Study title

Language Barometer 2016

Dataset ID Number

FSD3174

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3174
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3174

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Lindell, Marina (Åbo Akademi. Faculty of Social Sciences, Business and Economics)

Abstract

The Language Barometer has measured the quality of language services in bilingual Finnish municipalities since 2004. All 33 bilingual municipalities in Finland were included in the study. The aim of the study was to find out how satisfied minority language speakers in bilingual municipalities were with the services offered in their mother tongue.

The study first examined whether the respondents' children went to a Swedish- or Finnish-language daycare or school. It was also surveyed whether the respondents had used Swedish, Finnish or both in different types of contexts, e.g. at home, at school, with friends, at the store, with municipal and state authorities, and at work. The respondents' familiarity with their linguistic rights was charted, along with how important these rights were for them. They were also asked to evaluate the attitudes towards minority language speakers in the municipality and change in this relationship within the previous year. The study also surveyed harassment or discrimination faced by the respondents because of their language.

The study also examined the functionality of municipal and state services on the web in the respondents' mother tongue. The respondents were asked to evaluate some municipal services (such as social and healthcare services, libraries, sports facilities) from the perspective of minority language users. It was asked if the service had developed for the better or for the worse in the previous year, and if special measures should be taken to preserve Swedish-language service in the future. Finally, the respondents' reactions in the case that they did not receive service in their own language were surveyed, and they were asked to evaluate the minority language service of chosen state authorities and service providers (e.g. the police, emergency services, airports, courts, post offices).

Background variables included the respondent's age (categorised), mother tongue and level of education.

Keywords

Swedish-speaking Finns; customer service; language; language discrimination; language policy; minority groups; minority language users

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Language and linguistics (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Government, political systems and organisations (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

Language Barometers

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (B) available for research, teaching and study.

Data Collector

• Edita Prima Oy

Data Producers

• Ministry of Justice
• Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland
• Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities

Time Period Covered

2016

Collection Dates

2016-05-10 – 2016-06-10

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Residents of bilingual municipalities in Finland aged 18 - 80. (excluding the Åland Islands)

Time Method

Longitudinal: Trend/Repeated cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Probability: Simple random

The sample was drawn from the Population Register Centre's register

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Paper

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

41.7

Data File Language

Downloaded data package may contain different language versions of the same files.

The data files of this dataset are available in the following languages: Swedish.

FSD translates quantitative data into English on request, free of charge. More information on ordering data translation.

Data Version

1.0

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

In the variable charting education level [k6], doctoral and licentiate degrees were categorised together with higher university degree.

Variable [bv2] refers to the questionnaire language and [k2] to the respondent's mother tongue.

Open-ended responses in variables [k2], [k4], [k5], [k6] and [k7] are missing from the data.

Weighting

There are no weight variables in the data.

Citation Requirement

The data and its creators shall be cited in all publications and presentations for which the data have been used. The bibliographic citation may be in the form suggested by the archive or in the form required by the publication.

Bibliographical Citation

Lindell, Marina (Åbo Akademi): Language Barometer 2016 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2018-03-22). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3174

Deposit Requirement

Notify FSD of all publications where you have used the data by sending the citation information to user-services.fsd@tuni.fi.

Disclaimer

The original data creators and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the reuse of the data.

Related Publications

Lindell, Marina (2016). Språkbarometern 2004 - 2016. Forskningsrapport/Kielibarometri 2004 - 2016. Tutkimusraportti. Helsingfors: Justitieministeriets. Justitieministeriets publikation 52/2016. Helsinki. Oikeusministeriö. Oikeusministeriön selvityksiä ja ohjeita 52/2016. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-259-543-0