Marketplace Mythology of the Finnish Sauna – Employment and Reproduction of Sauna Myths
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School of Business |
Master's thesis
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Authors
Date
2017
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Marketing
Language
en
Pages
141
Series
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore sauna mythology and understand how contemporary Finnish consumers experience and employ sauna myths as well as reproduce those myths by conducting sauna activities and rituals. More specifically, the key elements of the Finnish sauna mythology are studied by making an overview of historical and contemporary literature relating to sauna. After discovering the central key elements of sauna mythology, the employment and reproduction of sauna myths by contemporary Finnish consumers is explored. For centuries sauna has been a vital part of Finnish culture and considered, to some extent, sacred. Even though sauna culture has persisted until this day, sauna-related myths have changed or gained different meanings as consumers shape and reproduce myths as they consume. While there is consumer research focusing on Finnish sauna mythology and consumption within the sauna context, the employment and reproduction of sauna myths by consumers hasn’t gained attention in the academic world. As a theoretical framework, marketplace mythologies, together with consumption rituals are explored. The theoretical framework is secondarily supplemented by the theory of the sacred, and the theory of experiencing nature. The methodological framework primarily draws on the theory of marketplace mythologies. The framework serves as a platform for discovering how Finnish consumers reproduce myths that are passed on as a sociocultural heritage. The study is ethnographic by nature using semi-structured multigenerational interviews as the main data collection method. Conducting multigenerational interviews assists in gaining deeper understanding of the studied phenomenon. A brief overview of historical and contemporary literature on the Finnish sauna culture, and more specifically sauna mythology, is conducted in order to gain wider understanding of key elements emerging from the collected data. In addition, a literature review of sauna culture helps to understand the heritage of sauna mythology and how those myths have evolved into well-established traditions. Secondarily the data is collected by engaging in the discussion of sauna in real-life settings. The study enlightens our understanding of how sauna myths are employed and reproduced through consumers’ beliefs and rituals in the sauna context. A strong nexus between sauna consumption and the mythological beliefs was discovered. In addition, empirical evidences indicated how recurrent sauna rituals endorse sauna mythology and consumers’ emotional connection to sauna. In order to accommodate sauna mythology to values and needs of contemporary society rituals were noted to be utilized as vehicles in the myth reproduction. The most significant sauna-related myths identified were the myth of Finnishness, the myth of the sacred, the myth of returning to nature and the myth of mental and physical healing. Finnishness was identified to be the most dominant myth extoling a Finn as the truest sauna bather. Especially in connection with summer cottage, saunas were found to represent the return to nature and primitivism. The informants also emphasize ultimate purity attained after a sauna bath that reflects the myth of returning to nature. Moreover, the myth of mental and physical healing properties of sauna was identified as sauna was considered as the preeminent relaxation place.Description
Thesis advisor
Toyoki, SammyKeywords
myths, marketplace mythology, rituals, consumer culture theory, consumer research