Browsing by Subject "saamenpuku"

The effect of dress on identity is widely acknowledged in the study of dress. Ethnic dress has also been considered to influence the ethnic identity of an individual. In previous studies ethnic dress has been regarded as a way to both stand out from the majority and to enhance the cohesion inside an ethnic group. The aim of my study is to explain how ethnic dress affects the ethnic identity of a Romany- and a Sami female. I aim to point out which life events are significant in growing to the culture of one´s ethnic dress. In addition to the influence of one's own ethnic community, I am interested in the role that society plays in making up an ethnic identity. The experiences of ethnic dress and the life stories of informants are at the center of my study. I gathered the data with life course interviews that were conducted in Spring 2012. I interviewed a Sami born in 1984 and a Romany born in 1975, which are both Finnish citizens. The correlation between ethnic identity and ethnic dress was discussed from different aspects, as a lifelong process. Those main aspects were the informants´ attitudes towards ethnic dress in different phases of life, the influence of family and ethnic community in growing into the culture of ethnic dress, communicating through ethnic dress and the majority of society’s attitude towards their ethnic dress. I also used these aspects as themes when analyzing the data and compared the results with each other. Both interviewees experienced that ethnic dress affected their ethnic identity. Their dresses communicated mostly to their own ethnic group, and they did not consider standing out from other people of society as a main motive to use ethnic dress. In both cases family and relatives were in a key position in learning the customs and manners of ethnic dress. In both of these ethnic groups dress culture is dynamic as it is affected by personal taste and fashion. The experience of ethnic identity and attitude towards ethnic dress varies widely amongst every individual. However, ethnic dress is a visible symbol of ethnicity with which differentiation between group members and non-group members is practiced.