The Swedish speaking minority in Finland An analysis of the development of the minority based on empirical studies of the development of voluntary ass...
The Swedish speaking minority in Finland An analysis of the development of the minority based on empirical studies of the development of voluntary associations
Maria Kreander 2006
Theory
Laclau & Mouffe discourse theory for creation/dissolution of collective identity Håkan Thörn’s stages or phases of development of social movement Erik Allardt’s criteria for existence of an ethnic minority Diglossie Case: Swedish speaking minority in Finland
Empirical material Registration of Swedish speaking and bilingual voluntary associations 1919-2000 (year of registration, type, region, language structure) Interviews conducted with 22 bilingual, new types of voluntary associations, registered in the capital region Survey, all individuals born in 1981 in Finland with one or two Swedish speaking parents Analysis of debates in the two main Swedish speaking newspapers in Finland around the last parliamentary elections on the future of the Swedish speaking community in Finland as a result of poor election outcome of Swedish Peoples Party
Assumptions Voluntary associations among the most important constructors and maintainers of collective identities in the modern society A historical study of the development of registrations of voluntary associations in a minority language or as bilingual can provide a picture of the state of the language based minority The organisational life has an important uniting function as it strenghtens the experienced we-feeling and thus ads to the continuity of the minority identity
Background/construction of collective identity 1880 construction of the collective identity of the Swedish speaking Finns (as a counterreaction to the Finnicization movement, aiming to improve the status of the Finnish language and create Finland as an independent state) At the time, Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire Swedish was the official language, spoken by approximately 14 % of the population (up until 1809 Finland was a part of the Swedish kingdom) At the time, all voluntary associations were Swedish Up until this point, no unity based on language among Swedish speakers
Finnish language/speakers the ”them” of construction
- Language fights - Division of voluntary associations based on language Construction of collective identity according to mother tongue, common Swedish culture largely organised by network of voluntary associations The Swedish peoples party was the political outcome of the movement Institutionalisation, constitution 1919,
As a consequence of a succesfull movement, Swedish speaking Finns to fullfill requirements of ethnic minority (according to Allardt 1981) Fourth requirement of ethnic minority and considered to be a distinguishing quality/maintainer of the Swedish speaking collective identity: strong network of voluntary associations Turning point in language relations and in language separation in voluntary associations in 1940’s as a consequence of the war. The outbrake of the war united the population. The constitutive other of collective identity, no longer considered a threat
Trends withing development of network of voluntary associations:
- Proportional amount of Swedish speaking voluntary associations declining within all types
- Proportional amount of bilingual voluntary associations increasing within all types New types of voluntary associations now dominate the development of the field, Swedish speaking associations do not exist within new types - Registered as bilingual in the capital region, in practise tend to function in majority language Simultaneously bilingualism increasing on individual level in particular in the capital region
Collective identities need to adapt to changed societal circumstances when they are reproduced Growing bilingualism among individuals and in voluntary associations reflect such an adaptation For bilingual undividuals belonging to the Swedish speaking community, language now has a secondary importance to the point at issue in activities in voluntary associations This is a change, the spare time has formerly been the time when bilingual individuals care for the Swedish language Fourth criteria and distinguishing feature of the Swedish speaking Finns as an ethnic minority withering complete adaptation=assimilation?
