Jaetun maakunnan identiteetti

Maakuntalehti Etelä-Karjalan alueidentiteetin muovaajana

Abstrakti

In the article, I study the construction process of
the regional identity of South Karelia. The focus is
on studying representations of regional identity by
interpreting regional journalism between the years
1946 and 2006. Before the Second World War, South
Karelia was very much a part of the Karelian Isthmus
and the Province of Vyborg. However, as a result of
the war, the border between Finland and the Soviet
Union shifted and completely divided the area
of South Karelia. The strip left on the Finnish side
was further forced to construct its regional identity
under massively changed circumstances. This was
not an easy task for South Karelia. The areas that
formed the new province were quite heterogeneous
and the unifying factors between them were minor.
Another key question was the impact of the eastern
border on the subsistence of South Karelia. During
the past six decades, the shift has been enormous.
The border has changed from a closed one to a
European-Russian gateway area. Also in terms of
culture and identity, this transformation has meant
growing cross-border activity, which has opened important
discussions about the future regional possibilities
and threats regarding regional identity.