Northern culture and well-being of the older population:A case study from Finnish and Swedish Lapland

• Main Author: Begum, Shahnaj
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Northern Culture; Finnish and Swedish Lapland; Older men and women; well-being and challanges; /dk/atira/pure/person/fieldofscience2010/5/14/7; name=Gender studies; sami; Lapland
• Online Access: https://research.ulapland.fi/fi/publications/bfad4e53-10de-4b53-977c-9d9b025bf5bf; https://lacris.ulapland.fi/ws/files/5715375/The_2nd_Annual_Kurultai_of_the_Endangere.pdf

In this study, I explore the culture of the north in Finnish and Swedish Lapland. I analyse the interconnection and importance of culture regarding the well-being of older people in this northern region. Both local and indigenous Sami people live in the northern parts of Finland and Sweden. They have a distinct culture related to their natural environments. They also have their traditional way of life, which carries their cultural identity. Transformation in the North is generating tension for the Northern culture. Cultural activities are affected by ongoing transformations in the north, which have different impacts on the ageing population in this region. In this regard, I examine the threats and challenges to the well-being of the older population. I explore these issues based on data I collected between 2012 and 2017 in Finnish and Swedish Lapland.