Life, customs and philosophy of Swedish people

Introduction

Swedes are neurotic about punctuality, agendas and time
tables. Notably, we use a number of stock phrases that are
significant for this way of thinking e.g. "Time is money" or
"Don't waste time". It is considered very disrespectful to be
late both professionally and privately. If you are late, do call
and let the waiting person(s) know and you will be easily
forgiven. Always apologize if you are late.There is something
called the "academic quarter of an hour". That means if you are
going to someone's home you may be fifteen minutes late – at the
very most. If a plane or bus is supposed to leave at a set time,
Swedes get very frustrated if kept waiting. There are however,
situations when we expect to be kept waiting, such as doctor's or
dentist's appointments.

CheersSwedish drinking habits are quite different
than those of other people. Already in 1630 a Frenchman visiting
Stockholm complained about the Swedes' drinking habits. Not only,
do they get drunk, but they make innumerable toasts and make
longwinded speeches to accompany them, he said. The
following funny story told to me by the Princess Lilian also
depicts how foreigners may view the Swede's drinking and
speechmaking. A Frenchmen, a Swede and a Norwegian were sentenced
to death and the day before the execution they were granted their
last wishes. The Frenchman asked for a three course meal followed
by a cigar. The Swede asked for a dinner and also wanted to make
a speech. The Norwegian's last wish was to be executed before the
Swede began his speech.

Family patternsChildren start school
at six and there is daycare for everyone before that to enable
parents to work. The median is 2.1 children per family, which is
rather high, actually one of the highest birthrates in
Europe. Several generations in the same household is
uncommon in Sweden. Children leave the home in their late teens
or early twenties and usually live alone for a few years before
starting their own families. The result is of course, that young
Swedish families cannot rely on the help and support from their
parents to the same extent and of course the opposite situation
applies for the older generation when their needs increase.Old
people have the option to live in adapted apartments with limited
help or gradual steps toward an old peoples home. It is not
expected or demanded that children take care of their elders. As
the fiscal climate tightens this may change.

Gender roles and equalityMost women
in Sweden work outside the home both before and after marriage.
They also continue working after having children, but after a
maternity leave of 12-18 months. Not only is this because
families need a dual income to survive, but it is also considered
a woman's right for self fulfillment. Consequently, men are
expected to do a larger burden of the work within the home and to
be equally responsible for child rearing. However, most will
agree that the domestic chores still largely fall under the
woman's domain. It is also not unusual that mothers of young
children engage in part time work in order to spend more time
with their children. When the children are ill it is also
more common for the mothers to stay home to care for them. This
is often explained by the fact that the man is the primary
breadwinner in the family and his day of partly lost income
influences the family to a larger extent. Some traditional
gestures are still upheld. For example, men often open doors for
women and let them enter first. Men propose marriage even though
it is also often a common decision between the two parties
without involvement from the families.

Getting friendly with the localsThe
effort will most likely be on your part. Moving to a new country
or just a new city is usually connected with a lonely beginning.
You have to make an effort to meet people and become part of
their everyday lives. A few hints on how to do it in Stockholm
are:• Take a class at one of the schools. Evening classes
are available for those who work.• Use your children and
meet other parents when you leave and pick up your child at
school or activities.• Go to the gym. Choose a nice one
where people stay around afterwards.• Any sports activity
that you like. At the tennis, squash centers or golf course, they
can usually pair you off with someone if you ask
them. • Invite people to your home or to do
things.• Find common interests and engage in them with other
interested people. • Go out to bars and restaurants and
meet people.• Contact the local international clubs.•
Find out who else from your country or even city lives here. It
is always easier to become friends with your nationals when you
are abroad.

