Suuntauksina

Suuntauksina is a Finnish noun form used to express “as tendencies” or “as orientations.” It is the plural essive form of suuntaus, a word that denotes trend, inclination, or direction. In Finnish, the essive case can indicate a temporary state or role, and in the plural it can refer to several such roles or appearances. Thus suuntauksina means “as the tendencies” or “as orientations” in a multi-faceted sense.

Etymology and form are tied to the stem suuntaus, with the plural essive ending added. This form is most common in written Finnish, particularly in analytical or theoretical prose, where a writer wants to summarize or compare several directions within a field.

Usage and meaning: Suuntauksina is typically used when a text enumerates or contrasts multiple directions, trends, or approaches. It appears in disciplines such as sociology, political science, cultural studies, and art history, as well as policy discussions, to present a plural set of currents without privileging any single one.

Examples: In Finnish academic writing, a sentence might read: “Keskustelussa on nähty suuntauksina digitalisaation korostuminen, ympäristöystävällisyys ja tasa-arvon edistäminen.” Another example: “Kulttuurintutkimuksessa suuntauksina voidaan pitää modernismin, postmodernismin sekä uusien mediavirtojen törmäystä.” These usages illustrate how suuntauksina functions as a compact label for several concurrent trends.

See also: suuntaus, trend, orientation.