Mundane constructs of the third and public sectors in the Finnish welfare state

Abstract This study analyses everyday value constructs pertaining to the Finnish gambling profit-based state grant system – an institution that channels proceeds from the state gambling monopoly to the third sector. Recently, various experts have questioned the system because of its connections to gambling. Using the concept of mundane reasoning, the article maps out everyday understandings of the system. The study analyses three datasets that represent different mundane arenas: focus group interviews with Finnish citizens, interviews with welfare-promoting third-sector organizations, and articles from the Finnish daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. The results show that mundane ideas strengthen the role of the public sector as a primary service provider and the third sector in adding value to it. The article concludes that the gambling profit-based grant system represents both universalism and particularism in mundane reasoning. The arguments provided are important in view of the current discussions about the roles of the third and public sectors in the Nordic welfare state.