INTRODUCTION
Finland is a small, sub-arctic and arctic country on the periphery of Europe. Its people speak a funny sounding language–that looks even weirder in print. I’m not mocking the Finns, whom I rather admire–just reflecting how a typical American would characterize them and their country (if he/she could actually find it on a map).
So, does Finland even merit a place in World History? Of course, it does--if your conceptualization of world history is inclusive and not fixated on the alleged great civilizations. Unfortunately, Finland, along with much of the Baltic basin world, rarely finds its way into a world history syllabus or textbook. Today Finland’s educational system is the envy of the world (please note, Finnish teachers belong to robust unions). That alone should put Finns into the "big picture" of world history. Now the Lynx is a great fan of the case history approach in any field of history--that includes using a diverse selection of cases to illustrate the big themes of the human experience. Consider this piece the first of many (I hope) that will bring the Baltic world into the mainstream of world historical thinking.
Finns as "citizens of Finland" would include a Saami minority (also known, in the past, as Lapps) and their participation in the country’s culture and economy merits recognition. In addition a Finnish-speaking minority survives in Russia.
Finns are reputed to be hardy, hard-working, tenacious, and taciturn--and undoubtedly these qualities have enhanced their capacity for innovation. The Finns have a word for "the Finnish spirit": they call it sisu. Difficult to translate, though glossing it in English as "guts" is good enough in everyday contexts, it is better left untranslated. Supposedly (and I’ve no reason to doubt it) It is widely understood among the Yoopers.
Here are just four of Finland’s magnificent gifts to the world:
- the sauna
- the Finnish-American reggae band Conga Se Menne
- Nokia
- "Angry Birds"
The Sauna
The Finnish language has loaned only a few words to languages across the globe but one of these loanwords had gone viral (as we’d say today). That word is sauna. It is a loanword in English, German, Romance languages (Spanish, Portuguese), and Korean. Americans usually pronounce it " ‘saw-na" but sons and daughters of Finland in northern Michigan (at least some of them) still say " ‘sow-na" (sow rhymes with cow).
The world’s various sweat bath traditions recede so far back in time that trying to find an ultimate "origin" would be both futile and foolish. But what these traditions do seem to have in common is a ritual/spiritual dimension–as well as the very practical need to cleanse the body. I’d bet on a combination of multiple origins and diffusion (about which it might be possible to speculate, given sufficient archaeological and linguistic evidence) in the very remote past.
The Finnish sauna is not only a distinctive tradition but among the most successful–judging by its global reach in the modern world. While the first smoke sauna structures were probably pits dug into the side of a hill, where water was sprayed over a fireplace, today there are even solar-powered saunas. South Korean companies are now major manufacturers of sauna units, exported to the US and Europe.
Looking at the linguistic evidence, both the word and its cultural referents extend back millennia rather than mere centuries. The sauna belongs to the deep history of the Baltic world. The word sauna is so old that it predates the emergence of the Finnish language from the common "mother" tongue (pun intended) shared by Finnish and Estonian. Possibly, the practice itself (if not the word) was borrowed from the Saami people.
Now, taking into consideration that the sauna is part of modern global culture, what do we have here? A most remarkable example of a cultural process of continuity and expansion--occurring across vast dimensions of time AND space!
It is thought that the first saunas in the US was built by Swedish settlers in New Sweden, their colony on the banks of the Delaware River. But this is but a blip in the history of the sauna in North America. Later immigrants, some Swedes but especially Finns, brought the sauna to the upper Midwest and parts of Canada. You can learn much about the sauna tradition in their communties in the fascinating Lake Effect program, "The Opposite of Cold." This program features author Michael Nordskog, who lives in Viroqua, Wisconsin and photographer Aaron Hautala, who lives in Brainerd, Minnesota.
Activities
LISTEN to "The Opposite of Cold" (or an excerpt) in a world history or American history class. This program is also a good fit for a high school anthropology or sociology class. In any of these classes it would invigorate (like a trip to the sauna followed by a roll in the snow) the broader theme of migration (people emigrating and immigrating) and the cultural legacy of what people bring to a new homeland.
