Finnish Migrants in Germany

Identities, Positions, Representations

Abstrakti

The article is the summary of a Master’s thesis submitted in 2014 at the European-University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder). Its research question concerns the links between Finnish culture, migration and identity constructions. To understand this adequately, the concept of daily identity work was applied. The participants were Finnish migrants living in Germany for several decades. The data was collected with a method mix consisting of narrative interviews and a participatory visual method based in photovoice. The results were presented in the depicting of different practices and material belongings that function as identity resources in the process of identification with Finnish culture. Many elements from Finnish culture were visible in the selfrepresentations of the participants, even though they at first negated the assumption that Finnish culture played a role in their lives.