You are viewing a single comment's thread from:
RE: Cultural Differences Between The Nordic Countries
Awesome summary of the Nordic countries similarities and differences. I think I agree with pretty much everything you say. Since I have been living abroad during most of my grown up life I haven’t had so much dealings with my neighbors. But from the meeting I have had I also agree that Swedish and Finish people have quite a lot of similarities, and a similar attitude and mind set
By the way, I just remembered another difference between Finland and Norway. In Finland, it's ok for mothers (or fathers) to stay home with a small child. In fact, the government pays up to about 350 euros per month for not putting your child to government sponsored daycare until the child is three years old. According to my friend who lived in Norway, not having your kids in daycare was frowned upon.
That’s interesting. I guess it also comes down to different economical and social systems that creates some differences
I think the daycare thing is just perhaps about the culture being somewhat more collectivistic. My friend and his wife took away their older child from daycare when their younger child was born. After living in Norway for nearly six years, they started feeling that they were supposed to adapt to the local customs. They left as a result. They did not live in a big city but in a rural area.
In Finland, the Centre Party that represents rural and small town middle class is bigger than in the other Nordic countries. Their values are more traditional than those of the urban parties. They have always been for kids being at home instead of daycare.
Your experience gives you a good perspective to look at the similarities, too.