If you are invited to someone's home or
a partyIf the invitation is in writing you are expected to
reply in writing. If you are invited in person or by telephone
you can accept or decline right away or call back with an answer.
Also, be sure to check if there is a dress code. If the event is
in a home ask for the door code.• When you are invited to
someone's home, do ask if the invitation is extended to your
children or pets. If, the host/hostess have arranged for a
baby-sitter they will not expect other children or pets as
guests.• Swedes often bring a gift when going to someone's
home. Flowers or wine are appreciated gifts. If you have
something from your own country, most people will appreciate
that. • Punctuality is a virtue. Seven o'clock means
seven o'clock if you are invited for dinner. Chances are that the
food is almost on the table. Arriving late often means
inconveniencing the host/hostess.• For table seating at
informal affairs, usually the host/hostess will tell you where
they want you to sit. On more formal occasions there will be a
table seating plan at the door and/or name tags at each seat. If
there is a table seating plan the man finds the lady on his right
and escorts her to the table. Only during the engagement period
do couples sit next to one another, otherwise you will be
assigned to a dinner companion. You are expected to make small
talk throughout the meal and dance the first dance with your
dinner companion. • The meal is usually commenced by
the host/hostess welcoming everyone and toasting. Don't drink
anything but water before the first toast is made. When there are
less than 8 people don't eat before the host/hostess has taken
the first bite or asked you to begin. When toasting you should
pick up your glass and try to look everyone in the eye (if you
are less than 8 people at the table), then take a sip and
afterwards again make eye contact with everyone before putting
down your glass.• The person sitting on the left of the
hostess will make a thank you speech during dessert.• If
coffee is taken in a different room, stay with your dinner
companion. Men usually bring women coffee.• Call or write
and thank the host/hostess within ten days. Try to reciprocate by
inviting them to something.• People rarely invite you to
dinner twice in a row, but wait for you to return their
invitation by arranging something. Also look under Shoes
indoors.

PetsSwedes are fond of their
animals. Cats and dogs are treated as family and live inside the
home. However, there are regulations for how to keep your pet .
They must not make noise that disturbs the neighbors. When taking
your dog for walks you are requested to pick up your animal's
disposal and bring to a garbage bin. You may not hit your animal.
The pet should get the necessary shots for various diseases. Name
tags with address and phone numbers are helpful if the animal
strays. It is fairly uncommon to neuter your dogs while it
is more commonplace with cats. Dogs must be on a leash
during the period March 1 through August 20. For more information
about regulations, good exercise areas and parks to walk dogs
call Stockholm's Kommun and order the book "Hund i
Stockholm".Professional identitySwedes identify themselves
largely with their professions. One of the first questions asked
a new acquaintance is: "What do you do for a living"? It is also
common to say I am a computer consultant, rather than I work as a
computer consultant. This has created problems as the rate of
unemployment has become higher. Status is closely connected with
a person's choice of profession not age, whom you are related to,
personality or other characteristics. However, not only high
status professions render respect, a job well done in any area is
well looked upon.

ReligionThe Swedish state religion is Protestant
Lutheran. We have freedom of religious expression as long as it
does not violate other laws. Our social lives are more often than
not disconnected from any involvement with a church or
denomination. The state and the church will be formally
separated in 1998. Although Swedes don't go to church, a great
deal of morals and ethics still have its platform based on the
Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. 

SocializingSwedes like to socialize at home. Our
restaurant and pub habits are not quite as developed as in other
countries. Social patterns differ greatly depending on the
season. We are much more outgoing in the summers and are more
willing to do things in the middle of the week. This can be
attributed to the amazing long, light evenings and that during
school year many are enrolled in evening classes. We like to
plan our socializing and don't like surprise visits. Among young
people it is quite ordinary to bring different ingredients, pay
for your portion of the dinner, or even each pay for the expense
of your dinner. The background is that food and drinks are very
expensive in Sweden.

ViolenceSwedes have very restrictive views on
violence, domestic and otherwise. Parents are not allowed to
discipline their children physically. Neither is the school or
anyone else. It is prohibited to hit anybody for any reason. To
use physical violence is considered a sign of weakness,
especially when a bigger person hits or hurts someone smaller. A
stock phrase that depicts that is "Where common sense or ability
to express oneself ends violence starts".