DISCUSS: In a world history or global studies class consider the processes involved in the spread of the sauna tradition. Certainly, migration has contributed to its diffusion, but what other factors account its global popularity? Whereas migration is a likely factor in the such places as Australia and South Africa (mostly brought by other European peoples who had a sauna tradition, so coming indirectly from the Finns), in other places an openness to adopting it may be found in the local culture. In some places, modern sauna may be a good fit with a pre-existing or indigenous steam bath or public bath tradition, for example, in Korea and Japan, in Mediterranean countries, and the Middle East. Also, the modern sauna appears to have spread as part of the work-out gym and the large sports complex (linking it to global sports history). And there is an obvious link to the building of high-end tourist hotels and spas. Sauna etiquette varies from country to country, another high-interest topic. (The Lynx advises against sending students under the age of 18 to research globa sauna culture: in certain countries a sauna in a red-light district may be a front for a brothel and such establishments do come up quite readily in Google searches. There is plenty of information in the Wikipedia article.)
EXPAND: In an English or language arts class increase students’ appreciation of how loanwords enrich a language. For example, the common geographic term tundra is from a Saami language (having passed from a Saami language to Russian, then via Russian to other languages). Do your students know that barbecue is comes from a Taino word? (It passed from Taino into Spanish but from Taino into French on Haiti, then from either of these into American English). Do they know that goober, a common word for peanuts in the American South, is from a Bantu language (probably from the the Kongo or Kimbundu languages of the South Atlantic coast)? Since this is the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, let me remind you that "Goober Peas" was a popular song among Confederate troops–who often had to eat boiled peanuts when there was little else. Making a list of history-linked loanwords could be a year-long class project for world history or language arts students (perhaps their teachers could work together on this?).
HISTORIC PRESERVATION: In the Lake Effect interview the conversation turns to how rare original sauna structures are becoming. Both Michael Nordskog and Aaron Hautala realized that they were documenting historically significant structures of the built-environment. ASK students if there are what endangered structures in area where they are living. What might they be? (In rural Jefferson County, where I grew up, we need to preserve our barns and silos.)
HEALTH/SCIENCE class: Using the "Health Risks and Benefits" section of the Wikipedia article, discuss who should or should not enter a sauna. This article includes abundant citations, with URLs, to articles in reputable medical and scientific journals. Some of these may be available only to subscribers but paste the URLs and see what happens.
Finnish-American Musicians
The Lake Effect program ends with music by Conga Se Menne, a Finnish American reggae band from Marquette, Michigan. When the Lynx heard it, that sound prickled the tufts of its ears. What could be more relevant to world history than that! (DISCLOSURE: I’ve been a fan or reggae ever since hearing it in Uganda–a couple years before it became popular in the US).
The Conga style is eclectic, best described as "where the tropics meet the toiga." It’s the rhythm of reggae, with other Caribbean and Latin beats, a dash of Blues, with folkloric Finnish accents–all mixed up with a bucketful of Yooper exuberance (i.e. fun). And yes, fun means trips to the sauna, ‘yumps’ in the snow, and bottles of beer.
In all of this the Conga boys Finnish heritage is close to the surface. They perform at the Finlandia Club in Marquette, Michigan, and at Finnish festivals in the US and Canada. You can find songs with Finnish lyrics on all three of their albums. I’d say they’re doing a lot to break down the stereotype of the taciturn, sober Finn.
While the Finnish/reggae combo of Conga Se Menne is recent, Finnish American music has roots in the immigrant communities of the upper Midwest. In fact, Conga Se Menne pays musical tribute to the legendary Bobby Aro, a Finnish American musician of an earlier era (more than fifty years ago), whose fame spread to Canada and then to Europe. Aro called his band the "Ranch-Aros." Clever, but what strikes me is that its pun is with the Spanish rancheros. It seemed to me that Finnish-Americans must have been more plugged into the cosmos than we might imagine. There is a more simple "life history" explanation, however. After training at the Radio Institute in Chicago, Bobby Aro spent a year working at a radio station in Berger, Texas!
