Militarisation of the everyday in contemporary Finland

Application summary

How do militaristic values shape everyday life in NATO member Finland? Security has become an ever-present concern in Finland, which shares the EU’s longest border with Russia. Yet, critical perspectives on military power remain scarce. Situated in the field of international relations, my PhD research investigates the militarisation of the everyday in 2020s Finland. By this, I mean the subtle ways in which military practices, values, and symbols permeate daily life. Everyday militarism can appear in reality shows portraying military training, in the prestige given to military ranks in civilian contexts, or in militaristic language used by the media. I will research how, where, and why everyday militarism intensifies in Finland, and how it shapes civic identities, drawing on the theoretical concept of imagined communities. I will analyse discourses across three complementary arenas: media texts, citizen interviews, and the speeches of military leaders. By examining dominant and marginalised discourses in these different areas of society, the research seeks to connect personal experiences with the public sphere and situate local militarisation within the global security-political context. My research sheds light on militarism from an important but little-studied perspective in Finland. At the same time, my work provides critical insights for security and peace actors, informs security policy, and contributes to the international debate on militarism in a historically changing security environment.