A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Paradoxes of Mentoring : An Ethnographic Study of a Mentoring Programme for Highly-educated Women with Migrant Backgrounds (2019)

Steel, T., Lämsä, A.-M., & Jyrkinen, M. (2019). Paradoxes of Mentoring : An Ethnographic Study of a Mentoring Programme for Highly-educated Women with Migrant Backgrounds. Culture Unbound : Journal of Current Cultural Research, 11(2), 275-297. https://doi.org/10.3384/cu.2000.1525.19112297

Tutkimusta rahoitti strategisen tutkimuksen neuvosto, joka toimii Suomen Akatemian yhteydessä.

JYU-tekijät tai -toimittajat

Lämsä, Anna-Maija

Julkaisun tiedot

Julkaisun kaikki tekijät tai toimittajat: Steel, Tytti; Lämsä, Anna-Maija; Jyrkinen, Marjut

Lehti tai sarja: Culture Unbound : Journal of Current Cultural Research

eISSN: 2000-1525

Julkaisuvuosi: 2019

Volyymi: 11

Lehden numero: 2

Artikkelin sivunumerot: 275-297

Kustantaja: Linköping University Electronic Press

Julkaisumaa: Ruotsi

Julkaisun kieli: englanti

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3384/cu.2000.1525.19112297

Pysyvä verkko-osoite: http://www.cultureunbound.ep.liu.se/v11/a15/cu19v11a15.pdf

Julkaisun avoin saatavuus: Avoimesti saatavilla

Julkaisukanavan avoin saatavuus: Kokonaan avoin julkaisukanava

Julkaisu on rinnakkaistallennettu (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/65678

Tiivistelmä

This article explores paradoxes that emerge in the mentoring of highly-educated, female, foreign-born job-seekers in Finland. Theoretically, the study is linked to the growing body of research scrutinising the integration or discrimination of migrants in working life. It analyses cultural practices and ideas that are visible and affect the mentoring interaction. On a more practical level, the paper determines how the mentors and mentees experience the mentoring, and how intercultural mentoring could be improved in order to promote mentees’ employment. The article is based on ethnography and 11 semi-structured interviews. Two major paradoxes and their links to cultural meanings were identified: the over-emphasised focus on Finnish language (the language paradox), and the myth of the strong Finnish woman (the support paradox). These can be seen as having aspects of both cultural awareness and situation-specific awareness. Using situation-specific awareness, some mentors understood the best way forward was to break the rules of the mentoring programme and not to use Finnish in all communication. This enabled a more equal setting for professional discussions. In some rare cases, when the mentors did not use situation-specific awareness, a vicious circle emerged and mentees felt even worse about their abilities and working life opportunities. Similarly, although the myth of the strong Finnish woman can be an empowering and positive model for the mentee, it can have a negative impact on the mentor, enabling undercurrents in the mentoring discussions which can be experienced as harsh and even hostile. This, instead of encouraging and supporting, can result in the undermining and ‘othering’ of the mentee.

YSO-asiasanat: mentorointi; korkeakoulutetut; maahanmuuttajat; maahanmuuttajatausta; naiset; kulttuurienvälisyys; paradoksit; työelämä