Dear all,
Our new article was just published. We have published from the same data before in
Finnish, but this is the first publication in English. It tackles social work education
from LGBTQI+ perspectives and social work students' attitudes and knowledge gaps in
Finland:
Clarke, K., Söderström, I., Sullivan, C. B., & Rossi, L. M. (2026). LGBTQI+ inclusion
in Finnish social work education: reality or empty talk? Social Work Education, 1–19.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2026.2639040
Abstract:
This article explores how homogenising views of equality and the lack of academic research
on LGBTQI+ issues in Finnish social work contributes to the invisibility of gender and
sexuality topics in social work education. It discusses the Finnish historical context of
LGBTQI+ legislation and the struggle for legal equality. The article considers Finnish
social work research on LGBTQI+ issues highlighting the shortcomings of social work
practice knowledge with these communities. Through a multidimensional survey of
master’s-level social work students across five Finnish universities, the study explores
students’ attitudes, knowledge, and perceived readiness to work with LGBTQI+ service
users. The findings show that students report positive attitudes toward LGBTQI+ people,
but they also indicate significant gaps in knowledge, especially regarding structural
discrimination and the specific needs of gender and sexual minorities. These gaps were
more pronounced among heterosexual students, suggesting that personal identity may play a
greater role than formal education in shaping awareness of LGBTQI+ issues. The findings of
the limited survey imply the need for more explicit inclusion of LGBTQI+ perspectives in
social work curricula, which require further research and pedagogical strategies that
promote critical reflection, intersectional analysis, and LGBTQI+ affirmative practice.
Best regards, Ilo Söderström
Ilo Söderström
DSocSci, Postdoctoral researcher
Social Work
Tampere University
Hankkeet / Projects:
Sijaishuollon arjen utopiat: monivähemmistöiset nuoret kuvittelemassa ja tekemässä
parempaa tulevaisuutta - Koneen
Säätiö<https://koneensaatio.fi/apurahat-ja-residenssipaikat/sijaishuollon-arjen-utopiat-monivahemmistoiset-nuoret-kuvittelemassa-ja-tekemassa-parempaa-tulevaisuutta/>
AFFIRM-ED —Affirmative education in social and healthcare for sexual and gender diversity
– Nordic collaboration project
2025-2027<https://blogs.helsinki.fi/affirmed-nordic-lgbtqia/>