Having a top-class mindset? Post-feminism and the co-construction of class and mindset among young Finnish women

Abstract

Young white women are presented as winners in neoliberal governmental discourses, but despite the assumption that they are in a privileged position, not all young women reach the top. This paradox, elaborated here from different angles in research inspired by post-feminism and neoliberalism, calls for a focus on class-based differences among young women and their mindsets. Drawing on semistructured interviews with Finnish women aged 18-28, this article contributes empirically to theoretical debates on the psychic lives of young women who are making educational choices and entering the labour market. The article shows how, even in egalitarian Finland, class still adds to the gender harms done to young women, contributing to their feelings of mistrust and hopelessness. The article also suggests that a privileged background makes it possible to consider atypical choices, such as individual, well-managed time out that prepares young women to make achievements in the future.

Labour Market Demands, Employability and Authenticity

“…It seems it is easier to think about adopting the right attitude than it is to consider changing one's appearance to please others. Having a sort of affective makeover-taking one affect, such as positivity or happiness, as a guide to life and employability-was taken seriously, mainly by young women studying or educated in universities who can be interpreted as representatives of the middle class (Nikunen and Korvajärvi 2020;also Gill 2017;Ikonen 2020).…”

“…Even self-realisation through work is understood differently by young people with working-class backgrounds than it is by those from the middle class. In the formulation that is seen as more typical for the middle class, passionate investments lead to personal growth-in line with official demandswhile for the working-class self-realisation means recognisable achievements and upward social mobility (Farrugia 2019a(Farrugia , p. 1087; see also Simola 2021;Ikonen 2020). For youth that identify with the working class, authenticity can mean being true to one's background (Reay 2002) and not being pretentious (Skeggs 2011).…”

“…Young adults' class positions are fluid, so for the sake of this analysis, I used mainly educational-level positions, interpreting 'middle class' as referring to those in higher education (including polytechnics) or in employment with higher education qualifications. However, for the sake of more detailed class analysis, it is possible to divide interviewees into middle class and working class according to their family background, their current position in education or working life, and cultural capacities, such as hobbies (Ikonen 2020).…”

“…However, there are also policies directed at governing youth, such as activation policies, including employability coaching, backed by financial deterrents, and recently introduced time limits of state support for the student allowance (e.g. Vanttaja 2012;Adkins and Ylöstalo and Adkins 2020;Ikonen 2020).…”

Moral Orders of Mobility: Youth Aspirations and ‘Doing’ Social Position in Finland

“…The 23-year-old woman quoted above has two different vocational qualifications and another in restaurant work, but only recently got her first part-time job in a bar. It is typical for our working-class participants to have a fatalistic attitude towards the future: instead of aspirationally aiming for something, 'one cannot know' the future (also Ikonen, 2019). This woman does have a plan to move abroad, but what she will do there is just 'something', and the job could be 'anything'.…”