Finding peace in a restless world: The meaning of nature and animals among children living in difficult conditions ca. 1945–1960

Authors

• Antti Malinen Jyväskylän yliopisto

Abstract

After WWII, a high number of Finnish children faced a heightened risk of experiencing a difficult childhood. Roughly one-fourth of Finnish children aged 15 or less had already experienced one or more major (and sometimes overlapping) life changes during the war—e.g., evacuations abroad or the loss of a parent. The ending of the war introduced a new adjustment challenge: Family members had to cope with problems related to family reunifications and soldier-to-civilian transitions. Parents’ preoccupation with their own worries, war-related psychological problems, and clearing the land on newly established farms increased the risk of inadequate parenting. This article investigates the meaning of nature and animals to children experiencing adversities in their rural home environments. Children often adopt a vigilance stance that helps them prepare and anticipate moments of unsafety. The maintenance of vigilance and alertness, however, taxes their resources. Still, many rural children are able to find restoration and peace in nature and from human-animal relationships. Nature and human-animal relationships are one the factors that promote the wellbeing and resilience of children.