Aktoriyhteyksinä

Aktoriyhteyksinä is a Finnish term used in theoretical discussions of social network analysis and actor–network theory. The phrase is typically translated as "as actor connections" and denotes a mode of description in which phenomena are defined primarily by the ties among agents rather than by the agents' autonomous attributes. From this perspective, agency is understood as distributed across a network of relations, and focus shifts from individual actors to patterns of connections, flows, and configurations.

Linguistically, the construction combines aktori (actor) with yhteydet (connections) and the essive plural suffix -nä, which conveys "as" or "in the role of." The form signals a stance or analytical lens rather than a defined category of actors.

Usage of the term is relatively specialized and appears in Finnish-language scholarship that engages with networked governance, information systems, science and technology studies, and related fields. Writers may use aktoriyhteyksinä to describe analyses that treat entities as networks of relations, thereby foregrounding relationality and distributed agency, or to critique approaches that prioritize intrinsic properties of named actors.

Limitations include the potential for ambiguity for readers unfamiliar with Finnish morphology or ANT terminology, and its relatively niche status outside Finnish scholarly circles.

See also: actor–network theory; relational ontology; social network analysis; Finnish academic terminology.