CultureShock! Sweden

Rosen Svenson Charlotte

Description

CultureShock! Sweden contains all the essential tips and advice you will need to establish your niche in a country that is home to some of the last remaining wildernesses in the world. Discover how the ideas of lagom (just enough) and trygghet (security) contribute to the making of the Swedish character and why a Swede is reserved, quiet and fastidious about punctuality. In addition, find out more about the Swedish art of toasting and why leisure time is valued. Packed full of information for day-to-day living, at home and in the office, this guide will help you to find your unique place in the country of the Dala horse and Gamla Stan. CultureShock! Sweden is the definitive guide that will help you fit into the country and before long, you will be throwing your very own surstroemming and crayfish parties.

Sujets

• Sweden
• Suède

Informations

• Publié par: MarshallCavendishM
• Date de parution: 19 août 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789814435901
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

This 5th edition published in 2009, reprinted 2012 by:
Marshall Cavendish Corporation
99 White Plains Road
Tarrytown NY 10591-9001
www.marshallcavendish.us
First published in 1996 by Times Editions Pte Ltd, reprinted 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999; 2nd edition published in 2000, reprinted 2000; 3rd edition published in 2003, reprinted 2003; 4th edition published in 2006.
2009 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to the Publisher, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited, 1 New Industrial Road, Singapore 536196. Tel: [phone], fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail]
The publisher makes no representation or warranties with respect to the contents of this book, and specifically disclaims any implied warranties or merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose, and shall in no events be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.
Other Marshall Cavendish Offices:
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Marshall Cavendish is a trademark of Times Publishing Limited
eISBN: 978 981 4435 90 1
Please contact the publisher for the Library of Congress catalogue number
Printed in Singapore by Times Printers Pte Ltd
Photo Credits:
All black and white photos from the author except pages 26, 64-65 (alt.TYPE/REUTERS); pages ix, 3, 4, 33, 37, 39, 54-55, 70, 94, 104-105, 109, 110, 111, 113, 115, 116, 118, 120, 127, 131, 134, 149, 160-161, 167, 170, 171, 175, 177, 188, 195, 203, 215, 221, 233, 234, 251, 252, 255 (Photolibrary). All colour images from Photolibrary except b-c (Getty Images). Cover photo: Photolibrary
All illustrations by TRIGG
ABOUT THE SERIES
Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from one s comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.
Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and covers a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.
Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the people-where they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book.
Then on with the practical aspects-how to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through topics such as how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But that s not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.
To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Acknowledgements
Dedication
Map of Sweden
Chapter 1
First Impressions

Chapter 2
Introducing Sweden
The Regions of Sweden
Climate
Bodies of Water
From Vikings to the Swedish Model
Modern Times
The Political System
Sweden Today
Religion
Love of Nature
Flying the Flag
Environmental Protection
Chapter 3
The Swedish People
Swedish Characteristics
Separation of Age Groups
Important Swedish Concepts
The Class System
The Royal Family
Men and Women
Family Relations
The Sami
The New Swedes
Chapter 4
Socialising with the Locals
Making Friends with the Swedes
Alternative Lifestyles
The Invitation Home
Weddings
Chapter 5
Settling In
Before You Move
Personal Number (Personnummer)
Citizenship
What to Bring With You
Pets
Finding a Place To Live
Household Furnishings
Banks and Money
Health Care
Education
Communication
Getting Around
Consumer Information
Clothing
Crime and the Police
Combating Culture Shock in Sweden
Chapter 6
Swedish Food
Sm rg sbord
Everyday Fare
Fishing, Hunting and Picking
Coffee and Tea
Eating Out
Food Shopping
Alcoholism
Social Drinking
Chapter 7
Sverige r Fantastiskt!
The Outdoors Life
Other Sports
Not Just Sports
Self Improvement and Adult Education
The Arts in Sweden
A Little Travel
A Year in Sweden
Chapter 8
Swinglish or Svengelska?
Do You Speak English?
Learning Swedish
Language Courses
The Swedish Language
Body Language
Swedish Grammar
Learning Difficulties
Useful Phrases
Courtesies
Greetings
Telephone Swedish
Days, Dates, Time and Numbers
Useful Abbreviations
English in Sweden
Accommodating Foreign Languages
Radio and Television
Immigrant Groups
Chapter 9
Business in Sweden
Economy and Industry
Working Conditions
Working Hours and Leisure Time
Swedes and Work
Swedes at Work
Finding Work as an Immigrant
Starting Your Own Business
Volunteer Work
Chapter 10
Sweden at a Glance
Famous People
Culture Quiz
Do s and Don ts
Glossary
Resource Guide
Further Reading
About the Author
Index
INTRODUCTION
A book about Sweden-it ought to be easy to categorise the ups and downs of Swedish living, culture, language and people. After all, it is a very small country with only 9 million people, and is one of the most homogeneous populations in the world. Swedes are tall, blonde and blue-eyed, and their country is very cold and snowy, with polar bears and reindeer. Everyone skis and plays ice hockey, and is a pacifist, not liking confrontation. Of course it is one of the sexiest nations on earth, as everyone knows from tales of Swedish models and au pairs, and morals are a little looser. Other facts about Sweden that everyone knows are how expensive everything is there, how left-wing Swedish politics are, that Sweden welcomes political refugees and contributes greatly to international aid, that Swedish food is bland and boring and that Swedish culture is a mix of depressing, deep hidden meaning type films la Bergman and light bouncy pop music like Abba s and The Cardigans .

But the reality, as always, is different. Describing and learning about Sweden is much more complicated than the image of blondes from a cold country would imply! In this book, you will find lots of information on the myths and realities of Swedish people, politics, geography, culture and everyday living. I hope that it will be helpful to anyone planning to move to or travel within Sweden, or to anyone who just needs to know more about the country.
You will learn about the dark-haired, dark-eyed Swedes, the indigenous Sami people and the many immigrants who have settled in Sweden. You will read about the long sunny beaches in the south, the rocky coastline on the west coast and the great forests and long winters in the country s north. No, there are no polar bears anywhere in Sweden, but the wildlife is varied and there are still large areas of unspoiled habitat and wilderness in Sweden, unlike most of the rest of Europe.
Not everyone skis; football is very popular and Sweden has qualified for most World Football Championships. Swedes surf, golf, swim, run and, of course, play tennis. In fact they enjoy the same sports as most other Western nations and excel in many of them. It is true that Swedes are proud of their neutral status and most avoid confrontation. However, they are also proud of their bloodthirsty warrior history and of the Viking times, and volunteer for United Nations armed forces around the world. Many Swedes are sexy. Many Swedes are not. Some have looser morals and some very strict, although it is true that certain behaviour considered immoral in other countries-such as living together without being married and divorce-is acceptable in Sweden.
And so on. There is much which is homogenous in Sweden compared with, for example, the United States, but there is still a wealth of diversity which is what makes Sweden such a fascinating place to visit and a very pleasant place to live.
WHAT MAKES SWEDEN SWEDISH?
The answer is, naturally, everything about it. This book will take you through the areas beginning with the geography of the country. It s difficult to really understand a country without knowing more about its background and politics, so you will find out about Swedish history and politics, especially its famed Middle Way , between capitalism and communism which, for years, was considered to have struck the balance. We will also look at the issues which have emerged in recent times with the Swedish way.
The Swedes