Table 1
Items of the MIS with their response frequencies, means, and standard deviations.
| N | M | SD | Strongly disagree (1) (%) | Strongly agree (5) % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Finns should accept that Finnish society consists of different ethnic groups* | 334 | 3.96 | 1.09 | 4.2 | 35.8 |
| 2. | Ethnic minorities should be helped in preserving their cultural heritage in Finland* | 332 | 3.32 | 1.23 | 9.6 | 17.1 |
| 3. | It is best for Finland if all people forget their different ethnic and cultural backgrounds as soon as possible* | 334 | 2.18 | 1.10 | 33.4 | 3.3 |
| 4. | A society that has different ethnic and cultural groups can tackle new problems as they occur* | 333 | 3.03 | 1.14 | 12.3 | 8.4 |
| 5. | The unity of Finland is weakened by people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds sticking to their old ways* | 334 | 3.04 | 1.21 | 10.7 | 12.8 |
| 6. | If people of different ethnic and cultural origins want to keep their own culture, they should keep it to themselves | 334 | 2.62 | 1.22 | 19.8 | 9.0 |
| 7. | A society that has a variety of ethnic or cultural groups has more problems with national unity than societies with one or two basic cultural groups | 333 | 3.31 | 1.17 | 8.7 | 16.2 |
| 8. | Finns should do more to learn about the customs and heritage of different ethnic and cultural groups in this country* | 334 | 3.31 | 1.17 | 10.4 | 13.4 |
| 9. | Immigrant parents must encourage their children to retain the culture and traditions of their homeland* | 334 | 3.38 | 1.12 | 7.2 | 14.6 |
| 10. | People who come to Finland should change their behaviour to be more like the Finns | 334 | 3.4 | 1.16 | 6.9 | 16.2 |
[i] * Items used in the focus group discussions.