Multiculturalism in Finland; Is Finland a diverse Country where multi cultures can truly co-exist mutually?

Sitting on my writing desk this morning and looking out of the window into the partially busy street, I marveled at how peaceful Finland is even in moments like these. I can see different people of different backgrounds going about their normal businesses, each one a stranger to the other, but mutually sharing the road, co-existing, walking on their paths while making room for others to walk by too.

 I tried to imagine a scenario where they all looked different in terms of race, ethnicity, and cultural attires. Multiculturalism. Is Finland a diverse Country where multi cultures can co-exist mutually?

Just like every other country in this present day world, Finland has her own share of cultural minorities and ethnic groups. Although a large proportion of the population is Finnish, there are quite a handful of other ethnic groups and minorities which started small but growing by the day. Some of the notable ethnic groups are the Sámi people, Finnish-Swedes, Roma people, Somalis, Africans, Russians, Iraqis/Kurds, Estonians, and a few others.

Also there are the Karelians who are split between Finland and Russia. The Sámi are the indigenous people of Finland and they live in the Northern parts of Finland, Norway and Sweden as well as in parts of North-Eastern Russia. The Finnish-Swedes are the largest minority ethnic group in Finland and they live mostly in the Swedish speaking regions of Finland.

We could go deeper into the various historical and ethnical components of Finland as someone who loves history and culture, but I will leave it for next time and just focus on the main topic of today’s post.

Would we then say that Finland is fully a Multicultural society? It is a fact that there are many cultures and ethnic groups in Finland and they are all recognized in the eyes of the law. So yes, diversity does exist in Finland. But how deep seated is diversity in the Finnish society? How has people embraced diversity in Finland, and to what extent? Are there invisible levels where diversity should not cross and multiculturalism would not be tolerated? 

First let’s quickly take a look at the true meaning of Multiculturalism; what it really is, not what people think it is.

• The Oxford English Dictionary defines Multiculturalism as ‘the characteristics of a multicultural society” and “the policy or process whereby the distinctive identities of the cultural groups within such a society are maintained or supported’.

• The Cambridge Dictionary defines Multiculturalism as ‘the belief that different cultures within a society should all be given importance’.

• The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Multiculturalism as ‘cultural pluralism or diversity (as within a society, an organization, or an educational institution) : a multicultural social state or a doctrine or policy that promotes or advocates such a state’. 

All these definitions are quite apt in my opinion as they  give a simple and well understandable definition of the term Multiculturalism. However, an explanation that struck a deeper sense of meaning to me is the one offered by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. It says and I quote; 

‘Multiculturalism is closely associated with “identity politics,” “the politics of difference,” and “the politics of recognition,” all of which share a commitment to revaluing disrespected identities and changing dominant patterns of representation and communication that marginalize certain groups (Gutmann 2003, Taylor 1992, Young 1990). Multiculturalism involves not only claims of identity and culture as some critics of multiculturalism suggest. It is also a matter of economic interests and political power: it includes demands for remedying economic and political disadvantages that people suffer as a result of their marginalized group identities.’ (Read the full article on THIS LINK). 

The article really got me pondering over the intricacies of Multiculturalism especially in a country like Finland where Immigration is practically a new thing. There are still several Finnish communities who aren’t used to seeing people from other cultural backgrounds and in most cases do not know how to react when they come across someone different.

Recognition, Inclusion, and Equality are some of the very common societal challenges in Finland which many political and socio-economic activists are fighting to change the narrative. Several Finnish city leaders and stakeholders are rolling out projects geared towards creating awareness on Diversity and increasing the participation of people of foreign background and minority ethnic groups in the Finnish society.

This may be a long short at the moment judging from current events and dissatisfaction of many foreigners and their reluctance to see and accept Finland as the happiest country in the world…for the 4th time in a row. Well I do have a detailed video on this. Check it out here.

It goes without doubt, that a fully functional multicultural Finnish society where all the diverse ethnic groups feel fully recognized and represented may not be feasible, at least not in the short term. But come to think of it, is there any society like that in this present world we live in? Is multiculturalism something that can be easily achieved in a culturally rich country like Finland where the air is filled with patriotism and the soil sing stories of history, war, and victory? Let me know in the comments below.

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