Authors

• Gävert, Titi (Church Council. Kirkon diakonia ja sielunhoito)
• Juntunen, Elina (Church Council. Diakonian tutkimuksen seura)
• Kiiski, Jouko (University of Eastern Finland)
• Laine, Tiina (Diakoniatyöntekijöiden Liitto)

Keywords

asylum seekers, cooperation, labour relations, occupational safety, occupations, refugees, religious personnel, social disadvantage, values, working conditions

Abstract

Diaconia Barometers chart Finnish diaconal workers' experiences of their work. The 2016 survey concentrated especially on the 2015 European refugee crisis and the influx of people seeking asylum in Finland. Themes included social disadvantage and the possibilities of communality as a channel for helping.

First, the respondents were asked how often they had encountered different types of abused or disadvantaged clients in their work (e.g. a victim of emotional abuse, someone who constantly has to resort to food aid, someone unable to apply for social security benefits, an illegal immigrant, a homeless person). They were also asked how often in 2015 they had performed a variety of tasks (e.g. organised voluntary activities, organised spaces for clients' own activities, helped the socially disadvantaged in becoming a meaningful part of the congregation). The barometer also surveyed the share of time the respondents used weekly on certain types of diaconal work, such as communal work in a church or client work in the diaconia office. It was queried whether a holding centre or other means of lodging was arranged in the parish area for asylum seekers in 2015, and if the respondents had helped asylum seekers either voluntarily or as part of their work. The respondents were presented with a set of attitudinal statements regarding asylum seekers as well as relations between asylum seekers, locals, and diaconal/volunteer workers. In addition, an open-ended question queried opinions on what sort of measures should be taken to ensure peaceful coexistence between Finns and asylum seekers.

The diaconia barometer also examined the respondents' working conditions. They were enquired about the support received from superiors as well as the most important competences of a diaconal worker in the following ten years. Further questions, repeated from the 2013 Diaconia Barometer, charted harassment or bullying in the workplace. Threatening situations or physical violence caused by clients or members of the congregation were also charted. Finally, the type of values apparent in the respondents' work and work community were examined with attitudinal statements (e.g. "I feel like my team has a common meaning" and "My work relates to things I find important in life").

Background variables included number of inhabitants at the municipality of the respondent's workplace, the respondent's age group, educational background, gender, work experience in the field, and diocese.