Women in Distress : Self-understanding Among 20th Century Finnish Rural Women

Women in Distress presents Finnish women through their reminiscenses. These touching stories provide an idea of the many layered historical and personal elements that have affected rural women's lives during the 20 th century. The research focuses on both the way women have experienced their lives and the way they have wanted to depict these experiences. At the societal level, the 20th century can be seen as a time of enormous change for women. However, at the core of these narrations, instances of missed opportunity, gender conflict and mental submission persist, thus challenging the image of the strong Finnish woman.