HOW A SONG ABOUT A SAUNA CAN STIR EMOTIONS AND DEBATE

ACADEMIC MENTOR: JOHN GRÖNVALL, Arcada University of Applied Sciences

STUDENT 1: FREJ VUORI is a graduate in Online Media from Arcada University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki, Finland. With 15+ years of experience in digital media, production, and cultural communications, his work focuses on culture, identity, and public discourse. He is active in youth projects, non-profit organizing, and media strategy, often bridging creative expression with social commentary on identity, cultural symbolism, and minority representation in Nordic contexts. 

Report.pdf to found here

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: 

This study analyses how emotions, values and identity are expressed in the public’s emotional responses when cultural traditions are used within branding. The research is conducted as a case study focusing on audience reactions in the comments section of Aftonbladet’s Facebook page under posts related to the Swedish speaking Finnish band’s KAJ’s song about sauna, Bara Bada Bastu. Swedish speaking Finns represent a national and linguistic minority whose presence is often overlooked in Swedish public discourse. This project specifically highlights how cultural expressions tied to a minority group can provoke emotional engagement, identity negotiation, and even public debate. The study examines this by how cultural symbols or traditions can awake emotions, debates and cultural interpretations in audience comments. Using Robert Entman’s framing theory the analysis explores how emotions and cultural identity are expressed, reinforced, or challenged through the audience’s interpretations.

The study explores how audiences respond to minority representation in mainstream cultural events through a qualitative thematic analysis. It highlights the importance of cultural traditions and symbols such as language, dialect and traditions within branding, showing how they provoke strong responses from audiences. These symbols become central themes in discussions and debates around identity, representation and cultural belonging. It identified four dominant framings: cultural pride and anchoring, tradition and heritage, humor as cultural power, and identity threat or conflict. This thesis contributes to improving the understanding of minority experiences in media by showing how cultural symbols, such as language, dialect, and traditional rituals, can both affirm and challenge perceptions of belonging. It demonstrates how minority identities become visible and contested in digital media, emphasizing the importance of inclusive narratives.