Study title

Language Barometer 2008

Dataset ID Number

FSD3418

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3418
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd3418

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Herberts, Kjell (Åbo Akademi University. Social Science Research Institute)

Abstract

The Language Barometer has measured the quality of language services in bilingual Finnish municipalities since 2004. All 43 bilingual municipalities in Finland were included in the study. The aim of the study was to find out how satisfied minority language speakers were with the municipal and state services offered in their mother tongue. The study was funded by the Ministry of Justice and the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland.

First, the respondents' use of Finnish and Swedish in different contexts was charted (e.g. in shops, school, local public transport, at work etc.), and the respondents were asked about their mother tongue and language skills. Experiences of municipal and state services were surveyed with questions on whether the respondents had received the services in the language they first used during their visit as well as how they would rate the services on a scale 4-10 from the perspective of minority language users. The surveyed municipal and state services included, for example, social and health care services, libraries, sports facilities, and local tax offices.

The respondents were asked to evaluate how their language use differed during weekdays and the weekend. The study also examined whether the respondents' children went to a Finnish or Swedish-speaking school. Finally, the respondents' opinions were examined on the availability of municipal and state services in their mother tongue, and they were asked whether they thought the services had developed for the better or for the worse in the previous few years. Views on whether special measures should be taken to preserve Swedish-language service in the future were also charted. Additionally, the respondents' views on the relationship between Swedish and Finnish speakers in their municipality and their awareness of their linguistic rights were surveyed.

Background variables included the respondent's age (categorised), gender, mother tongue, municipality of residence, highest level of education, marital status, employment status, and household size.

Keywords

bilingualism; customer service; language; language discrimination; language policy; minority groups; minority language users; public services

Topic Classification

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

• Åbo Akademi University

Data Producers

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

Time Period Covered

2008

Collection Dates

Spring 2008 ( 2008 )

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

Residents of bilingual municipalities in Finland aged 18 - 80

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

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

57

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

Some questions were phrased differently depending on the questionnaire.

To prevent identification of participants, the original variable denoting the respondent's age was categorised into 5-year age groups at FSD (variable K2).

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

Herberts, Kjell (Åbo Akademi University): Language Barometer 2008 [dataset]. Version 1.0 (2020-11-13). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD3418

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 Materials

Herberts, Kjell. Språkbarometern Kielibarometri 2008 [verkkodokumentti]. Åbo Akademi. https://docplayer.fi/17904075-Sprakbarometern-kielibarometri-2008.html [viitattu 8.1.2021].

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

Valtioneuvoston kertomus kielilainsäädännön soveltamisesta 2009. Oikeusministeriö. URN:ISBN:978-952-466-452-3