Activities
LISTEN: Don’t give your students any background info. Just treat them to selection/s from a Conga Se Menne album. ASK: Can you identify the musical genre? Where do you think this band is based? What language/s do you hear? Then surprise them with the answers.
DISCUSS: In a US or world history class play Conga music or show one of the sauna-themed song videos. Then consider the fate of traditions that immigrants bring with them from "the old country": What survives? What does not? How do traditions change? How and why do they sometimes spread far beyond ethnic communities? Tailor this discussion to the ethnic backgrounds of your students.
RESEARCH: Send students out into the community and back to their own families to investigate their heritage. Specifically, ask them to find out what elements of immigrant cultures (past or present) are still preserved as part of local culture or the larger regional culture. WRITE: Students present the results of their research in short essays (or digital presentations) to share with each other and to the school or community at large.
Nokia
Today Nokia is the world’s leading manufacturer of mobile phones. It has grown through mergers and acquistions, such as a deal with Siemens AG to form Nokia Siemens Network.
This large international company had humble beginnings in 19th century Finland. It is the offspring of three companies. The original company, founded in 1865 was a wood pulp mill and paper manufacturer near a town in the southwest. Soon the owner built a second mill near Nokia and in 1871, when he brought a friend into the company, they decided on a new name, the Nokia Company. So the Nokia brand is 140 years old. Of course, the Finnish affinity for forests and and waterpower, helps to explain why Finnish immigrants were drawn to the forests of the upper Midwest.
If Fredrik Idestam, the original owner had had his way Nokia might never have followed the path that took it, ultimately, to the electronics industry. But his partner, who became chairman in 1898 was keen on getting into the business of generating electricity. When Nokia was near bankruptcy after World War I, it was saved when Finnish Rubber Works (founded in 1898, also near Nokia and using Nokia as a brand name) acquired it because it needed the electricity that Nokia could provide. In 1922 Finnish Rubber Works bought Finnish Cable Works, a company that produced telephone, telegraph, and electrical cables. So by 1922 the foundation had been built for a merger that would take place, finally, in 1967.
As the Nokia Corporation it became conglomerate producing a hodge-podge of products-- including paper, rubber tires, rubber boots, cables, televisions, computers, and military communications gear. In the 1988 the tire manufacturing was spun off, followed by the footware part of the business. In the 1990s the Nokia Corporation decided to put all of its eggs in the telecommunications basket; it got rid of everything else–including consumer electronics. (This brief historical sketch is drawn from the Wikipedia article, where you can find more information about the how the company has evolved since the 1967 merger.)
As the Nokia Corporation it became conglomerate producing a hodge-podge of products-- including paper, rubber tires, rubber boots, cables, televisions, computers, and military communications gear. In the 1988 the tire manufacturing was spun off, followed by the footware part of the business. In the 1990s the Nokia Corporation decided to put all of its eggs in the telecommunications basket; it got rid of everything else–including consumer electronics. (This brief historical sketch is drawn from the Wikipedia article, where you can find more information about the how the company has evolved since the 1967 merger.)
In 2004, when Nokia had hit a rough patch, Jormal Ollila, who was then the CEO, was quite frank about how sisu is part of the company’s ethos. He explained that sisu is more than just "guts": it conveys a sense of endurance and perseverance in the face of obstacles. In 2011, with its plans to restructure and to team up with Microsoft (adopting Windows 7 as the operating system for its high-end devices), who would doubt that Nokia still has sisu!
Nokia is especially proud of its environmental track-record and its global social initiatives. These endeavors bring a deeper meaning to "Nokia: Connecting People" (its corporate slogan). In 2011 Nokia won a Social Innovation Award in the category "Most Strategic Use of Philanthropic Funds." For Nokia’s projects in Africa see its "Eyes on Africa" videos.
