Choices and omissions of knowledge and social impact in Finnish committee reports on Sámi policies

Abstract

In Finland, the involvement of scholars in politics has been particularly strong: scholars and professors have occupied positions in high politics, produced research that was meant as a direct comment on topical political debates, and been active in civil society (Häggman, 2012). In addition to advising high politics and acting in civil society, the Finnish committee institution, a third emerging venue for social engagement from the late nineteenth century onwards, has provided yet another potential channel for scholars to act as state experts (Karlsson, 2000), and to gain a voice in state politics. The committee institution has its origins in the need for scholarly, objective knowledge in the service of the development of society. The committee institution was established in Finland as part of a corporatist mode of governance, defined here as an institutionalized mode of cooperation and negotiation between the state and different interest organizations: a regulated mode of interest-group representation within the governmental system (Borg, 1990; Helander, 1984; Ulvevadet, 2015). One of the aims of corporatism is to provide, but not guarantee, a voice for interest organizations in state governance, and thereby maintain harmony and avoid conflict in society (Raitio, 2008; Ulvevadet 2015).