I Mari Jolkkonen was born in 1984 in Ristiina, Finland. After High School, I became a registered nurse when earning my Bachelor of Nursing degree in 2006. I have worked with older adults in my nursing job. My interest to cultures and the social sphere of human life lead me to study Cultural Studies in the University of Eastern Finland where I earned my BA in 2012 and MA in 2014. My field of specialization is Cultural Anthropology.
Currently I am a member of multidisciplinary research group AKTE that investigates “Touch as a part of the Professional Skills and Ethics in Elderly Care”. My own PhD research is about the meaning of touch in the life on older adults, mostly about touch relationship between an older adult and his/her professional home care nurse. However, I am also interested about the life and interpersonal communication of older adults in broader contexts, including the communication with family and friends, both face to face and technology mediated. I use ethnographic method in my research.
Research Keywords: communication, home care, touch