Browsing by Subject "Russian women in Finland"

This thesis examines how Russian migrant women construct their national identities through the mothering practices they perform in Finland. This research is based on an intersectional approach as it studies how migration and motherhood relate to the complex negotiations of the national identities of Russian women in Finland. Theoretically, this study aims to contribute to the feminist perspective by exploring the complexity and intersectionality of Russian women’s national, gender, and parental identities in migration. Methodologically, this study relies on a biographical approach in the analysis of migration experiences. The primary material of this research consists of in-depth focused interviews based on biographical narratives. A total of 17 interviews were conducted with Russian migrant mothers both through face-to-face and online interviewing during August and September 2022. This research revealed various ways in which Russian migrant mothers construct their national identities through their mothering practices in Finland. The key findings focus on the experiences and strategies of Russian migrant mothers in maintaining translocal family connections, constructing national identities, and navigating motherhood in Finland. Thus, the research situated Russian women’s everyday mothering practices into a complex translocal context where they navigate their multiple identities while living in Finland. Moreover, the study provided data on the challenges and emotional responses of Russian migrant mothers to the war in Ukraine, including the ways in which mothers seek to hide their Russianness and highlight their children’s dominant non-Russian identity.