Pornography in the Finnish context

Résumé du document

Since 1970s, some changes have been made in the Swedish and Finnish pornography market. The consumption of pornography has increased in terms of supply, variability, and accessibility. Pornography and pornographic material for a variety of tastes can be obtained in convenience stores, (sex) shops, via mail order, cable TV, videos, and on the Internet. Sexual culture of the Nordic countries is different from the majority of other Western industrialized countries, including the U.S. The social acceptance of adolescent and female sexuality is more significative in the Nordic countries than in most other Western cultures. Another central feature of Nordic sexual culture is fewer restrictions against nudity, but more restrictions warning the touching of the body.

Extraits

[...] There is no doubt that pornography is very harmful for the women. Dehumanization of women occurs due to the pornographic female images are not regarded as persons with feelings, opinions, or needs of their own. This is what defines the women as commodities: they exist solely for the purpose of their consumers. The climate is sexual, but the setting is the marketplace. In the hardcore porn, women are not only presented as experiencing sexual pleasure in being raped, but they are tied up, cut, mutilated, bruised, tortured physically, and portrayed as enjoying the pain. [...]

[...] And in my opinion, this system can be a danger for the fight against the pornography. To conclude, it is clear that the discourse of pornography differs from country to another according to their historical context and legislation. The danger of the pornography is increasing through the common usage of the Internet in Finland and it seems to be crucial to control it by a performed legislation. I did not mention the child pornography at all but we have to keep in mind that the child pornography is more increasing nowadays. [...]

[...] We can compare the Finnish situation with the Swedish's one. Sweden has a generally affirmation attitute towards sex and at the same time, it has some of the harshest laws in Europe. It appears to be a paradox because the reputation of Sweden as a sexually liberated wonderland may have an influence on the growth of the pornography. Pornography is the subject to regulations as how it may be displayed in public but at the same time, due to its affirmation attitude towards sex, the porn films appeared during the 1950's. [...]

[...] As to the Internet, it is difficult to provide any exact numbers because of the extent and changeability of Internet. Most pornographic websites are located abroad. It is estimated that there are about 30 subscription pages presenting some pornography in Finland, the total turnover of amount probably up to several millions of euros. It is quite clear that as technological development enables sending and receiving a good quality, full-length videos, the number of porn-related Internet websites will increase rapidly. Several Finnish ministries set up the working groups with on the deliberating of the Internet legislation. [...]

[...] Internet porno is a big business. Finally, I would like to point to the paradox of the Finnish legislation on pornography because it surprised me a bit. In fact, there is the freedom of speech in Finland, which is restricted within the pornographic and erotic products by the Finnish law which determines what may be published and distributed. All the foreign and Finnish publishers are informed about the prohibition on the products including the raw violence, child pornography, or interfering with some animals. [...]