2026/01/02 by Sakari Saaritsa · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes #Historical Gender and Feminism Studies #European history and politics
paper · doi:10.1080/1081602x.2026.2618742
This article analyses the impact of the political, economic, social and epidemiological crises experienced by Finland in 1917–1919 on the population with high-frequency time series data on births. Previous research has identified environmental factors associated with significant deviations of sex ratios at birth (SRB) from the established reference value of c. 105–106 boys per 100 girls. These include material and psychological stressors as well as factors affecting the primary sex ratio via increased coital frequency. The SRB therefore has the potential to capture both positive and negative responses of a population to historical events. During the years under study, Finland experienced two revolutions and considerable social upheaval, a food crisis, a civil war followed by violent repression and a bourgeoisie restitution, and a pandemic. Using monthly birth data from 1878 to 1938, this study shows significant traces of responses to the events in 1917–1919 in reproductive statistics. In addition to the predictable fall in SRB during the worst months of the civil war, there are indications of popular jubilation via an elevated SRB particularly following the March 1917 revolution in the Russian Empire, rather than, for example, national independence later in the year. The bulk release of large numbers of prisoners following the conflict also resulted in an elevated SRB with a nine-month lag. The article demonstrates how reproductive statistics can be used to study the embodied experiences and public sentiment surrounding major events.