Abstract
This chapter explores Finland's history, highlighting the country before and after the declaration of independence. It evaluates patterns and trends in social and cultural norms, education, employment, science, technology, and engineering to find evidence of gender inequality, marginalization, and oppression towards Finnish women scholars. Data is collected, analyzed, and reported from a diverse group of peer-reviewed and economic published perspectives, including the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Organization for Economic-Cooperation and Development (OECD), International Labor Organization (ILOSTAT), Panorama Education, World Economic Forum, Global Wage Report, University of British Columbia, National Science Foundation, World Intellectual Property Organization(WIPO), National Centre for Education, European Commission, and Statista Finland databases.
TopBackground
Society, Culture, and Norms
The traditional Finnish society had five distinct classes: farmers, working-class, petite bourgeoisie, lower middle class, and upper-middle class. Their families were large, and the average life expectancy was relatively short. Over time (between the end of World War II and the mid-1970s) these things changed, as the Industrial Revolution (internal transformation) expanded through Europe and the advent of technology claimed many agricultural and low-tech occupations (Solsten & Meditz, 1988). Many family dynamics changed because jobs previously held by the “head of household” were drastically altered or abruptly ended. The next migration (external exodus of many Finnish families to Europe and other countries searching for technological discovery and financial stability), is recognized as the Great Migration (Solsten & Meditz, 1988). Finland was initially governed by Sweden, later controlled by Russia, and eventually became liberated in 1917 (Solsten & Meditz, 1988). Many of its constituents are likely informed or somewhat influenced by Sweden and Russian culture. Sweden's culture can be described as family-oriented, humble and soft-spoken, socially formal, and private; their business culture is conservative attire and language, egalitarian style and punctuality, and structured and thoughtful demeanor (Commisceo-Global Consulting Ltd: Sweden, 2021b). On the other hand, Russia's culture is highly patriotic and communal, multi-generational, and open (people have no secrets); and their business culture is known for intensive socialization, hierarchy-oriented transactional business, trust-oriented relationships, and informal and fluid business structure (Commisceo-Global Consulting Ltd: Russia, 2021a). There can be challenges for women's advancement in professional careers under communal roles due to men's lack of interest in more communally oriented domains like childcare (University of British Columbia, n.d.).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Vertical Segregation: Practice of limiting candidate access to certain job categories based on their gender, race, or religion.
Transgender: Person who identifies as a gender different than that of birth, by choice.
Equal Suffrage: Ability for one to vote or seek government office in an election.
Intersex: Person having both male and female organs.
Communal Society: Belief that all people in a society should share everything for the common good.
Spinster: Societal stereotype about unmarried women that are not likely to engage after a certain age.
Occupational Segregation: Practice of aggregating persons in a certain job category based on their gender, race, or religion.
Hate Speech: Public language and expressions of hate towards another person based on gender, race, or religion.