Finns feel that increasing inequality is their foremost worry. Other factors perceived as dividing the people are continual disagreements within and outside politics, and immigration issues. Also, the motives of media and researchers are questioned. These themes came on top when more than 6,000 Finns were interviewed about which issues they think worry and divide the people.

There also are several factors that unite the Finns, and population groups differ surprisingly little in many aspects. For example, patriotism is widely seen positively. These are findings of Same worries, different angles – A study of Finnish attitudes and identities, a new study done by e2 researchers Ville Pitkänen, Dr.(Soc.Sc.), and Jussi Westinen, Dr.(Soc.Sc.) and published by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and e2.

Patriotism unites across the board

To 83 percent of Finns, patriotism is a positive rather than a negative treat. This also goes for more than 80 percent of those with a firm European identity. Patriotism is perceived as positive in all population groups regardless of e.g. attitudes to asylum seekers or foreigners in general.

– The heated debate around immigration and refugees has not alienated Finns from traditional patriotism, says Jussi Westinen.

Adversity to patriotism is most likely among supporters of the Green League (18 %) or the Left Alliance (29 %). However, the majority are positive to patriotism in these parties, too.

Beside patriotism, a spirit of national defence is a unifying factor; 83 percent see it as positive. This also goes for a clear majority (74 %) in the age group below 30.

Ethnicity does not define being a Finn

In the opinion of two thirds (63 %) of Finns, being a Finn is not a question of ethnical background. This view has the highest percentage among those with a strong European or cosmopolitan identity. Value conservatives and supporters of the True Finns are the ones most likely to emphasize the ethnical aspect of being Finnish.

The attitude to asylum seekers is more a divider of opinion. 32 percent of the citizens estimate that asylum seekers are in too good a position, whereas 43 percent hold the opposite view.

Media bias and researchers’ motives questioned

Citizens are critical to traditional media. Almost half of the respondents (47 %) feel that the media produce biased information, and more than half (57 %) feel that they exaggerate differences in opinion.

Motives of researchers are distrusted, too. A majority (57 %) thinks that many researchers are driven by private biased motives when addressing the public. Value conservatives and those with basic or vocational education are the most critical.

– It is interesting that almost every other highly educated, too, estimates that researchers’ public statements have political motives, researcher Ville Pitkänen notes.

Worry for temporary workers

As many as 84 percent of Finns estimate that temporary employees are in a weak position. Their situation is considered to be even weaker than the unemployed. On the other hand, the majority think that employees and entrepreneurs are both doing well.

– There is an interesting detail regarding views among supporters of different political parties: Supporters of the Finns party worry more for employees than the Social Democrats do, and more for entrepreneurs than National Coalition supporters do, Ville Pitkänen says.

No support for faster urbanization

In their attitude toward urbanization, Finns favour status quo to speeding up the process. Only 16 percent think that those in political power should accelerate urbanization.

– As expected, big city dwellers are the most urban-minded, but even among them, only 23 percent support faster urbanization, Jussi Westinen notes.

Although around 70 percent of Finns live within the boundaries of towns or cities, a majority (65 %) prefer to spend their time in nature rather than in an urban environment.

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The research report Same worries, different angles – A study on Finnish attitudes and identities is the second out of four publications around the topic. The first report, Similar after all? A study on Finnish identities, was published in March 2018, and the final two will be ready later in 2018.

The research results were based on 6398 survey answers, gathered by Taloustutkimus between 5 Oct 2017 and 11 Jan 2018 through face-to-face interviews and web panels. The analyses and the study report were made at e2. The research project was planned and financed jointly by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and e2.

The report Same worries, different angles – A study of Finnish attitudes and identities was published on 6 June 2018 at the Visitor’s Centre of the Parliament of Finland. The event was opened by Ms. Paula Risikko, Speaker of the Parliament. Following the presentation of the research results there was a panel with Ms. Emilia Kullas, Chief Editor of business magazine Talouselämä, Mr. Risto Murto, CEO of Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company, and Mr. Antti Palola, Chair of STTK, the Finnish Confederation of Professionals.