Work and leisure time – two different
thingsSwedes like to divide their time exclusively between
work and leisure. We also like to separate work colleagues and
private friendships. A commonly used expression is "Never mix
work and pleasure". Don't be surprised if your work
colleagues don't ask you to participate in their leisure time or
don't introduce you to their friends. This has nothing to do with
you coming from a different country, they don't spend time
outside work with their Swedish colleagues either. People
rarely discuss private matters at work and they are hesitant to
recruit friends or family to their own place of work.

Other aspects
about Sweden

Geography

Area: total: 449,964 km²
(173,732 sq mi) — slightly larger than
Californialand: 410,928 sq
km water: 39,036 sq km highest
point: Mount Kebnekaise 2,111m (6,926
ft) maximum distance north-south: 1,574 km
(977 mi) maximum distance east-west: 499 km
(310 mi) Land
boundaries: total: 2,205
km border countries: Finland 586 km, Norway
1,619 km Coastline: 3,218 km 

Use InfoSverige's Digital Map of
Sweden to see Sweden in detail.

ClimateDescription: temperate
in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy
summers; subarctic in north Average
temperatures: 

Use Weather.com for current
detailed forecasts throughout the world. Daylight
(approx):

People: 

Language: SwedishPopulation: total:8,886,738 growth
rate: 0.26% birth rate: 11.7
births/1,000 population death rate: 10.78
deaths/1,000 populationtotal fertility rate: 1.76
children born/woman Infant mortality
rate: 3.93 deaths/1,000 live births net
migration rate: 1.69 migrant(s)/1,000
population population density: 20
inhabitants/km² (52 inhab/sq mi) Age/Gender
structure:

Religion: 84% belong to the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Sweden

Government: Type: Constitutional
MonarchyNational capital: Stockholm Head of
state: Since 1973 King Carl XVI Gustaf, married since
1976 to Queen Silvia; three children, of whom the oldest,
Victoria, is Crown Princess.Head of government: A
prime minister in a Social Democratic minority government.–Every
four years there are elections to the Riksdag (Parliament),
municipal councils and county councils, under a proportional
representation system, In parliamentary elections, a threshold of
4% of votes cast is used to prevent too many small parties from
winning seats. Last Parliamentary election: distribution
of seats and share of votes cast:

Women Members of
Parliament: 45.3%Voter turnout for 2002
elections: 79%–Swedish citizens aged 18 or over may
vote and run for office. Foreign citizens who have been residents
of Sweden for at least three years have the same right in
municipal and county council elections. –There is general
male conscription for 7.5-15 months. Sweden pursues a non-aligned
security policy aiming at neutrality in the event of war in its
vicinity, but is an active member of the United Nations, the
European Union and many other international
organizations. More information about Sweden's government
can be found at www.riksdagen.se 

Economy Currency: Swedish krona
(SEK)1 krona = 100 öre = .13
USD: Use the live currency
converter for current rates GDP: $227.4
billion USD

real growth
rate: 1.8% 

national debt: 76.4% of GDP
Inflation rate-consumer price index: +2.9 % Labor
force:unemployment rate: 4,2 %
participation rate for working-age population: Men
78.8% / Women 74.2%–Standard work week 40 hours, minimum paid
vacation 5 weeks 

Industry: Iron and steel, precision
equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood
pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor
vehicles Agriculture: Grains, sugar beets,
potatoes; meat, milkExports: Machinery 35%, motor
vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products,
chemicalsImports: Machinery, petroleum and petroleum
products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs,
clothingNatural Resources: Zinc, iron ore, lead,
copper, silver, timber, uranium, hydropowerCurrent
Environmental Issues: Acid rain damaging soils and
lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea

Sweden
today

In terms, Swedes rarely take hospitality or
kindness for granted and as such, they will give often give
thanks. Failing to say thank you for something is perceived
negatively in Sweden.Behaviours in Sweden are strongly balanced
towards "lagom" or, "everything in moderation". Excess,
flashiness and boasting are abhorred in Sweden and individuals
strive towards the middle way. As an example, work hard and play
hard are not common concepts in Sweden. People work hard but not
too hard, they go out and enjoy themselves, but without
participating in anything extreme.Due to the strong leaning
towards egalitarianism in Sweden, competition is not encouraged
and children are not raised to believe that they are any more
special than any other child.The FamilyThe family in
Sweden is extremely important and as such, the rights of children
are well protected.

