Distances and sense of belonging: Older people in Finnish Lapland and digital communication technologies

The chapter examines the meaning that place and sense of belonging have for ageing people in Finnish Lapland. This consideration is analyzed in the context of a changing elderly care politics that emphasizes digitalization as a way to shorten geographical and social distances using a range of technological and digital communication services. The research questions are: What is the significance of place and sense of belonging for older people as assessed by themselves and their relatives; and what is the significance of digitalization as causing or increasing distances for older people? The data were collected through interviews of older people living in the Finnish North and their relatives. The results suggest that a personal feeling of being at home in a place arose from a holistic relationship to the cultural-material surroundings, from being a member of an Indigenous people and from close relationships among family members, friends and others in one's neighborhood. The respondents’ views of digitalization as a means to strengthen a sense of belonging varied depending on their cognitive skills and working life background. Some older people relied on traditional technology, some made good use of new technological opportunities, and some reported negative experiences of the technology.