Peace and Quiet (Olla Rauhassa) at the Finnish Summer Cottage

Abstract

The article applies the ethnography of communication approach to present results of a cultural discourse analysis of Finnish communication on peace and quiet (olla rauhassa) at the summer cottage. Olla rauhassa is understood as a cultural way of doing being—a cultural manifestation of voluntary solitude. The data are collected from online discussions on summer cottages from 2001 through 2010 and in 2020. The study focuses on 288 entries in which participants described olla rauhassa. While the discussion participants hold differing views on, for example, preferred location, activities, number of visitors, or even the necessity of a summer cottage, the cultural discourse on olla rauhassa radiates shared meanings related to nature, silence, and nature’s silence; autonomy in choosing social relationships, lifestyle, actions, and one’s surroundings; and mental health. The summer cottage is portrayed as the ultimate space for olla rauhassa. The study compares and contrasts the Finnish cultural discourse with the Norwegian concept of fred og ro.