THE X-FILES
ON THIS PAGE
“SWEDISHNESS”
WHAT IS A SWEDE?
ETIQUETTE
TRADITIONS
CULTURE SHOCK
A FINAL WORD
“SWEDISHNESS”
In Search of Swedish Nature
This is a list
of topics which talks about Swedish stereotypes and also ways of dealing
with and understanding how Swedes are. (E)
Absolutely Swedish is an essay
from the Smorgasbord
site outlining the national character of Swedes (as seen by themselves, I might
add!) (E)
Lagom – The
Very Unofficial Guide to the Swedes is a book
written by Christer Amnéus
who says that it is “the book anyone interested in Sweden
simply needs”. You can read excerpts from the book
on-line, check out the images and order the book on-line. At 125SEK it is well
worth buying. It’s interesting to read insights into Sweden by a native Swede.
The style is wry and chatty. (E)
The Xenophobe's Guide to the Swedes is a book by Peter Berlin that comes highly recommended. He claims
it is “a guide to understanding the Swedes that takes the chill out of their
cool exterior and reveals the warmth of their inner selves”. You can read
reviews here
Modern-day Vikings: A Practical Guide to Interacting with
the Swedes by Christina Johansson Robinowitz and
Lisa Werner Carr is another book worth visiting before you visit the country.
Read some reviews here(E)
WHAT IS A
SWEDE?
Believe me when I say that the following joke will NOT be laughed at in Sweden!
Q: “What do vegetarian cannibals eat?”
A: “Swedes”
Most Swedes were astounded that I thought a
swede was a
vegetable. Well, not really, but the word for that vegetable in Swedish is kålrot. As them to look it up in the Swedish-English
dictionary and see the look on their face!
So what is a Swede?
The Typical Swede This
particular essay has
been doing the rounds on various internet sites. As usual with these
generalisations there is a basis for them, but you judge for yourself just how
accurate you think it is. (E)
Sweden and
the Swedes This from Sweden.se – The official gateway to Sweden
outlines the nature of Swedes. It is a mix of serious and lighthearted
(E)
Colin Moon is a Pom who has been living in Sweden for a few years and
studying the natives very carefully! You’ll find him on the Sweden
home page with great, humourous pieces like How to survive
Sweden in the summer and The Swedes
Revealed. He writes “Colin’s Corner” - a
regular series of articles on the Internet about things Swedish from a foreign
perspective that are well worth reading. In addition, he also runs a
communication company, Colin
Moon and if you check the website under “Publications”, you can order his
two excellent books about Swedes. They are hilarious – essential reading for
anyone contemplating moving to Sweden.
The titles are “Sweden - The Secret Files” and “Sweden - More Secret
Files” (E)
ETIQUETTE
This deals with Swedish customs in everyday
situations.
The Global Etiquette Guide
about Sweden
offers some brief notes on behaviour in Sweden.
It’s written for the job seeker, but has some good general observations (E)
Swedish Etiquette for Beginners
is a lighthearted look at a few Swedish rules about standing in line
and liquor rules.
It was written as part of a film festival and not meant to be serious. (E)
TRADITIONS
An important part of Swedish culture is
naturally based on their traditions. The extreme variety in the geography of
the country has meant that customs and traditions differ from place to place in
Sweden.
Swedish holidays and traditions
Elisabeth’s very pretty website is in
Swedish and it outlines all of the traditional holidays in Sweden – Advent,
Lucia, Christmas, New Year, Easter (and the all important semlor!),
Midsummer etc Another very pretty and informative website is the Welcome to
Sweden. There is some information in English here (S) (E)
Swedish Traditions This is in
English and it outlines
tradition in Sweden and the way it is incorporated into life here. There
are descriptions of major events throughout the year. Very
informative. (E)
Major Holidays There seem to be a plethora of holidays in Sweden.
The Expat website outlines the dates and names of these
many holidays, as well as a small description of what the holiday is for. (E)
Calendar of Swedish Traditions
This is a very colourful, visual
page that outlines the holidays and traditions month by month. (E)
The Traditions of Sweden is
another colourful site that outlines Sweden
throughout the year, taking a season at a time. They are more general summaries,
but still a pretty site (E).
Swedish Holidays,
Traditions and Customs This sheet from the
Gothenburg branch of AWC
has explanations of these days and some information about shop openings etc.
(E)
CULTURE
SHOCK
People's negativity
can often be placed in context when you think about which stage of culture
shock they might be in. It's also very useful to know
that the negativity and homesickness you feel is also only temporary.
Culture shock sounds like something you get when you go to Sibera
or Kashmir or somewhere, but you can just as easily get it when going to to Sweden, the UK and the USA or Canada - they are after all, different cultures.
There are four stages of culture shock: Honeymoon period, Rejection, Regression
and Isolation, and Acceptance. Everyone goes through them to different degrees
and at different speeds.
