Curriculum vitae

My social and cultural anthropology PhD thesis  research is concerned with the rapid rearrangement of nature and intensification of land use in rural northeastern Madagascar. Its focus is on the Marojejy National Park, a conservation area of 55,000 hectares established in 1998 at the initiative of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Malagasy state. The park aims at protecting a large number of rare and endemic animal and plant species found only in Madagascar. The human inhabitants, mainly of Tsimihety ethnicity, of the area near the park cultivate rice for their own subsistence and vanilla for the international consumer market. The conflicting global and national priorities that define these people’s environment lead me to ask how the Tsimihety respond to them, and what kinds of perceptions and actions constitute the Tsimihety claim to their landscape as a good, viable place to live.

I have gathered the data for this thesis between September 2012-August 2013 in four different villages situating near Marojejy National Park entrance as well as in archives during three months in 2011 in Antananarivo, Madagascar. The work is part of a larger project, Environment, Changing Land Use and Global Natural Resource Economy, directed by Timo Kaartinen and funded by Finnish Academy.  

I have conducted previous research focusing on multiple ways of governing in Riau Archipelago in Malacca Strait region in Indonesia. The main data of the research were the written local political histories and myths as well as interviews.

Curriculum vitae

Teaching assistant: Ethnography seminar I&II. Seafaring societies. Jukka Siikala. Social and Cultural Amthropology. The Univeristy of Helsinki. 17.3-12.5.2010

- preparing the readings for the course, leading the weekly discussion sessions, lecturing, reviewing the essays and giving the grades together with the professor. Students' comments: "For once the material was gone over thoroughly.", "Interesting and topical course.", "The atmosphere of the course was smooth and  relaxed."

Curriculum vitae

Research assistant, Changing Childhood, Consumption and Capitalism, Minna Ruckenstein, PhD, Researcher), Social and Cultural Anthropology, The University of Helsinki 12/2006-5/2008.- data collecting by interviewing and participating observation at schools, daycares and toy stores. - lettering and analyzing research data.

Research Assistant, Transportation Unit, Social Services Department, City of Helsinki 5/2007-9/2007.- establishing and co-ordinating customer satisfactory inquiry.- analyzing inquiry data and writing reports (see publications).

Curriculum vitae

ALL-YOUTH researcher 1.7.2018-31.12.2020