French student in Erasmus in Finland

YOUNG CULTURE I went for a walk in the Museum of Modern Art in Turku and looked for information about the history of art in Finland. It is important to know that Finnish culture is relatively young. It is still developing intensely. Between the second half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, artistic creation crystallized around the cult of national identity. It was still necessary to get rid of the Swedish traditions conveyed by an omnipresent Swedish-speaking elite. The painters were therefore inspired by the Finnish regions of expression, such as Karelia, the cradle of the Kalevala.  NATIONAL ROMANTICISM National Romanticism, the Nordic counterpart of Art Nouveau, found its most brilliant spokesman in the painter Aleksis Gallèn-Kallela (1865-1931), who drew the essence of his work from the Kalevala. Writers and composers alike find inspiration in the Karelian forests to uncover their authentic Finnish roots. The large canvases of Gallèn-Ka...

THE SAAMI When I went to Lapland I learned a little more about the Saami and their traditions. First of all, you have to know that the Saami are a people of Lapland, an area that covers the north of Sweden, Norway and Finland as well as the Kola Peninsula in Russia .  THE  REINDEER It is said that the Saami used to use reindeer as beasts of burden, especially to pull their sleds. Milk and meat were a highly valued source of food, while the skins were used for clothing and protection in makeshift dwellings. The kota was a kind of tepee covered with reindeer skins.  THEIR CLOTHING In the clothing department, their taste for colour is reflected in the making of clothes with often very bright shades of blue, red and yellow. Reindeer fur is still used for coats, leggings and mittens.  CHAMANISM In these boreal latitudes, where mankind is fighting an incessant battle against the elements, it is not surprising that shamanism has found favourable grou...

A HOFSTEDE DIMENSION One challenge facing humanity, today and in the past, is the degree of socialization of young children. Without socialization, we do not become "human". This dimension is defined as the extent to which people try to control their desires and impulses according to the way they have been brought up. A tendency towards relatively weak impulse control is called "Indulgence", while relatively strong impulse control is called "Restraint". Cultures can be described as either indulgent or restrained. RESULTS The relatively high score of 57 indicates that Finland is a forgiving country. People in this society generally show a willingness to fulfil their impulses and desires to enjoy life and have fun. They have a positive attitude and tend to be optimistic. In addition, they place more importance on leisure time, do as they please and spend their money as they wish.

FINLAND TODAY  The first thing that shocked me in Finland was the road signs, I couldn't understand them. To indicate a place there were always two names on them. Then I learned that there was a Finnish and a Swedish version.  Finland has 5.4 million inhabitants with a population density of 16 inhabitants per square kilometre. While 85% of the population lives in urban areas, 15% of Finns live in rural areas. In the vast areas of Lapland, the density does not exceed 2.2 inhabitants per km2. In addition to the Finns, who make up the majority of the population (93%), there are also three minorities in Finland. The largest is the 300 000 Finlandsvensker or Swedish-speaking Finns. The country is indeed bilingual with two official languages, and this minority group includes the few that coexist: Finnish and Swedish. The second settled north of the Arctic Circle. Unlike 7,000 Saami (formerly called Lapps) to the Inuit, they came into contact with the more southern peoples at a ...

WAHT YOU SHOULD KNOW... I'm telling you here some tips about the character fo the Finnish. What you should know and understand their values to be more in contact with them. INDENTITEDNESS  Three groups are emerging in Finland: the Finnish-speaking, the Swedish-speaking and the North Sami. These groups are further subdivided according to their level of education and occupation. Finns are generally very patriotic. Recent independence and a tumultuous and painful history have united the nation. However, a strong Russian and Estonian diaspora is increasingly felt, especially after Estonia's accession to the European Union in 2004.  MORALE   Finnish customs are partly modelled on those of the other Nordic countries. At work, seriousness dominates. At weekends, on the other hand, the party is in full swing and the alcohol is flowing. At the same time, the sauna remains an institution. On average, people go there once a week. As an extremely health...

A HOFSTEDE DIMENSION This dimension describes how each society must maintain certain links with its own past while facing the challenges of the present and the future, while giving different priorities to these two existential objectives. Societies that score low on this dimension are normative, preferring to maintain traditions and ancestral norms while viewing societal changes with suspicion. On the other hand, those with a culture that scores high adopt a more pragmatic approach. They encourage thrift and effort in modern education as a means of preparing for the future. RESULTS With a low score of 38, Finnish culture can be classified as normative. The inhabitants of this society are very keen to establish the absolute truth. They are normative in their way of thinking. They show great respect for traditions, a relatively low tendency to save for the future and a concern for quick results.

ABOUT THE CITY  With 40,000 inhabitants, Rauma is one of the most unique and pleasant cities in Finland. This former harbour and lace-making town with its old wooden quarter is one of the best preserved in the country. It is one of the best preserved in the country and is the largest of its kind in the Nordic countries. Miraculously untouched by fires, almost 600 wooden houses display their delightful pastel-coloured facades in a maze of paved lanes covering almost 30 hectares. In 1991, this site was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 1442 on the outskirts of an ancient port, Rauma developed around a 15th century Franciscan monastery. Thanks to the export of wood, the town chartered its own sailing ships for a long time. In 1550, however, its inhabitants were forced to move to Helsinki to populate the new city that the Swedish king, Gustav I Vasa, decided to found. This forced exodus weakened the municipality. The origin of the lacemaking activity remains uncertai...