Open AccessLeaving Home Behind - Career Opportunity or Seeking for a Safer Life?
Author(s) -
Heli Hyvönen
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
finnish yearbook of population research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1796-6191
pISSN - 1796-6183
DOI - 10.23979/fypr.45030
Subject(s) - immigration , estonian , safer , perception , gender studies , demographic economics , population , sociology , political science , economic growth , psychology , demography , economics , law , philosophy , linguistics , computer security , neuroscience , computer science
This article analyzes Finnish and Estonian womens perceptions of migration. The central questions are why women migrated from Finland to Estonia or vice versa, what expectations they had and how they ? rst experienced the immigration. The data consists of 48 in-depth interviews. The starting point for the two groups was different and unequal; furthermore, the time of migration played a crucial role in the formation of their experiences. The majority of the Finnish women interviewed migrated in the 21st century, mostly for family or career reasons. Their expectations were rather negative and their main experiences were related to their roles: following a husband or creating their own careers. Most Estonians migrated to Finland in the early or mid-1990s, when the societal situation was very unstable and many wanted to leave the country to look for a better life. However, they ? rst found life in Finland challenging.