For more information, please contact
Mr. Ville Pitkänen, Dr.(Soc.Sc.), tel. +358 40 7770 869, firstname.lastname@e2.fi
Mr. Jussi Westinen, Dr.(Soc.Sc.), tel. +358 40 8335 799, firstname.lastname@e2.fi

The report (in Finnish, summary in English) is downloadable at www.e2.fi

Family, friends, work and education form the basis of Finnish identities. All four were important to more than 80 percent, and merely a few percent of the respondents ignored the significance of all four.

Finns identify strongly with the municipality where they live, but they also esteem their Nordic and European identity. Local attachment does not contradict a cosmopolitan mind.

‒ The uniformness of Finnish identities is often obscured by heated public debate, researcher Ville Pitkänen assesses.

Social class means more to higher classes

There are, however, some interesting differences between population groups. Social class is significant only to slightly above than 40 percent, but it is more underlined in the highest classes.

– In the upper-middle and upper class, the majority thinks that social class is important for their identity. The significance of social class is lesser among those who identify themselves with the lower-middle or working class, researcher Ville Pitkänen notes.

There are similar differences regarding education. Those with an academic degree more clearly emphasize education as part of their identity.

Political stance emphasized among Left Alliance supporters

Only a minority of Finns, 35 percent, hold their political views as significant for their identity.

Parties, however, differ remarkably. For more than 60 percent of the Left Alliance supporters, the political stance is a very important or quite important part of their identity. For the National Coalition Party and the True Finns, the percentage is around 45 and in other parties below 40. At 29 percent, supporters of the Blue Reform party put the least emphasis on political views.

‒ For the Left Alliance, the political dimension of their supporters’ identity is a significant resource, Pitkänen assesses.

About half of those with very conservative or very liberal values emphasize that political views are an important part of their identity.

Two thirds put weight on their regional identity

Two out of three Finns identify themselves strongly with their immediate surroundings, the municipality and region where they live. The region is surprisingly important to the young, too. Among those under thirty, 62 percent feel that their current region of residence is important for their identity; the percentage is 71 for those above sixty.

When comparing political parties, regional identities are clearly the most important to supporters of the Centre Party.

‒ This is expressed particularly as an attachment to childhood environment and the area from where the family comes, researcher Ville Pitkänen specifies.

Green League and Left Alliance supporters stand out as global citizens who put the least weight on regional identity.

Regional identities strongest in Carelia, Savonia and South Ostrobothnia

The importance of regional identity clearly depends on the province. Residents in South and North Carelia, South Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia and Lapland give regional identity more than average significance. Päijänne Tavastia, on the other hand, is the most obvious example of a region with weak identity.

A firm regional identity is often linked to how people identify with the historical Finnish tribes. The study shows that in particular the Carelian, Savonian and South Ostrobothnian identities are very strongly felt. Over 70 percent of the South or North Carelians, the South or North Savonians and the South Ostrobothnians identify themselves with the tribe.

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The research report Similar after all? A study on Finnish identities is the first out of four publications around the topic. The other three will be published later in 2018.

The research results were based on 6398 survey answers, gathered by Taloustutkimus between 5 Oct 2017 and 11 Jan 2018 through face-to-face interviews and web panels. The analyses and the study report were made at e2. The research project was planned and financed jointly by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and e2. The report will be published on Monday 26 March 2018 at 11 a.m. in the Terrace Foyer of the Helsinki Music Centre, Mannerheimintie 13A, Helsinki. The report (in Finnish, summary in English) is downloadable at www.e2.fi.