Activities
SCAVENGER HUNT: Visit the Nokia web site and select bits of information that will be the targets of an information scavenger hunt. This could be a bell-ringer activity. Draw up a list of questions that will require students to drill into the site to find the answers. For example:
- At the South by Southwest music festival how big was the human hamster wheel? ANSWER: 18 feet in circumference
- If you had gone to the South by Southwest music festival, where could you have charged your cellphone for free? ANSWER: Nokia’s Green Zone
- In February 2011 where was the Mobile World Conference held? ANSWER: Barcelona, Spain
- Name one country where the Nokia Data Gathering project is helping health care workers. ANSWER: Brazil
- What company will be Nokia’s partner when it changes its smartphones to a new operating system? ANSWER: Microsoft
- Find the "Nokia Conversations" blog. What is today’s most commented story? ANSWER: this will change (so perhaps do this as a class activity and then have read the story–or select another from the list).
EXPLORE: Send students to the Nokia web site to find out more the companies activities, for example its environmental efforts. Go to the "Press" page and then access "Corporate Responsibility" or "Environment." For high interest items scroll down to "Nokia Conversations" (the company blog).
VIEW: The short video "Nokia Data Gathering: Manaus, Brazil" shows how cellphones and data system are being used to improve health care in a remote area. Although this is a corporate video, this application of technology is one I’ve read about elsewhere (e.g. in the New York Times). It could be shown in a health science, computer/technology, or global studies class.
VIEW/WRITE: Students select and view videos from "Eyes on Africa" and write short summaries to publish on a class bulletin board or digital document. This could be a project in a computer literacy or global studies class.
Angry Birds
Angry Birds is the Rovio company’s game that has been rockin’ the mobile world since it arrived in 2009. Probably your students already know this. But you can send them to the Web to find out more about this media company and where it is heading.
Founded in 2003, the business plan of this Finnish-based company was to make a mint by developing games for mobile communications devices, i.e. cellphones, but its games are now available on other platforms. In the past it has collaborated with Nokia. Now it is now expanding in several directions, such as broadcast media and merchandising (e.g. Angry Birds toys).
Why Birds vs. Pigs? In early 2009, when the game was being developed, its creators started off with the Birds. That was during the great swine flu panic so Pigs were selected as suitable opponents. The game became so successful because it is so addictive. Rovio is now working on an Angry Birds sequel and last November CEO Peter Vestervacka hinted that its storyline express the Pigs’ point of view (POV). So AP World History teachers may have a new game to help students learn this vital concept!
In Israel a popular TV comedy the Angry Birds and Pigs appeared in a parody of the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. When this satiric segment went viral on YouTube, some viewers wondered which side the Birds (or the Pigs) were portraying. Whatever viewers might think about that, there is a consensus that the program set a precedent--by using characters from a mobile video game to comment on current events.
Breaking News: Rovio has just announced that the birds behind "Angry Birds" (its employees) are now chasing after mice, well, actually, a special mouse name Mickey. Yes, that’s right, the company is going to challenge the Disney empire. And how will Rovio do that? Well, Rovio has just raised $42 million from venture capital firms. With nearly 100 million downloads and 40 million or so active players of Angry Birds, that's a good deal.
Activities
VISIT the company web site to find out about other Rovio games (more than 50 of them).
SHOW an excerpt of the "Angry Birds" video (STOP before the F-word). If your students have sufficient background, discuss how different members of Israeli audiences (with their different POVs) might have responded to it? What message would it have (or not have)? ASK: why do you think this video became viral (more than 100,000 views on YouTube)?
