Authors

• Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO)
• Lindell, Marina (Åbo Akademi University. Social Science Research Institute)

Keywords

attitudes, bilingualism, language policy, language skills, minority language users, minority languages, political parties, politics

Abstract

The survey explored Swedish-speaking Finns' views on the Swedish and Finnish languages, their use, and Swedish-language culture in Finland. The data were collected as part of the Citizen Panel of Swedish-speaking Finns (Barometern), which is part of The Finnish Research Infrastructure for Public Opinion (FIRIPO).

Respondents were first asked about their views on statements concerning the status of the Swedish language and the role of Swedish-speaking Finns in Finnish society, and were also asked to assess their own Finnish-language skills. The survey then explored opinions on Swedish-language education and cultural events in Finland. Next, respondents were asked about their use of Swedish in everyday life, including their attitudes towards language mixing and language use in different situations. Respondents were also asked to indicate their views on statements concerning Finland's future development, such as the status of Åland. Towards the end of the survey, respondents were asked about their views on the Swedish People's Party of Finland (SFP), its role in government, and its influence on relations between language groups. Finally, respondents were asked to assess their own linguistic identity.

Background variables include region of residence (at the regional level), gender, age, year of birth, and level of education. In addition, respondents were asked about household size, the number of minors living in the household, and the linguistic background of those minors.