ABSTRACT
This chapter examines different articulations of Finnish exceptionalism in the imaginations of encounters between Finns and Africans. Finnish exceptionalism does not refer to the idea that the phenomena described exist solely in Finland, but rather to the fact that the context of my studies is Finnish society. Talking about Finnish exceptionalism does not mean that the ideas and national self-images, and the act of employing them as strategies for particular purposes, are exclusively Finnish. In the Finnish language there are two versions of the N-word: neekeri and nekru. However, a longitudinal analysis of the commonness of the word, especially in media texts, and an analyses of the contexts in which the word has appeared, also revealed changes in Finnish society and culture. Finnish exceptionalism, the moral superiority that has enabled us to judge others and keep ourselves free of any ethical and moral judgements, is employed to keep control.
