Tampere Centre for Societal Sustainability (TaSSu) works on societal transformations and their varied meanings. Our work is characterised by a human-centred approach. Through our research, we generate understanding of individual and community participation, as well as of the conditions required for ecologically and socially sustainable transformations.
Our aim is to produce conceptual and empirical knowledge on inclusive practices, needs-based social innovations, democracy, and people’s opportunities to influence their everyday lives, their environments, and society at large.
At TaSSu, we approach these issues through three interconnected thematic areas.
- Cities, citizens, communities
- Wellbeing, equity, inclusion
- Everyday life, governance, politics
Our work is grounded in collaborative, participatory, and dialogical methods, and in strong interaction with all our stakeholders—from individuals to decision-making bodies and organisations.
Research focus and goals
Citizens, Cities, Communities
In our research, we examine the practices and connections that shape relationships between citizens, cities, and communities. We understand these practices and connections as being in a constant state of change. We are particularly interested in how lived experiences and everyday interactions are reflected in the formation of local communities. Another key focus is on how social and ecological sustainability can be promoted in cities through inclusive and participation-oriented measures. Through our work, we seek to develop understanding of how community relations evolve in urban contexts and with what consequences, and how increasingly diverse cities could better incorporate people’s perspectives and needs.
Wellbeing, Equity, Inclusion
Our research focuses on wellbeing and welfare services in order to understand how inclusivity and equity are shaped and produced in societies, and how people’s experience of wellbeing can be supported. Inclusion or participation are not merely about individual responsibility or personal choice. Rather, inclusivity requires various mechanisms and forms of equity, such as socio-cultural recognition, income redistribution, or opportunities for political participation. In our work, we approach wellbeing from the perspective of social and environmental sustainability. Through this perspective, we examine eco-social policies and practices to support a just transition in societies.
Everyday Life, Governance, Politics
Our research engages with the connections and tensions between people’s everyday lives and societal governance. We are interested in how individuals and communities strive toward a better life and a more sustainable society. Our work examines how everyday practices and experiences are shaped by governance arrangements, policy frameworks, and societal structures. Equally important is how everyday practices and experiences shape governance, its forms and structures. We thus seek to understand how policies, structures, and administrative practices both constrain and enable people’s actions and aspirations. In doing so, our work emphasises the social and political possibilities that manifest in people’s everyday lives—through their participation in various communities and in society, or in their professional roles.
