laajuutena

Laajuutena is a Finnish neologism used to denote the dimension of scope or breadth in analysis, policy discussions, and discourse. The term is typically employed to frame how broadly a measure, intervention, or phenomenon is considered, rather than how intensely it is applied or how deeply it is analyzed.

Etymology and formation: Laajuutena appears to be built from laajuus, meaning extent or scope, with the suffix -na added to indicate a characteristic or aspect. It is not yet standardized in formal Finnish dictionaries and is most often found in scholarly or critical writing within specific debates about scale and reach.

Usage and contexts: In practical terms, laajuutena is used to stress that conclusions or evaluations depend on the scope chosen for examination. It can help distinguish analyses that focus on wide geographic or demographic coverage from those that examine more limited or targeted areas. The term is sometimes contrasted with notions of intensity, depth, or duration to encourage holistic assessment of policy impacts, planning outcomes, or system-wide effects.

Limitations: As a relatively new or niche term, laajuutena may be unfamiliar to readers outside certain Finnish-speaking academic or policy communities. Writers often clarify its meaning by supplementing it with phrases like “in terms of scope” or “with respect to breadth.”

See also: laajuus, scope, scale, policy analysis, systems thinking.