External
relations with the World

Sweden"s foreign policy of freedom from alliance
alliances in peace aiming for neutrality in war is a highly
complex issue which is evaluated by numerous schools of thought.
There may perhaps be no one theory that can account for the
entire spectrum of Sweden"s neutrality, and different paradigms
may apply to various time periods and case studies. Realism and
Economism consider Sweden"s proclamation of neutrality (and lack
of its continuity) to be a strategy, employed to satisfy the
country"s economic and political interests during the two world
wars, a tome of "changing geopolitical constellations and
economic conditions."24 During the Cold War,

Revisionism explained the swings of Sweden"s neutrality
by her alleged collaboration with the United States. The
post-Cold war era saw the emergence of Culturalism – an
approach that ascribed Sweden"s homogeneity of population and
"exceptionally calm internal political development"25 to its
choice of non-alignment of foreign policy.

After evaluating the dependent and independent
variables, Economism and Realism

proved to fit the available data best. The Revisionist
argument could not be utilized to explain the behavior of Swedish
foreign policy in the war-torn Europe of 1939-1940 as the United
States was neither involved in the Russo-Finnish war, nor in the
German occupation of Scandinavia. As far as Culturalism is
concerned, its one-dimensional focus on Sweden"s
cultural-historic legacy seemed to be insufficient to explain the
maneuvers of the Swedish government on the international arena.
Since the two selected case studies (the Winter War of 1939-40
and the German occupation of Norway and Denmark of 1940)
questioned the ramifications of Swedish 1924 Malmborg,
5.

25 Herbert Tingsten, "Issues In Swedish Foreign Policy,"
Foreign Affairs 37, no. 3 (April 1959),
http://www.jstor.org/stable/20029369 (accessed September 24,
2010). neutrality, the Realist and Economist perspectives were
used while analyzing the character of Sweden"s foreign policy of
neutrality in a situation of a growing external
threat.

In order to establish a link between the scale of
external threat to Sweden"s political and

economic interests and the flexibility of its foreign
policy, the concepts of the external threat and flexibility were
evaluated in terms of emotionally colored lexica used by the
journalists to describe the society"s sense of menace emanating
from the warring states (independent variable) and Sweden"s
humanitarian aid and granting transit privileges to belligerent
sides (dependent variables). The analysis of the two cases proved
the hypothesis: the larger the scale of the external threat to
Sweden"s political and economic interests, the more flexible its
foreign policy of freedom from alliances in peace aiming for
neutrality in war.

However, there are limitations to the findings of the
research. The lack of data on the

cases of concern for this paper, such as access to the
Swedish-language sources of information,can question the validity
of the evaluation of the external threat. Had more information
and resources been available (for example, polls of citizens"
opinion, speeches of government officials, or correspondence
between the Swedish King Gustav V and the German Chancellor Adolf
Hitler), the hypothesis could be confirmed with more
confidence.

The conducted research highlights the fact that a
country"s foreign policy is a

multidimensional phenomenon. As Olof Palme said, "A
country"s foreign policy is not

immutable. It is influenced by world"s events, by
changes of public opinion at home, by the need to take a definite
stand on foreign policy issues where previous experiences do not
afford sufficient guidance."2620 26 James L. Waite, "The Swedish
Paradox: EEC and Neutrality," Journal of Common Market Studies
12,no.3 (March 1974), 335.

Future of the
Swedish people

Elderly people represent a growing share of
the Swedish population. Many are in good health and lead active
lives, and most live in their own homes. Sweden invests more of
its gross domestic product in its elderly than any other country
in the world. As a proportion of GDP, Sweden"s allocation to
elderly care is almost five times the EU average.