Conclusion
Don’t be misled by this rather light-hearted attempt to put Finland on the world history map. To end on a more serious note, Finland’s history provides an inspiring model of resistance to the Soviet Army during the Winter War (followed by a less than noble arrangement with the Third Reich, from 1940-43). Finns have experienced long stretches of both Russian and Swedish imperialism. During all those years that Finland was part of Sweden, the Finns retained their language and culture and the story of how they managed to do that is an important one. It speaks to both the predicament and agency of people whose right to self-determination has been infringed upon.
So there is much more to write about. This post is only the first salvo in an effort to bring Baltic history into the mainstream of world history. Stay tuned!
RESOURCES
- Fascinating examples, pulled together with appropriate citations. Discussion of how this Finnish word entered English discourse during Finland’s Winter War (1939-1940) with the Soviet Union and remained relevant in the Cold War era. Links to primary sources from the 1940s and 1950s.
"The Finns of Northern Michigan." http://www.upsisu.com
Schatz, Roman. From Finland with Love. 2005.
"Conan’s Statement to Finland 12/15/10." Only 2:15 mins. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU6ierlsI0I
Schatz, Roman. From Finland with Love. 2005.
"Conan’s Statement to Finland 12/15/10." Only 2:15 mins. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU6ierlsI0I
- Watch this hilarious segment on YouTube, where it appears with Finnish subtitles. Listen for the references to Finnish foods, for which Conan uses the Finnish words (so you can match it up easily with the spellings in the subtitles)–and notice their images in background (I could identify what we called blood sausage when I was growing up).
"List of English Words of Finnish Origin." Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Finnish_origin
"List of English Words of Sami Origin." Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Sami_origin
Sauna History
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Finnish_origin
"List of English Words of Sami Origin." Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Sami_origin
Sauna History
"The Opposite of Cold." Lake Effect. Mitch Teich interview with Michael Nordskog and Aaron Hautala. WUWM Radio (12-9-2010): http://www.wuwm.com/programs/lake_effect/le_sgmt.php?segmentid=6736
Nordskog, Michael (text) and Aaron Hautala (photographs). The Opposite of Cold: The Northwoods Finnish Sauna Tradition. University of Minnesota Press, 2010 [ck]. Signed copies available at website: http://www.theoppositeofcold.com/
"Sauna." Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sauna
- This article, with ample references, provides a good overview of the traditional Finnish and Estonian sauna and of "Modern Sauna Culture Around the World." The Opposite of Cold is one of its sources. The "Health Risks and Benefits" section is based on reputable sources.
English-Finnish-English Online Dictionary: http://www.suomienglantisanakirja.fi/english.phpFinn
"Sauna in Finland: Development of the Finnish Sauna." Finnish Sauna Society: http://www.sauna.fi/56.html
"Finnish Sauna Culture–Not a Just a Cliché." Finnish Sauna Society: http://www.sauna.fi/40.html
"Sauna in Finland: Development of the Finnish Sauna." Finnish Sauna Society: http://www.sauna.fi/56.html
"Finnish Sauna Culture–Not a Just a Cliché." Finnish Sauna Society: http://www.sauna.fi/40.html
Health Mate: http://www.healthmatesauna.com/about/history.html
- In 1979 this company started making saunas in Korea. By sales volume it is the world’s largest sauna manufacturer of infrared home saunas. In 2009 the Forest Stewardship Council and two other environmental organizations certified that its saunas were "environmentally acceptable."
Finnish American Musicians
Conga Se Menne: http://www.congasemenne.com
CD: "Land of the Conga Boys and Finnish, Reggae and Other Sauna Beats." Congo Se Menne. Porky Pine Records, 2005. (1st and 2nd albums, digitally remastered, on one disc, 65 mins).
CD: "Living inna...NorthernParadise." Conga Se Menne. Produced by Derrel Syria, Jerry Kippola, Dave Ziegner. Songs written by Derrel Syria–with one exception. (3rd album).'
LISTEN to short clips at Music Outfitters:
http://www.musicoutfitters.com/artists/congaland.htm
VIDEO: "Sauna Song." Conga Se Menne. Recorded live at the Bay Street Film Festival (Thunder Bay, Ontario). Edited by Gabriel Harpelle. 3 mins. YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUy1du0VUdM
- As its title suggests this song exemplifies the Finnish reggae sound.
