Sweden

Question

Just for fun - could you please help me test a theory I have? I think that the way people think about Sweden and the Swedish people have changed over the last years - now I want to see if I'm correct. So my question is:

If you would tell somebody what you know about Sweden and the Swedish people what would you say?

Thanks!!!

Nona the brit · Accepted Answer

Doesn't it have the highest suicide rate in Europe?

I think of tall blonde people, wearing wooly hats and gloves, and eating herring. Sorry I know that is such a stereotype but I've never met someone from Sweden so that is all I have to go on....

The country? Excellent social welfare, good education, lots of *** education and low teenage pregnancy rate, quite liberal.

Elena · Answer

Anna AIf you would tell somebody what you know about Sweden and the Swedish people what would you say?

Hi Anna,

In general terms I would comment the high level of education, the foreing languages learning skills, the high level social assistance, accompanied by the high taxes cost of course, the low rate of politicians corruption, maybe almost inexistent, I am not sure. A Suede doesn't like to be praised, doesn't like boasting, never greets with kisses or hugs, maybe shaking hands as maximum. There is no female unemployement, the domestic tasks and children education is shared 50% by the parents.

The beautiful nature, forest, lakes, the north regions, the cold weather, the quite big size of the country, a relative mix of cultures due to the immigration, the soft sound of the Swedish language with more than one stress in one word...

Lusia · Answer

Ikea!

I see eye to eye with Nona and Elena. V.withdrawn people and v. blond.

greetings

Lusia · Answer

ohh, and a suicide rate - it's high in the countries that don't get much of the sunlight.... <img class='emoticon' style='Width:19px;Height:19px;' data-delaysrc='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/6.gif' src='https://uat-englishforward-forums-backend.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Emoticons/6.gif' alt='Emotion: sad'/>

Anonymous · Answer

hej is anyone swede here?

Ville_maddengurl · Answer

hej

is anyone swede in here?

Anna A · Answer

Interesting! I think I was quite right that the idea of and Swedes are starting to change…..

About the suicide rate I've never seen any statistics about that... a bit scary.... But I heard that due to the dark seasons and the lack of light people are more depressed in the northern parts than in countries where there’s more light.. and I suppose the statistics for depression and suicide go hand in hand.

Don't like to be praised (at least not in public) and boasted – you’re so right... we've an unwritten rule called "The Jante Law" saying that you should not think that you're better than anybody else....

The part of greeting I don’t understand though… In the comparison with people from the southern part of Europe Swedes might seem cold but as we don’t hug and kiss people we don’t know but in common Swedes are very close to people they know… At least that’s my experience (and I’m Swedish :-D).
About corruption – comparing to other countries has a very low rate of corruption but it still exists… I suppose that it will do that were ever it’s money involved.
IKEA – YES!!! One of my favourite places!!

Ville_maddengurl – I’m Swedish!! :-D

Anna A · Answer

Interesting! I think I was quite right that the idea of Sweden and Swedes are starting to change

About the suicide rate I've never seen any statistics about that... a bit scary.... But I heard that due to the dark seasons and the lack of light people are more depressed in the northern parts than in countries where there’s more light.. and I suppose the statistics for depression and suicide go hand in hand.

Don't like to be praised (at least not in public) and boasted – you’re so right... we've an unwritten rule called "The Jante Law" saying that you should not think that you're better than anybody else....

The part of greeting I don’t understand though… In the comparison with people from the southern part of Europe Swedes might seem cold but as we don’t hug and kiss people we don’t know but in common Swedes are very close to people they know… At least that’s my experience (and I’m Swedish :-D).

About corruption – comparing to other countries Sweden has a very lowrate of corruption but it still exists

I suppose that it will do that were ever it’s money involved.

IKEA – YES!!! One of my favourite places!!

Ville_maddengurl– I’m Swedish!!

Elena · Answer

I don't believe the suicide commonplace, I think it is a generalisation, something  untrue.

Ville_maddengurl · Answer

hey anna do u have msn address?

Sweden

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