Life expectancy in Sweden is among
the highest in the world.Photo: Calle
Bredberg/Bildarkivet.se

Health and social care for the elderly are
important parts of Swedish welfare policy. Of Sweden"s 9.5
million inhabitants, 18 percent have passed the retirement age of
65. This number is projected to rise to 30 percent by 2030,
partly because of the large number of Swedes born in the
1940s.

Largely funded by taxes

Life expectancy in Sweden is among the
highest in the world. In 2010, it was 79.1 years for men and 83.2
years for women. Sweden has the secondlargest proportion of
people aged 80 or over among the EU member states, totaling 5.3
percent of the population. Since more and more citizens in this
age group are in good health, their care requirements have
declined since the 1980s. Most elderly care is funded by
municipal taxes and government grants. In 2010, the total cost of
elderly care in Sweden was SEK 95.9 billion, (USD 14.0 billion,
EUR 10.7 billion) but only 3 percent of the cost was financed by
patient charges. Health care costs paid by the elderly themselves
are subsidized and based on specified rate schedules.

Public or private

More municipalities are choosing to
privatize parts of their elderly care, letting private care
providers run their operations. In 2011, private care provided
services for 18.6 percent of all elderly people getting home
help. All recipients can choose whether they want their home help
or special housing to be provided by public or private operators.
The municipality always has overall responsibility, however, for
areas such as funding and allocating home help or a place in a
special housing facility.

The number of private companies in the
social-service sector increased fivefold between 1995 and 2005.
Recent media investigations have unearthed alarming shortfalls
among several private care companies. In subsequent criticism,
the companies were accused of letting profit have a negative
impact on the standard of care.

Various forms of support help people
continue to live in their own homes.Photo: Susanne
Kronholm/Johnér

Home help makes life easier

One of the aims of aged care is to help
elderly people and those with disabilities live normal,
independent lives. This includes living in their own homes as
long as possible.

Elderly people who continue to live at home
can obtain various kinds of support to make life easier. For
example, almost all municipalities in Sweden offer ready-cooked
meals that can be home-delivered.

In 2011, home-help staff assisted around
211,000 people aged 65 or over. Almost half of the country"s
municipalities also provide communal meals for the elderly at
special day centers, while a few organize small groups of elderly
people into teams that cook their own meals.

Around the clock

When an elderly person is no longer able to
cope with the demands of everyday life, he or she can apply for
assistance from municipally funded home-help services. The extent
of such care is subject to an assessment of need. Elderly people
with disabilities can receive assistance around the clock, which
means that many are able to remain at home throughout their
lives. The severely ill, too, can be provided with health and
social care in their own homes.

Each municipality decides its own rates for
elderly care. The cost depends on such factors as the level or
type of help provided and the person"s income. A maximum charge
for home help, daytime activities and certain other kinds of care
has been set since January 1, 2011, at SEK 1,760 per
month.

Municipalities offer daytime activities for
elderly and disabled people in need of stimulation and
rehabilitation. These activities primarily target those with
dementia or mental disabilities. Daytime activities help many to
continue to live in their homes.

Transportation services

The elderly and disabled also qualify for
transportation services in taxis or specially adapted vehicles.
This option is available to those who are unable to travel by
regular public transport. In 2010, there were 11 million such
journeys completed across the country, a national average of 34
per eligible person.

Sweden is preparing itself to take
care of an increasing number of elderly people. Photo: Hans
Bjurling/Johnér

The Swedish pension system

All Swedish citizens are entitled to a
pension after they retire. People can choose to start receiving
their pension between the ages of 61 and 67.

From 2005 to 2011, the number of working
Swedes aged 65–74 increased by 49 percent. The average
retirement age today is 64. In Sweden, the average age up to
which people feel they will be capable of working in their
current job is 64.4 years, the highest in the EU.

There are several different sources that
make up a Swedish pension. People who have worked and lived in
Sweden will get a national retirement pension based on the income
on which they have paid tax. The national retirement pension
consists of income pension, premium pension and guarantee
pension.

