified, though her contributions to disability policy frameworks are widely recognized in Nordic academia.