For more information, please contact Mr. Ville Pitkänen, Dr.(Soc.Sc.), tel. +358 40 7770 869, firstname.lastname@e2.fi

Summary of the study results

The Finnish Cultural Foundation’s Edvard Fazer Prize has been awarded to danseuse étoile Eun-Ji Ha of the Finnish National Ballet. Ha received the cup and accompanying cheque for EUR 10,000 during the première of Giselle on the stage of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet on Friday 23 February 2018.

The prize was presented by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Jari Sokka, and two members of the jury: Kenneth Greve, Artistic Director of the National Ballet, and Leena Niemistö, Chair of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. Besides Greve and Niemistö, the jury includes Päivi Kärkkäinen, who was General Director of the Finnish National Opera and Ballet until mid-2017.

According to the jury’s reasoning, Eun-Ji Ha has for over a decade successfully fulfilled principal roles in almost all of the classical ballet pieces included in the National Ballet’s programme, as well as demonstrating masterly skill as a brilliant interpreter of several contemporary dance roles. She has also contributed to the Finnish National Ballet’s renown domestically and around the world by attending numerous international galas as a visiting soloist and taking part in Finnish tours. Among her co-dancers, Eun-Ji is a treasured and well-liked colleague who is always supportive and prepared to help her younger peers.

Eun-Ji Ha was signed on by the Finnish National Ballet in 2007, and named as a principal dancer in 2009 and an étoile in 2013.

This is the 17th instalment of the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s Edvard Fazer Prize, which has been awarded within the Finnish National Opera and Ballet since 1984. Previous winners are the dancers Aku Ahjolinna, Ulrika Hallberg, Maija Hänninen, Tommi Kitti, Jarkko Niininen, Juha Kirjonen, Barbora Kohoutková, Minna Tervamäki, Jaakko Eerola, Carolina Agüero, Timo Kokkonen, Nicholas Ziegler, Salla Eerola, Tiina Myllymäki, Samuli Poutanen and Michal Krčmář. All the dancers of the National Ballet received the Prize as an ensemble in 1994.

Finnish Cultural Foundation’s Edvard Fazer Prize

The Edvard Fazer Prize is a rotating trophy awarded biennially by the Finnish Cultural Foundation within the Finnish National Ballet for merits in promoting dance. The Edvard Fazer Prize was created during the Finnish National Ballet’s sixtieth anniversary year in 1982, and was first awarded in 1984.

The trophy is a silver cup donated by the Titular Commercial Counsellor and Mrs Roger Lindberg and gifted by the staff of the Finnish National Opera to their then Director, Edvard Fazer, on the occasion of his seventieth birthday in 1931. In 1996, the Fazer Music Foundation transferred its assets to the Finnish Cultural Foundation, and the Fazer Music Fund was established. At that point the award was renamed the Finnish Cultural Foundation’s Edvard Fazer Prize. Today the Fazer Music Fund is known as the Roger Lindberg Music Fund, and its purpose is to support Finnish musical arts and to continue awarding the prize that carries Edvard Fazer’s name.

The largest grant awarded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation in 2018, totalling EUR 240,000, was given to Globe Art Point.

Globe Art Point is an association established in late 2016 for the purpose of promoting increased openness in the field of arts and culture in Finland. It supports opportunities for non-Finnish artists to collaborate with their Finnish counterparts and with local art institutions. The Globe Art Point (GAP) work space in Helsinki organises advisory services, workshops, lectures, discussions and stakeholder encounters. It can also be used by artists and teams for work and meetings.

“The goal is to enhance mutual understanding and collaboration between artists from various backgrounds, the public, and art institutions.”

GAP LAB & GAP INFO, Living Lab and Databank for New Finnish Art and Culture is an initiative intended to foster the diversification of the Finnish arts and culture field in line with the country’s rapid internationalisation. The initiative consists of two parts, of which the first, GAP LAB, will result in projects within performing and visual arts. The products will be shown to the public as elements of the partnering art institutions’ own programmes.

The second part, GAP INFO, is aimed at improving the openness and accessibility of the arts field for artists of non-Finnish origin.

