I am a political philosopher and a University Lecturer in Pedagogy of Philosophy and Ethics. I earned my DPhil in practical philosophy from the University of Helsinki. I am also a qualified subject teacher and adult educator with a long career, of which a decade at the university.
I am interested in the educational, political and institutional change in the era of global crises, especially from the viewpoint of future generations and children. My research has so far focused on political and ethical aspects of education and schooling as well as pedagogy of philosophy and ethics.
My training and theoretical approach is mainly that of analytic philosophy. However, I think that dealing with messy everyday topics such as education and political activism needs to be informed both by empirical research and other philosophical perspectives, such as theories of social ontology and the so-called continental philosophy. I further believe that whichever the topic, it is worth checking it with a trans* and queer inclusive, intersectional feminist perspective.
I am currently based at the Department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences. I am also affiliated with the Helsinki Inequality Initiative and the Philosophy Department at the University of Helsinki.
Before becoming an academic, aside of working as a teacher and a trainer, I was involved with grassroot environmental, anti-nuclear, and anti-nuclear arms movements. I was mainly involved with education and communication, as well as training methods of peaceful civil disobedience.
A fact about me that you might not have guessed: as I live in the countryside I own an ATV (all-terrain vehicle, mönkkäri) and especially enjoy ploughing snow at the wintertime.
Tarna Kannisto, PhD 