Finnish people
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The Finnish people, as the term is used today, denotes the population of Finland. The term is sometimes preferred instead of the Finns, that may be used with more specific ethnic connotations, although this is not neccessarily so. Both terms may, depending on context, include or exclude the Sweden-Finns — and likewisely the Finland-Swedes.
The 20th century history of Finland has made it natural for the Finns to emphasize their bond to their country, independent only since 1917. The severe divisions between social classes and ethnic groups, that distinguished Finland in late 19th to early 20th century, manifested in Finland's language strife (1860s–1930s) and the Civil War in Finland (1918) were by and large healed through the external threat from the Soviet Union, manifested in the Winter War (1939–1940).
In a Finnish mindset, the Finns make up one nation with two languages, Finnish and Swedish: the Finns consist of a majority of ethnic Finns, a culturally quite similar linguistic minority of Finland-Swedes (in English sometimes denoted as Swedish speaking Finns), and the indigenous minority of (originally) nomadic Samis. Finnic brethren that has fled from Soviet oppression have generally integrated well into the Finnish society, and have easily been included in the Finnish nation.
However, as the inherent meaning of these terms have changed in the recent century, they may well be used with other meanings than that given above, particularly in foreign and older works: Finns and Finnish may for instance be used to exclude the Finland-Swedes, or in a historical context sometimes even to denote Samis.
Differences between ethnic Finns and Finland Swedes are mostly not expressed in terms of ethnicity but in differences of culture, language, and geographical region (habitat), and one has to bear in mind that the cultural differences are rather minute. During Finland's early history, many ethnic Finns switched their native mother tongue for Swedish, and after 1808 the movement has been in the other direction. In 200 years, the proportion of Swedish speakers has diminished from close to 20% to below 6%. While this switch of mother tongue naturally has had some effects in terms of affiliation with literature, it has had very limited effects on other cultural aspects.
The relation to the nation of Swedes has chiefly been determined by 700 years of shared history and by what often is considered as disappointing support in the 18th–20th centuries. The Language strife and the decline of the Finland-Swedish minority has rather been an effect than a cause.
Sweden-Finns, most of whom have emigrated from Finland after 1939, are often thought of primarily as ethnic Finns, regardless of if they are citizens of Finland or Sweden. Although there are similarities with the situation for hyphenated Americans, the issue is blurred by a generally strong feeling for Finnic brethren that makes it easy for the Finns to think of Sweden-Finns as of "Finns in the diaspora."
See also
- List of Finns
- Finnic
- Finn (disambiguation)
- Finnish (disambiguation)