2013

Granbom-Herranen, Liisa

The article presents a picture of the relationship between the public and private targets of upbringingof Finnish common people’s children in early 20th-century Finland. The statutes focusing on childrencontain the information regarding the expectations of the society. The documents date back to the periodfrom 1442 to 1917, when Finland gained independence. However, the legislation influenced people’sattitudes up to the 20th century. The narrative material consists of life stories, including episodes withproverbial speech and interpretations of proverbs. It is composed of two collections from the FolkloreArchives of Finnish Literature Society, which provide information about the childhood in the early 20thcentury in Finland. Even if the pedagogical goals in the rules and regulations are quite similar to theinterpreted contents of the proverbs in pedagogical speech, the interpretations emphasize one’s ownability and responsibility for one’s own life. Moreover, the running order of goals is different. Althoughthe official authorities, state and church, gave the framework for upbringing, the Finnish speaking chil-dren were brought up in the context of family and neighbourhood, in which its own educational targetswere set and met.