Family Strengths from a Finnish Perspective: A Thematic Analysis of an Interview

Justin M. Petkus¹

Petkus, J. M. (2022). Family Strengths from a Finnish Perspective: A Thematic Analysis of an Interview. InterViews: An Interdisciplinary Journal in Social Sciences, 9(1), pp. 13-32. https://doi.org/10.36061/IV.9.1.22.13.32

Abstract

The cultural, ethnic, and spiritual influences on family strengths, resilience, and environmental connections were explored by a thematic analysis of an interview with a 26-yearold expatriate Finnish woman living in Qatar. The interview focused on her experiences and perceptions of family life, and explored the ways in which her family dealt with challenges. The responses were classified into latent and emergent themes underpinned by the family strengths model, family resilience theory, and the ecological systems theory. Positive family strengths were identified by themes such as “Appreciation and affection; Commitment; Positive communication; Enjoyable times together; Spiritual well-being; Managing stress and crisis; Open emotional sharing, Collaborative problem solving; Family identity, Shared values, Celebrations, and Transitions”. Positive environmental connections were identified by themes such as “Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem, and Chronosystem”. The qualitative indicators of family strength, resilience, and connections identified in the Finnish family context confirmed and expanded existing theory on the characteristics found universally to describe strong functioning family units.

Keywords: family science, Finnish families, interview, international family studies, transnational families, expatriate families

¹Justin M. Petkus is a Doctoral Candidate in Psychology at the Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences in the University of Luxembourg, Campus Belval. He is a certified Child Life Specialist, certified Family Life Educator, and a registered psychologist in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Correspondence regarding this article may be directed to him at: justin.petkus@uni.lu