Entrepreneurship as Social Status: Turkish Immigrants’ Experiences of Self-Employment in Finland

Abstract

The article discusses the experiences of self-employment among immigrants from Turkey living in Finland. The im-migrants are mainly active in the restaurant and fast food sector in Finland, primarily in small kebap and pizza businesses. The article argues that both economic and social as-pects explain the experiences of self-employment. Despite economic hardship, the freedom and social status connected to entrepreneurship is highly valued. Self-employment pro-vides a positive self-understanding and a good social status, which the immigrants from Turkey find it difficult to achieve by any other means in Finnish society.