A ’Unique Culture’? Migration, Nostalgia, Alcoholism, Suicide and Religious Revival in Finland

Abstrakti

A great deal has been written on the way in which Finnish culture is ’unique’ or uniquely ’between east and west’ and thus distinct from that of its Scandinavian neighbours. The tourist book Portraying Finland (Otava 2005) summarises its discussion of Finland’s ’unique’ culture with the question, ’An Eastern or Western Identity?’ and proceeds to argue that Finland has aspects of both. Aini Rajanen (1984) has produced a book aiming to introduce Finnish culture to interested foreigners. She asks ’Why are (the Finns) so different, so individual, so fi ercely independent? The answer lies in the country’s history’ (2006, 11). She then proceeds to explain that the history has involved being dominated by both East (Russia) and West (Sweden). I would like to suggest in this article that it is not entirely accurate to understand Finnish culture as ’unique’. Much of that which distinguishes Finland from its Scandinavian neighbours can be explained, at least in part, by the country’s relatively recent and sudden migration from the countryside to the towns. Indeed, I will argue that the marks of distinctiveness can be seen, in a much exaggerated form, in Greenland. This article will fi rst look at the effects of migration observed historically. It will then examine certain issues that make modern Finland distinctive from its neighbours - such as a strong interest in the ’forest’, pietist religious movements and revivalism, alcoholism and suicide. It will argue that, amongst other factors, migration may be signifi cant here and this can be seen in a more striking form in Greenland. This article has drawn upon fi eldwork with a representative sample of Finns conducted for a broader discussion.