Pekka Isotalus

Analyzing Presidential Debates Functional Theory and Finnish Political Communication Culture

Abstract One of the most used theories in the research of political debates is the functional theory of campaign discourse. However, the theory has been criticized for being too culturally limited. In the present article, a Finnish presidential debate is analyzed from the perspective of functional theory. The goal is to critically evaluate the applicability of functional theory to the analysis of Finnish political campaigning. The results show that a Finnish presidential debate differs in many ways from an American presidential debate. The study shows how strongly the culture is reflected in political television debates and how important it is to take account of the cultural perspective in the development of a theory.

Mediatization and Political Leadership

Mediatization of politics has been observed to occur in many different ways. In the research of mediatization, one central area focuses on political actors and the degree to which they are governed by media logic or political logic. In this area, the political leaders have a key role. In this study, we focus on the relationship between the media and political leaders. Our first aim is to consider how the Finnish press and the political leaders themselves perceive the role of the media in the work of the political leaders. The second aim is to study how they evaluate what has changed in political communication and why. The empirical data consist of two datasets: data from the newspapers and interview data. The data from the newspapers were collected from four of the most widely read newspapers in Finland over a period of six months. The interview data consist of interviews with leaders from each of eight political parties in Parliament. All the data were analyzed by qualitative content analysis. Most of the results indicate mediatization of politics in Finland, but there are also a few features which do not support the development unequivocally. The political leaders are dependent on the media, but they have not adapted to the media to the extent the journalists suppose.

Communication Skills for Medical Students: Results From Three Experiential Methods

Background In medical students’ communication training, the doctor-patient encounter can be simulated through experiential learning methods, such as simulated patients (SPs) and role-play. However, more theater and drama education–based methods have not been widely used in the context of medical education. Aim In this mixed-method study, we compare SPs, role-play, and Theatre in Education (TIE) method in teaching interpersonal communication competence (ICC) to medical students. We describe how a course in communication was based on the communication in the disciplines (CID) theoretical framework and principles of experiential learning and reflection. Method Second-year medical students (n = 132) were randomly assigned to three groups where SPs, role-play, and TIE method were used. Data were collected by a questionnaire, focus group interviews, and a translated version of the Communication Skills Attitude Scale. Data were analyzed using statistical methods, qualitative content analysis, and cross-case analysis. Results The results show that (a) the medical students perceived all three methods favorably, (b) the students’ self-reported learning outcomes were very similar in the three groups, and (c) the students’ attitudes to learning communication skills became more positive as the training progressed. Conclusion We present a model that can be used in designing and implementing specialty-specific communication training in other disciplines than medicine as well.

Professional Listening Competence Promoting Well-Being at Work in the Legal Context.

This qualitative cross-cultural study sought to contribute to the understanding of listening competence, dialogic listening, and the use of human agency in promoting well-being at work. The participant groups (N = 103) consisted of n = 76 U.S.-American and n = 27 Finnish attorneys. Results suggest that in order to examine listening and well-being at work, a term professional listening competence had to be constructed. The results further suggest that a sense of a strong professional listening competence leads to positive experiences of self-efficacy and personal agency regarding the management of professional interaction by listening. These empowering experiences serve to alleviate work-related stress and have a positive effect on well-being at work.

Political Scandal Tests Trust in Politicians

Abstract Political scandals have been observed to be increasingly common everywhere. In April 2008, the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ilkka Kanerva, was compelled to resign because of the sensation arising from the enormous number of suggestive text messages that he had sent to a young female erotic dancer. During the scandal, the media followed this episode intensively. The present article considers what kinds of qualities for political leadership the media called for during this scandal and how these qualities were justified. The paper is based partly on quantitative but mostly on qualitative content analyses of the four most read newspapers in Finland. The results show five categories, the qualities being professional competence, personal characteristics and behaviour, trustworthiness, maintenance of relations and communication skills. The results show that the requirements imposed by the media are high, but that evaluation of professional competence is still crucial. Further, the occurrence of a scandal seems to trigger discussions on trust in politicians.

Relational Tensions and Optimal Listening in the Communication Relationships of American and Finnish Legal Professionals

Drawing on relational dialectics, this study examines definitions of optimal listening, the tensions affecting it, cultural differences in both of these and strategies for managing tensions. The participant sample (N = 101) consists of 76 American attorneys and 25 Finnish judges. The results suggest that differences in national communication cultures and the requirements of professional communication affect the definitions of optimal listening. The American participants perceived this as a people-oriented and the Finns as a fact-oriented activity. Both groups experienced reported tensions between real and ideal listening, autonomy and connection, the public and the private, and also between equality and inequality. Culturally, specific tensions were also reported.

Words and Beyond: Members’ Experiences of the Supportive Communication and Helping Mechanisms of Al-Anon Groups

Al-Anon members (n = 20) were interviewed to investigate the association between communication and the helping mechanisms of Al-Anon. The research material was thematically analyzed and resulted in six mechanisms of supportive communication (sense of belonging, seeing oneself in relation to others, experiencing self-efficacy, developing a new story, moving the attention to oneself, and finding building blocks of recovery) that operated at two levels of supportive communication: content and relationships. These results provide an outlook on the communication that produces helping mechanisms in mutual-support groups.