The average national retirement pension
2012 is SEK 11,428 per month. In addition to the national
retirement pension, most people employed in Sweden also get an
occupational pension, based on contributions made by their
employers.

Altogether, 65 percent of pensioners" total
income derives from the public pension system. For added
security, many choose to supplement their retirement benefits
with private pension savings.

National preparations for an aging population

Like many other countries, Sweden has a
growing proportion of elderly people. Elderly care has therefore
become increasingly important, and the Government has taken steps
to meet future challenges in this area.

In 20 years" time, one Swede in four will
be over 65, and most of the people in this age group will be
active and healthy. Several initiatives aimed at meeting future
needs are now being put in place around the country.

• The Government has appointed a
  "Commission on the Future" whose task is to present the
  latest strategies for dealing with four specified social
  challenges facing Sweden in the years ahead. One of these is
  the country"s aging population. The report is due by March
  2013.

• To meet the coming demographic
  challenge without jeopardizing welfare levels, people will
  have to work longer. An inquiry has begun analyzing pension-
  related age limits and the potential obstacles to a longer
  working life, with a final report due in April
  2013.

• The Government is investing SEK 4.3
  billion up to 2014 in measures to improve health and social
  care for the most infirm members of the 65+ age group. The
  aim is to improve coordination of home health care, elderly
  care, hospital care and health-center care provided to
  elderly people.

Many elderly people continue to lead
active lives.Photo: Niklas
Bernstone/Johnér

Preventive care keeps older people healthier

Several new forms of effective
preventive health care for the elderly have been introduced in
recent years, and are attracting increasing levels of
interest.

One example is physical activity on
prescription, both for preventive purposes and as a form of
treatment. Older people are prescribed not just exercise in
general but a certain type of physical activity, sometimes in
combination with medication, with doctors monitoring the
results.

Personal injury is one of the main health
problems among older people, so considerable efforts are made to
reduce injuries from falls. Information is made available to the
elderly, and special municipal "fixers" help with things like
curtain-hanging and changing light bulbs in the home.

Stimulation through music, films, reading,
painting and other cultural activities also plays a role in
well-being. This is increasingly recognized in elderly care homes
where many people engage in at least one such activity every
day.

References

*http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Society/Elderly-care/Facts/Elderly-care/

*http://cas.illinoisstate.edu/pol/conferences/2012/2AHetmanchuk_Swedish.pdf

*http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/sweden.html

Autor:

Post-Doctor Omar Gómez
Castañeda, Senior, Ph.D

Filósofo, Economista e Historiador
Latinoamericano

*Doctor
en Filosofía,Distinción en Filosofía
Antigüa egresado de Belford University,Humble,Texas,Estados
Unidos en el año
2006.(www.belforduniversity.net/verification/).Graduate:
ID:RV414771-PASSWORD:44198958). *Miembro Asociado de
la Sociedad Venezolana de Filosofía,
Caracas,Distrito Capital(2006-Actualidad)
(cyoris[arroba]ucab.edu.ve).(Google:Sociedad Venezolana de
Filosofía). *Ex - Profesor Titular de la
Cátedra:"Historía de la Filosofía" en el
Diplomado en Filosofía dictado por el Departamento
de Capacitación Docente de
la Universidad Fermín Toro,Cabudare
Barquisimeto,Estado Lara(2007-08). *Investigador,escritor y
asesor de temas filosóficos(2006-Actualidad). *Creador
del Grupo de Filósofos en
Facebook(2008) (www.facebook.com). *Miembro y amigo a
través de Facebook (www.facebook.com) de
los grupos de: Filósofos y Filósofas de
Facebook;Colegio "Hermano Nectario María",Valencia,Estado
Carabobo,Venezuela y Humanidades y Educación de
la Universidad Central de Venezuela.

*Grupo de Filósofos y
Filósofas

*Filosofía y Más

*Filosofía Chile

*Filosofía Costa Rica

*Los Filósofos
Antigüos