A Place of their Own

This book is a study of family farming in eastern Finland.

This is a study of family farming in eastern Finland. It looks at the connections between farm and family, and considers the significance of mechanization and other modern developments for the persistence of the family as a farming unit. Here, and in other contexts, the author draws attention to the adaptability of families in a changing world.Based on field research in eastern Finland not far from the Russian border, this book is an account of the main features of rural society in the area. It pays detailed attention to the adaptability of farming families in a rapidly changing world. Subjects treated include marriage and the family, work and mechanization, succession to farms, and the paradoxical combination of fierce individualism and co-operation. Two major themes of the book are the relation between law and custom, which is not always what it seems on the surface, and the complex interlocking of farm, family and the wider society.