Limittyvät sukupolvet ja jaetut näkemykset : suomalaiset yhteiskunnalliset sukupolvet ja sukupolvittaiset erot poliittisessa käyttäytymisessä

Authors

• Hanna Wass
• Pilvi Torsti

Abstract

In contrast to historical perspective on generations concentrating on the external conditions, sociological approach emphasises the role of shared experiences as a unifying factor among the members of the generation. Using data from Historical consciousness in Finland research project (n=1 208), we define five Finnish generations on the basis of respondents’ self-reported key experiences and analyse generational differences in political behaviour. Our results show that while each generation is characterised by some particular societal experience, many of the experiences are also shared across generations. At the level of behaviour, young generations have lower propensity to vote and are less aware of their parents’ party choice than their predecessors. At the attitudinal level, they on the one hand tend to emphasise more the role of international organisations and social movements for the future development. On the other hand, generations have many similar views, such as the expectation for the growing importance of environmental protection, immigration and economical trends. Consequently, our study suggests that generation is not particularly politised concept in the current Finnish society.