MULTICULTURALISM AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IN THE FACE OF HOMOGENOUS NATIONALISM IN FINLAND

Abstract

Finland as a country has not been on the receiving end of migration for a long time. However, in the last two decades, there has been an increase in the number of people immigrating to Finland than those emigrating. With the increasing cultural and ethnic diversity, the country’s migration policies have attempted to accommodate immigrants even in the face of homogenous nationalism. This study examines the limits of multiculturalism and ethnic diversity and how it affects the social integration of immigrants into Finnish society. Based on the current population dynamics of Finland, there is tension between increasing multiculturalism and a native approach that informs the homogenous representation of the Finnish identity. There are clearly limits to which immigrants can express their cultural identity and conditions to which a middle ground for social integration between immigrants and Finnish citizens can be reached. With the aid of semi-structured interviews, this study seeks to obtain an empirical evaluation of the experiences of immigrants in the process of settling and socially integrating into Finnish society.  Article visualizations: