Maaseudun ja kaupungin vastakkaisuus maaseudun kehittämisohjelmassa

Authors

• Marjatta Haiko

Abstract

Political parties in Finland have traditionally taken advantage of the social cleavage between town and country. However, rural inhabitants are nowadays a clear minority and changes in values have raised the question of the saliency of this cleavage. An analysis of the rhetoric used in the Rural Development Program reveals that an alternative way to outline this cleavage, in addition to the traditional socioeconomic one, is based on cultural and ecological issues. The rhetoric makes it possible to identify oneself as a rural inhabitant yet embracing values basicly shared in a modern society at large. However, there are still questions that may cause ideological conflicts. Regional equality, the rhetoric of ’small scale’ and the stress on hard work (concept of an acceptable type of work) are typical examples. Differences in ways of life are, however, presented as a more important - and modern - factor in drawing the line between town and countryside rather than, for instance, arguments about the price of food.