The doctoral dissertation in the field of Human Geography will be examined at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies at Joensuu Campus. The public examination will be streamed online.
What is the topic of your doctoral research? Why is it important to study the topic?
Finland is one of the world’s leading countries in rural second home tourism due to geographical landscapes and societal, social and cultural reasons. This doctoral dissertation belongs to the field of human geography and focuses on second home tourism in Finland from environmental and relational points of view. Second home tourism is here defined as a leisure-oriented mobile lifestyle, which includes travelling between permanent and second home. Most often, this mobility appears between urban and rural living environments. Second home tourism is a profound part of Finnish culture, and is often perceived as simple cottage life and living close to nature. However, the expansion of second homes in rural areas, increasing year-round use and the rising standard of equipment at cottages all have environmental impacts.
What are the key findings or observations of your doctoral research?
In this PhD it is argued that the factors and processes inducing the environmental impacts of second home tourism in Finland seem to persist and even increase.
The research approach of relationality provides a holistic viewpoint to the geographical conceptualisation and understanding of the second home tourism phenomenon in the context of mobile lifestyle, multilocality and related environmental impacts. Methodologically, the study is based on a relational research design. In relational terms, the second home tourism phenomenon is influenced by many individual, social and material relations that enable and produce the phenomenon. This thesis sheds light on these relations, while asking how second home tourism and related physical mobility appear as spatial patterns and social practices in Finland. The thesis elucidates what factors and processes induce the eco-social and environmental impacts of rural second home tourism in Finland and how these impacts are perceived by Finns.
How can the results of your doctoral research be utilised in practice?
I suggest that a relational approach of human geography is beneficial in governing and mitigating the environmental impacts and enhancing sustainable second home tourism. Relational and holistic approach highlight the factors and interdependencies within the phenomenon. Relational understanding is also beneficial in designing indicators for measuring environmental impacts of rural second home tourism. Environmental indicators can be used to monitor the ecological sustainability and development trends of secodn home tourism in terms of mobility, housing and consumption.
What are the key research methods and materials used in your doctoral research?
PhD study examines second home tourism as a phenomenon in Finland in general, but its empirical findings focus on second home owners, particularly those who live in the capital region of Helsinki and own a cottage in the Finnish lakeland. Multiple research materials and methods were used in the research. Primary research results and empirical findings are based on questionnaire surveys carried out in 2004 and 2012. Secondary findings are derived from previous studies and statistics, relevant research literature and reports with updates to the present day. Research methods include literature reviews, quantitative and qualitative research methods as well as triangulation and mixed-method frameworks.
The doctoral dissertation of Mervi Hiltunen, Lic.Soc.Sc., entitled Second home tourism in Finland – Relational perspective to environmental impacts, will be examined at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Business Studies. The opponent will be Associate Professor Jenny Rinkinen, LUT University, and the custos will be Professor Taru Peltola, University of Eastern Finland. The language of the public defence is English.
Doctoral dissertation (forthcomning)
For further information, please contact:
Mervi Hiltunen, mervi.hiltunen(at)uef.fi