Sota jäi elämään naisen roolissa ja mentaliteetissa

Authors

• Sini-Emilia Asikainen Helsingin yliopisto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37449/ennenjanyt.110545

Keywords:

women's role, mentality, intergenerationality, baby boomers, second world war

Abstract

The Second World War caused a radical change in people’s everyday lives by breaking the gender-based division of work. The war, as well as the reconstruction that followed it, increased women’s responsibility of their families, homes, and livelihood, which is still visible in today’s society. Women had to sacrifice their own needs for others’ wellbeing. After the war there was a lot of work to be done, and children of the time had to often make do on their own. Older sisters were expected to take care of younger siblings, and girls helped in everyday housework.

This article examines the intergenerational effects of the Winter War and the Continuation War on women’s role and mentality by looking into oral history produced by the baby boomer generation. Nurturing, responsibility, endurance and survival are visible in the roles and mentality of the female baby boomer generation. In times of the Finnish welfare state there have been more resources to consider matters such as the upbringing of children, and what features one can pass onto the following generation through one’s actions. Still the daughters of the female baby boomers have adopted the mentality of responsibility, which is sustained by the society.