Phase 1:
Honeymoon Period
While preparing to relocate and during the first days
or weeks in the new country, a person will experience a Honeymoon Period during
which he or she will feel extreme joy and enthusiasm. Responding to the new
environment with fascination, an individual will enjoy the differences in
fashion, food, social customs, etc. This period is exhilarating, full of
observation and discoveries, lasting a few days to a few weeks. Like most
honeymoons, however, this stage eventually ends.
Phase 2:
Rejection
The next phase of culture shock is referred to as the
period of Rejection. This stage is marked by criticism, resentment, and anger.
When an individual sets out to study, live or work in a new country, he or she
will invariably experience difficulties with language, housing, friends,
schoolwork, and understanding the idiosyncrasies of the local culture, often
resulting in frustration. The Rejection period can be triggered by the
realisation that, as an outsider in a new culture, language or
misunderstandings of cultural cues can often make the simplest task seem like a
daunting challenge. Furthermore, because the high expectations set during the
Honeymoon Period appear much farther out of reach, the individual feels
disillusioned.
Phase 3:
Regression & Isolation
The extreme letdown experienced during the Rejection
Period prompts the individual to become critical of his new environment--of the
people, their culture, and of all the perceived differences with the culture at
home. This letdown often propels an individual into the stage of Regression
& Isolation. In this stage, the culture from which the individual has come
is idealised. For example, an Australian student studying in Sweden
for a semester may indiscriminately view his Australian university, past
experiences or friendships as superior, regardless of any problems inherent to
those relationships. The student risks further isolation from the new
environment. Symptoms exhibited during this period include anxiety, sadness,
homesickness, and anger. These feelings manifest themselves in changes in
behaviour: inappropriate anger over slight delays and minor frustrations,
changes in sleep patterns, compulsive eating and/or drinking, irritability,
poor concentration, and unexplainable crying. The stage of Rejection and
Regression is variable in length but can last up to 6-8 months.
Phase 4:
Adjustment & Adaptation
Gradually the crisis of regression and isolation is resolved allowing the
individual to begin recovery in the Adjustment & Adaptation stages. To
resolve these feelings, the individual has to employ particular skills and
resources essential for adjustment. Involving oneself in local activities,
joining a sporting club etc or simply getting to know fellow countrymen in your
area (essentially to get together to have a good whinge) can be of great
benefit.
A FINAL WORD
After a few years here, it’s my observation
that an Aussie will have either a good or bad experience in Sweden based on
several factors:
1)
Expectations - If the person is expecting Sweden to be the same as
Australia, they are much more likely to have adjustment problems. Australia and
Sweden have different cultures so there are going to be differences. Neither is
right or wrong or better than the other – just different.
2) Standard of
Living Reference - Australians typically measure standard of living
by measuring material wealth and comforts. Swedish natives typically measure
standard of living by measuring time with their family, outdoor experiences,
and time to do things either alone or with their families. This
"point-of-reference or perspective" is typically culture based and
can cause conflicts when there is a change.
3) Social
Interaction - Australian and Swedish natives form social
interactions differently as a result of differences between the two cultures.
As a general rule, Australians form friendships faster - but at the same time
these friendships tend to be more transitory. Swedes form friendships much more
slowly, with many of their friendships formed in childhood - these friendships
tend to be "friends for life" relationships.
In General
Australians that enjoy living in Sweden tend to be those who have realistic
expectations, have prepared for the differences between the cultures and values
of Australia and Sweden, and that keep themselves open to change.
It is very important to recognise that leaving one's native country and moving
to a new country - especially one that is culturally different, is always going
to have difficult issues that need to be overcome. Most people that emigrate to Sweden
will base their "happiness in Sweden"
on their financial situation, support circle, and the ability to get a job or
be socially active. A weakness in any of these three areas can have a drastic
impact on how a person feels about moving and residing in Sweden.
Attitude
will also have a major impact... the first few months will be exciting with
many new people to meet and things to do, the next 3 to 6 months (and
especially the first Swedish winter) are trying for most people - especially
for those that are not either working or socially active. The more alone a
person is, the harder this phase of the adjustment process is (having family,
children, or other people around to interact with is important).
The biggest problems that
many people run into is that they:
1) Do not do enough research on what
relocating to an unfamiliar environment is going to be like.
2) They overestimate how fast and easy it
will be to fit in.
You must be realistic on what the overall
experience is going to be like and how hard the transition will be or you will
more than likely end up very unhappy. Pie-in-the-sky dreams are no substitution
for reality... careful planning, realistic expectations (formed by careful
research), and having a job or other social activities planned out, and making
sure that you are prepared financially (and have realistic "wealth"
and "standard of living" expectations) will tend to make the
transition much easier.
WELCOME TO SWEDEN!