- Its lyrics refer to beer-drinking so if this would raise hackles in your community don’t show it in the classroom.
- For a video of the same song–with rather blurry images too raucous for the high school classroom (but reflecting Yooper culture?)–check out this version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-N9PZGvZEw
For Bobby Aro, see information at Music Outfitters: http://www.musicoutfitters.com/artists/bobby-aro.htm
Michigan Finnish: http://michiganfinnish.org/ (A gateway to Finnish American events and culture in the upper Midwest.)
Nokia
Nokia: http://www.nokia.com/
- From this page you can the company’s web sites for countries in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and North America. Click and then select a country.
- Menu at the bottom includes "Press" and "Environment" pages. From either of these you can access "Corporate Responsibility." From the "Press" page, check out "Press Releases" and "Media Library."
- From the Press page, scroll down to access "Nokia Conversations" (the company blog, with some of the most "hot" news) and "Nokia on Facebook."
"Nokia Data Gathering: Manaus, Brazil." VIDEO: 3:22 mins. Nokia: http://conversations.nokia.com/2011/03/31/nokia-wins-social-innovation-award/
"Eyes on Africa." Nokia. A series of videos--access from the "Corporate Responsibility" page: http://www.nokia.com/corporate-responsibility.
Maney, Kevin. "CEO Ollila Says Nokia’s ‘Sisu’ Will See It Past Tough Times." USA Today (July 20, 2004): http://www.usatoday.comtech/news/200407-20-nokia-cover_x.thm
Steinbock, Dan. Winning Across Global Markets: How Nokia Creates Strategic Advantage in a Fast-Changing World. Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2010.
Rovio
Rovio: http://www.rovio.com/index.php?page=company.
Facebook: Angry Birds: www.facebook.com/angrybirds
"Interview: Rovio on the Origin of Angry Birds ..." Jon Mundy (posted October 13, 2011). Pocket Gamer: http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Various/Angry+Birds/news.asp?c=24243
"Angry Birds Fules $42M Funding Round for Rovio Mobile." Guardian (March 10, 2011): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2011/mar/10/angry-birds-rovio-42m-funding?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487
"Angry Birds Sequel Will Reveal Pigs’ Point of View." Catharine Smith (posted November 18, 2010). Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/17/angry-birds-sequel-will-r_n_785095.html
VIDEO: "Angry Birds Peace Treaty." By keshet. (2:39 Mins). You can access it directly from YouTube or from these sources:
"Angry Birds Fules $42M Funding Round for Rovio Mobile." Guardian (March 10, 2011): http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2011/mar/10/angry-birds-rovio-42m-funding?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487
"Angry Birds Sequel Will Reveal Pigs’ Point of View." Catharine Smith (posted November 18, 2010). Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/17/angry-birds-sequel-will-r_n_785095.html
VIDEO: "Angry Birds Peace Treaty." By keshet. (2:39 Mins). You can access it directly from YouTube or from these sources:
Eriksen, Erik Holthe and Azamat Abdymomunov. "Angry Birds Will Be Bigger than Mickey Mouse and Mario. Is There a Success Formula for Apps?." MIT Engrepreneurship Review: http://miter.mit.edu/article/angry-birds-will-be-bigger-mickey-mouse-and-mario-there-success-formula-apps
Rusli, Evelyn. "Angry Birds Creator Raises $42 Million." New York Times: Dealbook (March 10, 2011): http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/angry-birds-game-developer-raises-42-million/?scp=1&sq=rovio&st=cse (Article contains the full press release from Rovio.)
Wortham, Jenna. "Angry Brids and Its New Nest Egg." New York Times: Bits [blog] (March 11, 2011):
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/angry-birds-and-its-new-nest-egg/?scp=2&sq=rovio&st=cse
No comments:
Post a Comment