Swedish schoolbooks say Finns are good at sports and some other stuff

[Pyrodrew]

http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi/english/article/Swedish+schoolbooks+give+pessimistic+image+of+Finland%0D%0A/1101981878326

Swedish schoolbooks give pessimistic image of Finland

According to Swedish school textbooks, Finns are poorly educated and abuse drugs, but are nonetheless excellent in sports. The same books keep quiet about the Finnish-speaking minority in Sweden.
"The picture given by the schoolbooks of Finns and Finland is rather bleak and old-fashioned. Actually, it is as prejudiced as it was in the 1960s", observes Antti Ylikiiskilä, a lecturer in Swedish at Högskolan Dalarna, a university in Sweden.

Kiiskilä has looked into the image the textbooks that are used in the Swedish educational system give of Finns, the Finnish language, as well as Finnish culture. The textbooks studied are being used in Swedish comprehensive schools and upper secondary schools.
"The Finn is poorly educated, abuses drugs, skives off school, dies young in a violent manner, but is nevertheless good at sports. Moreover, Finland has been at war. This is the view these books give", Ylikiiskilä reports.
"This is a pretty depressing image, and even more so, if we look at individual books. All the 21 textbooks which I studied were published in 2001 or later", he notes.
Originally, Ylikiiskilä wanted to study what schoolbooks told about Sweden's five national minorities, which were granted official status in the country in April 2000. He soon noticed that the textbooks told nothing for example about the half a million Swedish Finns, who are the biggest minority living in Sweden.
"I do not know where this arises from, but at least the writers of these textbooks seem to be lacking in information", Antti Ylikiiskilä concluded.

Why do they say that? Finns are good at sports?

[KrazyHorse]

Ski jumping and hockey, mainly.

[Jon Miller]

sounds like what US racists say about african americans

JM

[Pekka]

Nah, I wouldn't be worried about it. It's not like we have some kind of blanket between us so Swedes know what we are like, and that their textbooks are 100% correct!

Except we aren't poorly educated.

[Footie Mad]

Damn racist books. Everybody knows those violent, drug abusing, illiterate finns are worthless at sports.

[Pekka]

Footie, yeah we'll see that in Torino, won't we.. A little duel would be in order I feel.. something we can equally battle in, nto something that only other one has big benefit winning in.. what do you say, suggest the sports.. ?

[Footie Mad]

I was once in the european parliament in Strasbourg on some sort of international youth project. When we were divided into smaller groups I ended up with a very hot finnish girl, and also her english was excellent and she had the ability to lead the group with her well spoken and busty mannerisms! Thumbs up for Finland.

[Asher]

Finnish hockey players.

[Pekka]

Footie, oh come on that's rich..

Anyway, I don't see the huge problem, except that maybe that info could be updated a bit, like I said before, we aren't poorly educated. We are getting overeducated at the moment.

So.. that bit could be changed. Drug abusing, violently dying drunk idiots. I don't see how this is contradicting the truth.

We need to see the whole context, everything, before making any judgement calls.

[Footie Mad]

Well the fairest would be to see the overall count of medals and then make some calculation based on the population and see who turns out best.

[Pekka]

Footie, no that's not fair for you. We have medal chances in alpine, both men and women side, the ... what do they call it in english, the 'bouncy hills' where they ski and do the two jumps, we have multiple medal opportunity in that...

ski jumping, the one where they ski jump and then go skiing, we should get medal from that, snowboarding and half pipe should give us one at least.. basically, cross country skiing is where we can't win, and hockey is also a bit weaker comparing to others right now, except womens hockey should give us the bronze, men you never know but it's not likely.

[Pekka]

I think we should forget other sports and concentrate on the most important, hockey

It's not like ski jumping means anything, or cross country skiing. Who cares who wins them...

And our teams should meet at some point so.. I know it's going to be one of those heart attack games! I just hope if Tre Kronor should win it, Mats Sundin stayed on the bench and had nothing to do with it

[Asher]

If Finland and Sweden play, Finland will win based on their goalies alone.

Swedish people are pussies.

[Pekka]

I don't know.. I know it'll be a battle for sure! The good thing is Tre Kronor will be on fire then. It's like Canada vs USA so everyone is fired up.

We have the goalie advantage, and I feel we can line up better defense, but we have less effective scorers than Sweden.. they got few deadly fellows like Forsberg and Alfredsson.. We definitely have better scoring than in World Cup, but it's not up to par yet. It all depends, if it starts out good, I think we can challenge everyone for a good game, if forwards pick it up..

We can line two good offensive lines basically.. We have center problem, Koivu should be the Captain and first line center but then there's maybe Olli Jokinen for second, and I was hoping for Tuomo Ruutu for third but it seems like he will be forever injured so ..... that's why we can't get 3 strong offensive lines, too bad. And that's not enough today so.. and a winger problem too, I mean there are some OK wingers but we'll see.. I REALLY like Sami Kapanen (flyers), I like Jere Lehtinen (Stars) and Jussi Jokinen (Stars), Selänne is playing good this season and has found a new life etc. but not the caliber of wingers we truly need.

We were also hoping for Lehtonen to get back from the injured list, because he can challenge Kipper.. but.. so.. I think the thread for that will be closer to the games . Going to be a great tourney though!

[Footie Mad]

I know hockey is a really big deal for you finns, it's a big sport here to but it's bigger the further north you go and I live furthest south. But of course it's always a derby feeling when Finland and Sweden meet. Also I think you're underestimating Sweden a little bit in the winter sports. We used to be very poor but have gotten better in the later years.

We have that alpine skier Anja Pärson and we have a few cross country skiers that are on the rise. And don't forget, the king of all sports, curling!!!

Also those new wawe hippie sports like crazy ski spectacular jump singing or whatever it is i'm sure we have some people in that.

In hockey, maybe we'll lose to Belarus again.....