“The goal is to enhance mutual understanding and collaboration between artists from various backgrounds, the public, and art institutions,” explains the association’s Managing Director, Tomi Purovaara.

“We will compile an online Artists’ Welcome Package, which will help non-Finnish artists successfully navigate their chosen career paths.”

GAP INFO will collect and disseminate information in English on operators, processes, legislation and funding related to the Finnish field of arts and culture.

“We will compile an online Artists’ Welcome Package, which will help non-Finnish artists successfully navigate their chosen career paths,” Purovaara says.

The Artists’ Welcome Program produced within GAP LAB, on the other hand, will comprise workshops, guidance and art institution visits, in order to deepen the information gained from the welcome package.

“GAP LAB is a collaborative endeavour, in which a team of curators will select projects to be implemented from proposals received through an open application system. The curator team and the artistic productions will include both non-Finnish and Finnish participants, and the curator team will also welcome representatives from various minority communities,” remarks Purovaara.

The initiative was devised by two employees of Globe Art Point together with a board consisting of seven non-Finnish artists, as well as some outside experts. The projects included in the initiative will be carried out by GAP LAB’s work teams in collaboration with staff from selected art institutions. The latter will include theatres, galleries, museums and festivals, among others.

The association is headquartered on Malminkatu in Kamppi, Helsinki, and the GAP LAB work space will be rented somewhere in the Helsinki region. Although the initiative is designed for Finland, during 2018 Globe Art Point will work on building a Nordic network of partners, with whom the outcomes and best practices of the initiative can be refined and disseminated.

“We are also planning a next phase, involving the establishment of a European network,” says Purovaara, describing the association’s ambitions.

In February 2018, The Finnish Cultural Foundation will pay out a total of EUR 26 million in grants from its Central Fund, which is one million euros more than in the previous year. Additionally, the regional funds will award a further EUR 12.5 million in grants.

Grants have been awarded to 1,090 individuals, working groups or organisations based on applications received by the Central Fund in October 2017. The acceptance rate of applications was 14% for science and 11% for the arts, with variations depending on the field; in fine art, for example, the acceptance rate was between five and eight per cent. A total of 8,895 applications were received. There was an increase in applications within the arts, compared to a decrease of some four hundred applications in the sciences.

The largest grant, totalling EUR 240,000, was awarded to Globe Art Point for establishing a living lab and databank related to new Finnish art and culture. Globe Art Point is an association of foreign artists living and working in Finland. The initiative, planned to take place between 2018 and 2020, will be designed and managed by the association’s Managing Director, Tomi Purovaara. The initiative aims to increase the linguistic and cultural diversity of Finland’s art institutions and projects by promoting the integration of non-Finnish artists in Finland, and their collaborations with local artists, among other things. Such diversification will support the inclusion of people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds in the Finnish arts field.

This year, the largest grants in the science sector were awarded in the sphere of agriculture. This is due to additional funding of EUR 1 million revealed in October 2017, intended for extensive research projects related to farming, particularly within the fields of soil and pollinator health, crop diversity, climate change adaptation, and the ecological or ecosystemic impacts of pesticides and fertilizers.

The scientific sector received 54% of the grants, while 46% went to the arts. The average grant amount was EUR 24,000 for science, and EUR 17,100 for the arts. Women accounted for 58% of grantees, which was at the previous year’s level. Non-Finnish applicants made up 10% of applications and 9% of grantees.

Besides the grants awarded by the Central Fund at the annual gala, the Cultural Foundation provides funding for applicants from the Foundations’ Post Doc Pool and the Post Docs in Companies Pool. This brings the grant total for the Central Fund up to EUR 26 million, which is one million euros higher than in 2017. Additionally, the regional funds will award EUR 12.5 million in grants over the spring, representing an increase of half a million euros.

A list of awarded grants can be found (in Finnish) at skr.fi/myonnot.