Study title

Citizens' Opinion: Attitudes towards Swedish Language, Swedish-Speaking Finns and Culture in Swedish 2023

Dataset ID Number

FSD4017

Persistent identifiers

https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD4017
https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd4017

Data Type

Quantitative

Authors

• Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)
• Vento, Isak (Åbo Akademi University)
• Lindell, Marina (Åbo Akademi University)

Abstract

The survey charted attitudes between Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking Finns as well as the consumption of Swedish-language culture in Finland. The data were collected as part of the Citizens' Opinion Panel, which is part of the national infrastructure for measuring public opinion (The Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion, FIRIPO). The dataset also includes responses from the 2021 survey round.

The 2023 survey could be completed in Finnish or Swedish, and some questions differed slightly depending on the response language. At the beginning of the survey, the respondents were asked to take a stand on various statements concerning, for example, the status of the Swedish language in Finnish society, studying Swedish, perceptions of Swedish-speaking Finns, and relations between the language groups. In addition, depending on the response language, the respondents were asked to assess their own proficiency in Swedish or Finnish on the school grade scale. The survey also examined the respondents' views on the level of Swedish-language education compared to Finnish-language education.

Next, the survey charted the participation of Finnish-speaking respondents in Swedish-language cultural events as well as their engagement with Swedish-language culture in the home environment. They were asked, for example, how often they had participated in Swedish-language cultural events, which cultural sectors the events represented, and what kinds of Swedish-language cultural content they had consumed at home. The respondents without previous experience were asked about their willingness to participate in or familiarise themselves with Swedish-language culture in the future.

The survey then investigated experiences and attitudes related to the use of the Swedish language. The topics included opinions on so-called "pokkaruotsi", switching languages in conversation, and bilingual interaction. In addition, the respondents were asked about their views on Finland's future linguistic and cultural development and questions related to the status of Åland. Finally, the survey examined the respondents' attitudes, through various statements, towards the Swedish People's Party of Finland (RKP), its participation in government and perceived influence, and how the party's activities affect, or are perceived to affect, Finnish-speaking respondents' attitudes towards Swedish-speaking Finns.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, language, age group, type of neighbourhood, whether the respondent has children, the statistical grouping of municipalities, and language relation.

Keywords

attitudes; bilingualism; cultural events; culture; education; government policy; language; language policy; minority language users; minority languages; teaching

Topic Classification

• Social sciences (Fields of Science Classification)
• Language and linguistics (CESSDA Topic Classification)
• Cultural activities and participation (CESSDA Topic Classification)

Series

FIRIPO Citizens' Opinion

Distributor

Finnish Social Science Data Archive

Access

The dataset is (D) available only by permission from the data depositor/creator.

Data Collector

• Citizens' Opinion

Funders

• Funder of the Citizens' Opinion Panel: Research Council of Finland (345714)
• Funder of the research project: The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland
• Funder of the research project: Svenska Litteratursällskapet i Finland (SLS)

Time Period Covered

2023

Collection Dates

2023-08-30 – 2023-09-20

Nation

Finland

Geographical Coverage

Finland

Analysis/Observation Unit Type

Individual

Universe

People aged over 18 residing in Finland

Time Method

Cross-section

Sampling Procedure

Mixed probability and non-probability

Approximately 70 per cent of the panel participants were recruited using various probability sampling methods. The remaining participants were recruited through non-probability sampling.

Collection Mode

Self-administered questionnaire: Web-based (CAWI)

Research Instrument

Structured questionnaire

Response Rate

51.7

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: Finnish.

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

Data Version

1.0

Related Datasets

FSD3976 Citizens' Opinion: Attitudes towards Swedish Language, Swedish-Speaking Finns and Culture in Swedish 2021

Completeness of Data and Restrictions

The data from a previous survey round conducted in 2021 were combined with the current dataset to enable linking the responses provided by the same respondents across different survey rounds. The survey collected in 2021 was previously archived in the Finnish Social Science Data Archive (FSD) under the study identifier "FSD3976 Citizens' Opinion: Attitudes towards Swedish Language, Swedish-Speaking Finns and Culture in Swedish 2021". In the dataset, variables from the 2021 round are marked with the prefix W1, and variables from the 2023 round with W2. The W1 variables in this data file contain slightly fewer respondents than the corresponding variables in the previously archived FSD3976 dataset because some participants have since left the panel and their data were no longer retained.

Responses to open‑ended questions were removed from the dataset by the researcher to prevent the identification of respondents.

Weighting

The dataset includes four weighting variables: w1_weight, w2_weight, w2_sv_weight, and combined_weight. The variable w1_weight adjusts the responses of participants in the first wave according to gender, age, and level of education, while variable w2_weight adjusts responses for the second wave. The variable w2_sv_weight adjusts the responses of Swedish‑speaking participants in the second wave according to gender, age, and level of education. The variable combined_weight adjusts all respondents from both waves according to gender, age, and level of education. All weighting variables are capped at a value of 5.

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

Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO) & Vento, Isak (Åbo Akademi University) & Lindell, Marina (Åbo Akademi University): Citizens' Opinion: Attitudes towards Swedish Language, Swedish-Speaking Finns and Culture in Swedish 2023 [dataset]. Data version 1.0 (2026-02-18). Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor]. DOI: https://doi.org/10.60686/t-fsd4017; URN: https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:fsd:T-FSD4017

Deposit Requirement

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

Special Terms and Conditions for Access

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

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

Eklund, Jesper, and Marina Lindell. 'Två Språkgrupper, Olika Förtroende?: En Jämförande Analys Av Det Generaliserade Förtroendet Hos Den Svensk- Och Finskspråkiga Befolkningen i Finland.” Politiikka 66, no. 4 (2024). https://doi.org/10.37452/politiikka.143539.