Some of my thoughts and information highlighting the role of history and geography in shaping the cultural mindset of the Finns...
Have you ever sat with an old person and they start to say, "Well, when I was little we use to..." and they tell you something about the "good old days" or something that happened in their younger years that shaped their beliefs. This is essentially what happens with history. Something happens, it is recorded in text or the story is passed down. The way the story is perceived and received shapes what you believe and know about that story that happened in history.
Finland is geographically located between Sweden and Russia and as history shows Finland has been under the rule of both these nations. Throughout its history Finland has fought for its independence, first from the Swedes and then from the Russians. They successfully declared independence as a nation on December 6, 1917 and have remained that way to date. As an outsider looking in on the Finnish culture it is important to keep an open mind and positive attitude. A globally literate person is able to look at a culture different from their own and access useful information with a proactive attitude and a desire to learn from this culture. I believe human nature is quite "self" focused. This therefore can mean we are more inclined to be globally illiterate; perceiving other cultures with closed minds and have an unwillingness to accept anything that differs from our perception of "normal". The rich and long history of Finland just like any nation shapes the identity and culture of the Finnish people. Understanding the Finnish history will give you an increased understanding of why the Finns are the way they are. Their history has shaped their nation's values and effects Finnish people on an individual level, whether they realize it or not.
There are certain mindsets that young Finns today display that could actually be a result of the wars that took place in the Finnish history. For example, you will find that most Finns will finish everything on their plates during meal times. It is considered rude to leave food behind, as it would be wasteful. This cultural mindset could be due to the lack of food resources during the war times, leading to parents’ emphasizing the importance of finishing everything and not wasting anything. After interviewing a 25-year-old Finnish girl, she was unaware of how history has influenced her. When I pointed out some examples such as the one I just shared she realized that of course her values are past on from generation to generation through stories and life experiences, ultimately affecting how she behaved and what she believed. Not leaving food on the plate is a good example.
As I was writing this piece my husband called me and asked where I had put the red folder. I replied that I had thrown it away. Instantly my husband was frustrated that I would have thrown away a perfectly good folder. I justified my actions by saying that we were not using it and it had just been sitting around for months. My husband emphasized that I should not thrown away anything because you never know when you will need it. I was thinking about this as a cultural mindset. My husband is Finnish and his parents hold the same value of keeping everything and so did their parents. My husbands’ grandparents were alive during the war times and experienced the hardship of not having much. This is another example of a mindset that as a result of history has formed a culture of storing and hoarding unnecessary things. I heard a story recently of an old Finnish lady who would wash and reuse paper coffee filters. She has done it for as long as she can remember. Again this mindset of storing and not wasting anything is still so strong in those who experienced the hardship of war, that they pass on the value of not wasting things as a result of their experience.
The geographical location affects the mindsets of Finns as well. Being located in Europe, more specifically the Scandinavian area, Finns associate themselves as Scandinavian and boast that it is one of the best places in the world to live, with the cleanest water, freshest air, best education, best government system and so on. Finnish people are proud of where they come from and in my opinion are very patriotic. I believe Finns have a strong sense of national identity that has been founded in their history, specifically their respectable wartime accomplishments. You can see this patriotism at sports games, Finns go crazy for their country especially when they are up against Sweden. Even though Finns are known to be quiet and reserved people, they change completely when it comes to sports games and cheering for their country.
The final area I would like to discuss in regards to the effects of history on the Finnish mindset is the stereotype that Finns hold for Russians and for Swedes. These stereotypes and opinions of the Finnish neighbors could be routed in the history and the fight Finland put up to become independent. Finns tend to approach Russians with distrust and many Russians have commented to me that they think Finns do not like Russians. This could be a result of Russia ruling and trying to rule over Finland in its past. Then there is the stereotype and prejudices that Finns hold against Swedish people. Finns find Swedes to be arrogant and think that Swedish find themselves to be better than the Finns and wealthier than Finns. This could also be related to the history of Finland where Sweden forcefully tried to rule Finland and force certain religion on the Finns as the Swedes considered their belief system to be better. These are more good examples of how cultural mindsets can be affected from the history and geography of a country.
Sources:
- Kevin Gore 2007 Networking Cultural Knowledge
- Wikipedia - Finland History
- Finland History - www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107513.html 1.3.2011
- Finland Information - http://finland.fi/Public/default.aspx?contentid=160036&nodeid=41797&culture=en-US 2.3.2011
- Annika Arceneaux & Elvi Filppa -personal interviews - 2.3.2011
-Finnish Culture - http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/finland-country-profile.html - 1.2.2011
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