erilaisuutena

Erilaisuutena is a Finnish grammatical form, the essive case of the noun erilaisuus, which means "difference," "variety," or "disparity." In Finnish grammar, the essive expresses a temporary state or role, roughly translating to "as a ..." in English. Therefore erilaisuutena means “as a difference” or “in the form of a difference.” It is used to present something as a differentiating factor in analysis, comparison, or description rather than as an intrinsic or permanent attribute.

In practice, erilaisuutena appears mainly in formal or analytical language, such as sociology, philosophy, and humanities, where attention is given to how things are distinguished from each other. It signals that the discussion or evaluation is centered on difference or distinction. The construction is not a concept by itself, but a grammatical tool to frame a viewpoint, criterion, or state.

Usage notes and examples: The form is formed from erilaisuus plus the essive suffix -na/-nä, producing erilaisuutena. Plural forms exist for other contexts, such as erilaisuuksina, when discussing multiple differences. Example sentences include: “Keskustelua monimuotoisuudesta voidaan tarkastella erilaisuutena, jossa erilaiset kokemukset huomioidaan.” and “Kysymyksen asettelu erilaisten ryhmien asemasta voidaan nähdä erilaisuutena yhteiskunnallisessa rakenteessa.” These illustrate how the term frames a topic as a specific difference rather than as a static quality.

Erilaisuutena is thus a specialized grammatical form used to articulate how something functions as a difference within an analysis, rather than a standalone concept.