By recognising the importance of our roots and nurturing them, we gain more understanding and strength to support others. When a person experiences rootlessness, their sense of self begins to "simulacrumize", i.e. to become a copy without knowledge or sense of origin. As Joonas Konstig (2023) also wrote in his column, this can lead to people without roots being easier to push in the desired direction. Indeed, humans seem to be pacing back and forth, swept along by various trends.
One way of looking at rootlessness is the rural-urban dichotomy. It is worth recognising that this division and confrontation has, for certain reasons, been needlessly maintained and reinforced and used as a policy-making tool. People living in rural areas were associated with a certain way of communicating and the use of dialects. This can also be seen through the Whorf hypothesis (the linguistic relativity hypothesis), according to which the structure of a language influences the worldview or cognition of its speakers, and thus people's perceptions are relative to the language spoken. In other words, the language spoken by people influences how we think about reality. The idea can be extended to mean that when we lose our dialect and its expressions, we may also lose our way of structuring and understanding the world. If we have no roots and no sense of origin, we may find it difficult to perceive our place in the world. And because language expresses locality, it is linked to people's history and past.
Taking the "words out of your mouth" cuts you off from your own cultural heritage. The link is lost with those who have used these words and expressions in the past, the people on whose shoulders we now stand. Add to this the time people spend on 'social media' and it is no wonder that we feel disconnected or anxious. When people feel disconnected or try to achieve the goals set by others, they are vulnerable and susceptible to various influences, even harmful ones, to find a sense of meaning.
Alongside the thinning of place and cultural identity, people's relationship with nature is also disappearing or changing. We no longer recognize the importance of nature for ourselves and our well-being, and we have lost or are losing the invisible space associated with our relationship with nature (Mikita 2013). It is becoming clumsy and fragile, and people may be left without an experience of nature or the experience becomes negative.
If one's identity is not found through nature, language or place, life becomes frustrating and distancing. Forming and maintaining a relationship with nature should be seen as a human right, not just Jokaisenoikeus. Let us recognise our roots, let us try to make nature observable and enjoyable in our daily lives. Nature provides explanations and answers to life and humanity, it offers refreshment and recovery. Sense of belonging leads us not to agree to be pushed and controlled by anyone mentally or physically. Academic women have roots to which we can cling, but we can not stumble over them. But roots must also have room to grow, because they have an important role to play. As well as storing and transporting nutrients, roots anchor the tree firmly and sustainably to the ground. That's the kind of resilience and growth we need as the winds of the world blow around us.
So let's support things that help women both to identify their roots and to grow them. Building a strong identity based on one's cultural heritage, studies, work, hobbies, family or geographical location. We have the right for Jokaisenoikeus, but it is also an obligation to look after the environment and ensure its future growth. In this way, we also help young girls and women to identify what is important and what supports their growth towards education and academia.
Doctor of Health Science Varpu Wiens
Meri-Lapin Akateemiset Naiset ry.
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