Paper short abstract:

In the current globalized world ecological sustainability demands cultural changes everywhere. These changes can be in balance or in tension with the identification to different localities. Can we in these conditions find ecologically sustainable future of archipelago culture in Southwest Finland?

Paper long abstract:

Culture and identities are in constant motion. Moreover, a very prevalent element in identification to the Southwest Finland archipelago is the will of the archipelago people to define cultural changes themselves within the shores of the islands. Nature and the sea are the only acceptable and strong definers of human actions and identities. The core of cultural sustainability is, according to this, the equal possibility of people to participate in the definition of changes in their own culture.

Culture contains always both traits which can be seen to be in balance with nature and traits which can be seen to be in tension with it. It is a question of a balance between economic activities, technological possibilities, and the amount of people in a certain ecological environment with local and global contacts. Overuse of ecological resources is always possible, even people think they live in balance with the nature, like in the archipelago. Especially in the current world with glocal human interaction, ecological sustainability demands some specific cultural changes even in the archipelago. These changes can be in balance or in tension with the identities of archipelago people. Can we in these conditions find ecologically sustainable future with archipelago culture?