Tuomas Räsänen (Professor, University of Eastern Finland) will present a talk: ‘Arachnophobia Finnish Style’ connected to the forthcoming book he is co-editing: "Human-Bug Encounters in Multispecies Networks" (Brill) followed by a discussion.
In the 2000s, tick hysteria took over Finland. Every spring, newspapers and social media filled with warnings about the start of the tick season and the health risks the creatures pose. Ticks have probably lived in northern Europe for thousands of years, but in the past people regarded them as disgusting but relatively harmless blood suckers. The standard explanation for the present-day tick hysteria is that it was not until the late 20th century that science explained the link between ticks and the diseases they spread, most common of which in Finland are borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis. On the other hand, the number of ticks has increased as a result of environmental changes. However, these are only partial explanations. I argue that tick hysteria is also a consequence of individualized conceptions of disease in our culture. Furthermore, the tick creates a conceptual contradiction for modern humans. For the urban dwellers, nature and recreational areas have become a source of health and well-being. Yet, ticks make these very areas places of risk. As a result, ticks are nowadays commonly identified as Finland's most hated and dangerous animals, and many people have begun to avoid going out into uncontrolled nature during the warmer seasons.