Suhtautuva

Suhtautuva is a Finnish adjective derived from the verb suhtautua, which means to relate to, regard, or be inclined toward. The suffix -va forms an adjective describing something that is attitudinal or oriented toward a particular attitude, perspective, or relation. In practice, suhtautuva indicates aspects that concern attitudes or viewpoints rather than intrinsic properties of objects or events. The term is most common in academic or formal writing, particularly in sociology, psychology, education, and philosophy, where discussions about how people relate to issues or how phenomena are framed emphasize attitudinal dimensions.

Usage of the term often appears in phrases such as suhtautuva lähestymistapa, meaning an attitudinal or attitudinally oriented approach, or suhtautuva asenne, referring to an attitude shaped by particular perspectives. It signals that the focus is on how people think about or respond to a subject, rather than on objective features alone. The word can help distinguish between perceptual or evaluative dimensions and purely factual descriptions.

Related terms include suhtautua (to relate to), suhtautuminen (attitude or relationship in a broad sense), and asenne (attitude). Suhtautuva is a specialized, relatively formal expression and is most likely to be found in scholarly prose or analytical writing discussing the role of attitudes and orientations in understanding phenomena.