In her doctoral dissertation, Fathe Mubeen examines how 17 young refugees (former unaccompanied minors) negotiate identity and agency through their everyday relationships and interactions in Finland. Drawing on relational constructionism and using arts-based methods and qualitative interviews, the study shows that identity, agency, wellbeing and belonging emerge through ongoing relationships and are shaped by the interplay of past experiences, present circumstances, and future aspirations. The results demonstrate that young refugees both shape and are shaped by their relationships with family members, peers, professionals, and institutions, while society itself is continually reconfigured through these relational processes. The study contributes to research, practice, and policy by encouraging approaches that move beyond individualistic understandings of integration and instead support belonging, social connectedness, and meaningful relationships.
The doctoral dissertation of M.Soc.Sc. Fath-E-Mubeen, entitled Becoming Through Relationships: An Arts-Based Study of Young Refugees' Lives Across Time, will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University, on 22 August 2026.
The Opponent will be Professor Kati Turtiainen from the University of Jyväskylä. The Custos will be Professor Mervi Kaukko from the Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University.