Finnish Utopian Communities, Historiographies, and Shapes of Settler Colonialism
Affiliation: University of Oulu, FI
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Chapter from the book: Andersson R. & Lahti J. 2022. Finnish Settler Colonialism in North America: Rethinking Finnish Experiences in Transnational Spaces.
The goal of this chapter is to critically examine historical scholarship dealing with the histories of migration from Finland. In particular, the chapter looks at those studies that discuss migrant communities labeled as “utopian” by Finnish scholars. Through a close reading of several historical studies on Finnish migration, the chapter demonstrates how the absence of a critical perspective on utopian settlements contributes to the idea of Finland as an “outsider” in the histories of colonialism.