SYMBIO LIVING LABRESEARCH-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AND NEW REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP

Dr. Teemu Rantanen / Laurea University of Applied SciencesDr. Timo Toikko / Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences

TASK

TO TELL ABOUT THE SYMBIO LIVING LAB = A PLATFORM FOR EVENT PRODUCTION

TO DISCRIBE USER-ORIENTED EVENT PRODUCTION AS A TOOL FOR BUILDING PARTNERSHIP, WELFARE AND A NEW ENTREPRENEURSHIP CULTURE

TO CLAIM THAT THE NEW CITIZEN SOCIETY NEEDS BOTTOM-UP TYPE NEW REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORK

VIEWPOINTS ON FINNISH REGIONAL POLICY TRADITIONALLY FINNISH REGIONAL

POLICY HAS FOCUSED ON UNDER-DEVELOPED REGIONS WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF NARROWING REGIONAL WELFARE DISPARITIES.

SINCE THE 1990s, THE COURSE HAS SHIFTED TOWARDS A NEW REGIONAL POLICY WITH A CONNECTION BETWEEN WELFARE AND BUSINESS LIFE. FOCUS IS ON STRATEGIES.

THE FOCUS HAS MOVED FROM WELFARE POLICY TO INNOVATION POLICY. THE CRUCIAL POINT OF THE CHANGE IS THAT BOTTOM-UP INNNOVATION POLICY HAS SET TO THE SAME LEVEL WITH TOP-DOWN APPROACH.

RESEARCH-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT?

WHAT IS THE RELATION BETWEEN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT?

THE MAIN ELEMENTS: USER-ORIENTATION, REFLECTIVE SPIRAL PROCESS, AND NEW-TYPE KNOWLEDGE PRODUCTION.

THE APPROACH CAN BE RELATED TO ACTION RESEARCH (CARR & KEMMIS 1983), DEVELOPMENTAL WORK RESEARCH (ENGESTRÖM 1987), AND EVALUATION RESEARCH (FETTERMAN 1994).

CONCEPT OF USER-ORIENTATION

THE TRADITIONAL USABILITY PLANNING CONNECTS USABILITY WITH EFFORTLESS LEARNING, AND EFFICIENCY OF USE

IN CONTRAST, USER-ORIENTATED PLANNING INVITES PRODUCT OR SYSTEM USERS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PLANNING PROCESS

IN WELFARE SERVICES CAN BE SEEN A SHIFT FROM ADMISTRATION-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS USER-ORIENTATION.

ALL IN ALL, PARTICIPATION OF ACTORS IS DISCUSSED FROM DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS. THE UNIFYING NOTION IS THAT THE DIRECTION OF ACTIVITY IS DETERMINED BY THE ACTORS THEMSELVES INSTEAD FROM THE TOP-DOWN.

SYMBIO LIVING LAB

SYMBIO LIVING LAB (2009-2012) IS A ESF-PROJECT

THE BASIC IDEA IS ON USER-ORIENTED EVENT PLANNING AND PRODUCTION

THE MAIN GOALS: TO SUPPORT

ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE PORVOO REGION

TO SUPPORT WELFARE OF THE CITIZEN (ESPECIALLY YOUNG PEOPLE’S WELFARE)

TO BUILD A NEW KIND OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

TO DEVELOP THE CONCEPT OF USER-ORIENTED EVENT PRODUCTION

PORVOO WORKS -EVENT

IN THE SPRING OF 2011 (DURING ONE WEEK, 500 PERSONS, 70 REGIONAL ACTORS)

THE EVENT CONSISTED OF VARIOUS PERFORMANCES AND PARTICIPATORY SITUATIONS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE CONNECTED TO EVERYDAY WORKING LIFE IN DIFFERENT SECTORS, PROFESSIONS, JOB APPLICATION AND JOB INTERVIEW.

ONE DAY WAS INTENDED FOR THE REGION’S WORK COMMUNITIES

OUR RESEARCH DESIGN

WE ANALYZED, WHAT IS THE USER-ORIENTED REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORK

OUR DATA: DOCUMENTS OF THE

PROJECT (MEMORADUMS, PLANS AND DESIGNS, PROGRESS REPORTS ETC.)

GROUP INTERVIEWS, WHICH ARE BASED ON MICHAEL BILLING’S (1987) RHETORICAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND ARGUMENTATIVE METHOD OF QUALITATIVE ATTITUDE APPROACH (VESALA & RANTANEN 2007).

OUR RESULTS:

1) SIGNIFICANCE OF EVENTS IS A MULTI-LEVEL: EACH EVENT IS ITS OWN, SEPARATE ACTIVITY WITH ITS OWN GOALS. IN THE BEST SCENARIO, SEPARATE EVENTS FORM A CHAIN, WHERE THE EFFECTS ARE REPEATED

2) THE USER-ORIENTATION IS IMPORTANT THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS

OUR RESULTS (CONTINUE..)

3) IMPORTANCE OF A ”CREATIVE AND RESEARCH –LIKE” APPROACH. ESPECIALLY RESEARCHERS CREATED DISCUSSIONS AND HELPED TO DIRECT THE PROJECT

4) THE IMPORTANCE OF TRADITIONAL ENCOUNTER AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

FACE-TO-FACE ENCOUTERS ARE STILL THE MOST IMPORTANT MEANS OF INCLUSION SUPPORT.

RESERVATIONS

USER-ORIENTED EVENT PLANNING MODEL CANNOT REPLACE THE TRADITIONAL MEANS OF WELFARE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP POLICIES

OUR RESULTS ARE BASED ON THE ACTORS’ SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCES

THE NATURE OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORK DEPENDS ON THE REGION

CONCLUSIONS

IN FINLAND, THE MAIN PERSPECTIVE OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORK HAS BEEN ON THE REGIONAL PROGRAMMES OR STRATEGIES. SYMBIO LIVING LAB IS AN EXAMPLE OF USER-ORIENTED APPROACH TO REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

USER-ORIENTED EVENT PLANNING IS A WAY TO BUILD REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP

CONCLUSIONS (CONTINUE..) IN TRADITIONAL NORDIC WELFARE STATE,

WELFARE SERVICES AND BUSINESS LIFE ARE SEEN AS SEPARATE SECTORS OF SOCAIL ACTIVITIES

ACCORDING TO FINNISH PHILOSOPHER PEKKA HIMANEN IT NEEDS REFORM OF THE WELFARE STATE, NEW KIND OF CREATIVE ECONOMY, AND ACTIVITY, WHICH IS BASED ON SUSTAINABL DEVELOPMENT AND GLOBAL CULTURE

SYMBIO LIVING LAB AND USER-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT COMBINES TWO PERSPECTIVE: WELFARE OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND PROMOTION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP