Hey everyone,
I've been meaning to update this blog for about a week and a half now. So, fair warining, it's going to be a little long. Sorry. Scroll to the bottom for a TL;DR recap. 😊
So now working our way backwards to last Friday, February 2nd. I attended a play at the National Theater in Oslo. I saw the production of 'Little Eyolf' by Henrik Ibsen with my classmates and professor from my Ibsen Studies class ( I bet you can guess what the first play we are studying this semester is). And this was a very cool experience to be sure, but it was not the highlight of the night. The highlight wasn't the play itself, but rather who was in the audience with us. None other than King Harald V of Norway and his wife Queen Sonja of Norway were sitting, literally, one row in front of me and about 7 seats to the left. I was, unfortunately, unable to take a picture due to not wanting to be rude during a play (there were multiple reminders to turn off your phone).
But this experience served to highlight some of the HUGE differences between the US and Norway, and it even shattered some of my perceptions of, well, royalty. When the King entered the theater (which was quite small, only having about 12 rows roughly 20 seats across) he had exactly 2 bodyguards with him. This seemed like an incredibly small number to me due to my previous experiences with leaders of countries. I would bet President Trump can't even go to the bathroom without at least 3 secret service members there with him. What also surprised me is the fact that we went through exactly zero security to enter the theater. No metal detectors, no bag checks, they didn't even check our IDs at the bar.
So while my brain was trying to come to grips with watching the King of Norway causally stroll into this theater, I learned a lot about the average Norwegian's perception of their royal family. My only experiences with royalty before that evening had involved seeing the Queen of England on TV. And it seems to me that every time the Queen enters the room (on TV, of course), everybody in the room stands and "God Save the Queen" plays through some hidden speakers. But there was none of this. The only noticeable thing that happened was the crowd got slightly more hushed, but there was still a general amount of random conversations in languages I couldn't understand. In fact, the King's presence was of such little consequence that a fellow student of mine was seated next to one of the body guards and ONE SEAT AWAY (one row back and one seat to the right) from the King had no idea until I mentioned it to her after the show.
So the final thing I want to touch on is an experience I had last Monday, January 29th. Because I do not have class on Monday until late in the evening, I have taken it upon myself to get out of my room and explore a different museum every Monday. I have affectionately named this "Taco Tuesday"!
No wait-- That's not quite right. I mean "Museum Monday"!
Well I visited the Norwegian Resistance museum which tells the story of the Nazi occupation of Norway during WWII. This time in history has left deep scars on the psyche of Norway and I did not quite understand why until after my visit to this museum. At first I thought the museum was quite quaint, relying heavily on detailed models and newspaper clippings to tell the story of the first few months of the invasion. But as the museum went further and further on, the exhibits began to feature more and more weapons, personal artifacts and testimonies from resistance fighters, and a very large, very real, bright red Nazi banner with a German helmet sitting alone on a pedestal at the end of a hallway. I don't exactly know why, but this particular exhibit made me feel very, very uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because I was the only person in this museum which is mostly in a basement, but I think it was because of the way one had to walk down this hallway towards this symbol of evil which seemed to only get bigger as one got closer. I cannot think of a greater metaphor for the feelings these resistance fighters must have felt trying to use hit-and-run tactics on, what was at the time, the largest, most efficient military in the world. Or maybe it was the basement. Basements are spooky.
As a person who had never traveled to Europe before, the whole concept of WWII has always seemed like such a far away thing, both spatially and temporally. I mean, the conflict ended over 50 years before I was even born and the idea of all-out, ground based warfare is such a strange concept in this age where we can pilot attack drones from across the globe. But the fact that this wave of terror happened to very real people not that long ago really struck me when I read about an incident involving students at the University of Oslo during the occupation, the University I currently attend. I was suddenly able to put myself in the shoes of one of the students during that time, possibly not even aware of an attack. Then to have a group of German soldiers rounding up and arresting every student at the University-- I can't imagine the panic this would have caused. Keep in mind that this is after the Germans had rounded up Jews and political prisoners in a very similar way and sent them away to concentration camps in mainland Europe. If I was a student then, the only thought I could have would be that they were sending me away next.Another way the war was suddenly made very real was with a wall-sized blow-up of the picture below. It is a picture of members of the Norwegian Resistance force, some of whom stayed in Oslo or other large cities during the war, and others who traveled very far north to transfer supplies to and from Sweden, Finland, and Russia by ski. These men are marching into Akershus Fortress in Oslo after the German surrender in 1945. The building behind them in the right corner of the frame is the Resistance Museum today, and the ramp they are walking on is the very same one I walked up to get there. This is one of the very last things one sees as they leave the museum, a testimony to the brave men and women who refused to surrender in the face of evil.
TL;DR:
- Today is the national holiday of the Sami people, natives of northern Scandinavia. Listen to them sing:
- Me and the King of Norway are bffs, we went to a play together (he understood it, I didn't)
- Nazis suck and Norwegians are bad-asses
Sorry again for the length, hope anyone who made it this far enjoyed!!!
--Tom Farish
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis blog posting really resonated with me. I had traveled to parts of Europe (Germany, Austria, a few others) and there were a few memorials to WWII, and there was something different about the feel of them from how it feels in US museums. It felt more like the countries who were occupied had more of a feel of remembering and honoring, feeling the horror, but keeping the remembrance there so it was never forgotten, whereas in the US, people seem to be more focused on horror and sadness.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to ask about the whole, royalty in the theater thing. We've been looking at several different leadership models and cultures seen around the world. Norway is often thought to be grouped in with western culture, which is largely defined by Americans and the English. Are there any other differences in how Norwegians view leadership and authority from how we view it in the States?
Yeah absolutely! One thing that is very important to know about Norway is that it is considered to be a Western country because of the alliances that it is in. It was a founding member of NATO and, while it is not a part of the EU, it is tied to mainland Europe through the European Economic Area. However, unlike many other Western countries, Norway had a fairly strong communist movement which was not shunned or feared during the beginnings of the cold war. This is likely because of its shared border with Russia. In fact, there is still a political party with ties to communism in Norway today. So in that sense, I would argue that Norway is more open to leadership from different areas than the United States is.
DeleteAlso, there is a social norm throughout all of Scandinavia known as 'Janteloven.' Janteloven is the idea that no individual can ever be so important as to not follow the most basic of rules in society.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante
This article offers a pretty good explanation of the idea. This idea can easily be seen in the royalty of Norway. As mentioned above, the King and Queen had no interest or need to interrupt the people in the theater. This can also be seen with the previous ruler, King Olav V, who was famously photographed riding the public metro system in the 1970s. He insisted on paying for his own ticket.
So while the United States has the concept of Great-Man Leadership, Norway embraces something akin to Servant Leadership.
Hey Tom!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing experience you are having to be able to experience the history of WWII in a place where it actually occurred. I noticed that you mentioned how some of the people from Oslo remained there as rebels during the war. This would involve everyone being coordinated and working together. However, I looked at one of the 10 laws from the link you left to Gwyneth. One of which is "You're not to think you are anything special". How does this work if there needs to be some sense of order and rank? In military situations, this would be a transactional leadership style coupled with hierarchy. But if no one, not even the king, is to consider himself special, then how did they manage to work towards the goal of driving off the Nazis?
Hi Alex,
DeleteI believe that those laws generally apply best in everyday societal situations. Norway has a long and proud military tradition, they even go one step further than the US and require 1 year of service for all citizens (with exceptions for disabilities and other case-by-case scenarios). I think the best way to try to explain this would be that in school, you shouldn't believe yourself to be better than others because you did well on an exam or you shouldn't cut people in line because you're in a hurry. On the spectrum of I<------->WE which we learned about a lot in Lead 101, Norwegians generally fall further towards the WE side. But like any well established group, there is still leadership and a chain of command.
I would agree with Gwyneth that most of the American Museums that are dedicated to the remembrance of WWII are based around the true horror of the events. There is an astounding difference between places like the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. and the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam and the feeling these two places exhibit; however, there is some strong contrast between commemorative WWII museums on the east coast, and those on the west coast (or further). I would say that the Pearl Harbor museums definitely reflect the tone of European museums in that the are somber and based more around remembrance and the honoring of the fallen than their East coast counterparts, which often display a higher tone of fear. Sorry for the aside, I just think that era of history is very interesting and informative.
ReplyDeleteTom, the way you describe Norway seems like a very trusting and friendly place, I am almost in disbelief that you attended a play with a King and there were no security interruptions. I think that is amazing and conveys that there is a lot of distrust inherent in our culture to think that so much security is required. From reading your posts it seems to me that Norway would fall along the more reactive side of the spectrum of the Lewis model rather than its placement near the U.S. as a linear active culture. By this I just mean that the people seem more friendly, trusting, and genuinely interested in the other people of their country. Where as in the U.S. there is always the feeling of suspicion towards people that we would also consider as our neighbors.
So my question is, how does this affect the general dynamic of interactions among people you encounter day to day? Do you find yourself interacting with random people you might bump into? Also does this have any effect on how a typical classroom is run? Is the leadership style of a classroom similar to a Science class at Marietta where the information is dictated, or would you compare it to a leadership class where there is active discussion and dissent can be present?
By the way this is Ethan Schafhausen
DeleteHey Tom!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you're enjoying your first trip to Europe! I've been to Europe several times, specifically Poland because both of my parents emigrated to the U.S. from Poland! Being from Poland and attending polish school when I was younger exposed me to WW2 in great detail. I am glad that you decided to go to the Resistance Museum to learn more about the war and more specifically, the role that Norway played. I have recently been watching a tv show on the History Channel called Hunting Hitler in which one of the episodes talked about the presence the Nazis had in Norway which is very interesting and I highly recommend it!
In terms of leadership in Norway, do you believe that leaders are viewed as dominant and powerful compared to in the United States? In the U.S. we see people in charge as powerful and respected. Do you believe that level or respect and power is viewed in Norway? It sounds like respect is given, but in subtle ways. In class we learned about the Lewis Model in which Norway, and Scandinavian countries in general are a little more Reactive than the United States. Have you seen any differences in decision making processes in Norway compared to what you observe in the U.S. because they are a little more reactive instead of Linear-active?
Thanks a lot!
Sebastian Ziaja
Hey Tom! I was reading your blog on the Sami natives and we talk about the effects of Globalization throughout the class (hence the course title Global Leadership). When talking to natives, do you feel that the natives are losing their culture due to assimilation and connectivity to other cultures? Do they view this as positive or negative? Dr. Perruci's examples in class is when he was growing up, the Brazilians used to take a nap after lunch before returning to work but due to globalization, that has begun to disappear. Have you heard of any traditions like that?
ReplyDeleteHey Tom, how's Spring in Oslo buddy? What interested me about your post was the major difference in levels of security and the overall perception of firearms and violence in Norway. As you said, there was virtually no security in the theater in Oslo, and the King and Queen only had two (armed?) guards with them. In light of recent events in the US of mass shootings in public areas, what are deemed "soft targets", in Parkland, FL and the YouTube HQ in San Bruno, CA, the debate on gun control and regulatory legislation has been reignited. However, this time it has spread all across the country via a movement with young people, most who can't currently vote. Students marched in Washington D.C. and walked out of school all across the country. The reaction from students has been unprecedented and has really brought this issue to the forefront, causing President Trump to agree publicly that some form of common sense regulation is required. However, there is also a big push by Republicans to arm teachers and faculty in addition to any legislation that may be enacted. What are your thoughts on this, compared to what you have seen in Norway. I would assume that in Norway, citizens have nowhere near the same level of access to firearms, especially what are deemed "assault weapons". Did you feel at any point that the lack of security in the theater was uncomfortable or unsafe? Would anyone be able to carry out a similar attack in said theater and would there be an appropriate contingency plan in place? Have you discussed the issue of guns with anyone in Oslo, like how do they perceive the US with its perpetuation of firearms ownership and general gun violence?
ReplyDeleteHi Biru,
DeleteWell, I don't know if the guards were armed (I would assume they were not) but at no point did I feel unsafe of that there was a lack in security.
It is interesting to note that police officers in Norway do not carry firearms on patrol, but they do have weapons locked away in their cars. These weapons may only be used with direct permission from the Chief of Police (fun fact: Norway is so small that there is only one Chief of Police for the entire country). As for civilian access to firearms, licences are required for the ownership of any type of firearm (including air rifles and flare guns), automatic weapons are banned and even high-power handguns are illegal. However, Norway is all-in-all a very wild land. Most of the country is undeveloped and left in a natural state, so hunting and sport-shooting are very strong traditions and hunting is even a method of survival for some people. I think it is also important to note that Norway has compulsory military service for all able-bodied citizens following high school. So nearly every person in the country has fired a weapon and knows how one operates.
I have spoken with some Norwegians who think that the US is insane because we seem to refuse to do anything about gun violence, and I have spoken with some (literally one guy) who was a Trump supporter and loved to go to the gun range on the weekends. Norway, like anywhere else, is full of a very wide variety of people.
Even though Norway has comparatively strict gun laws, it has still not been enough to stop all acts of violence. In 2011 a man killed 8 people in downtown Oslo with a carbomb, he then escaped and killed 69 people at a summer camp with a semi automatic rifle he obtained legally online in Norway, he bought the ammo online from the United States.
Also, with regard to the recent attack in Florida, the Norwegian Parliament is considering a ban on all semi-automatic weapons in the country. This is, in part, a response to both attacks.
Hope this helps answers any questions.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteYou spoke in the final paragraph about how you could really put yourself in the shoes of the students at the University of Oslo during the occupation. Today in class we talked about the recent shooting at YouTube headquarters in California. It was brought up in class that while this shooting took place yesterday, today it wasn't even on the front page of the newspaper. It seems as though people are already forgetting about this incident because no one was killed. I think this shooting represents a lot about Globalization 3.0, the global stage is so interconnected through instantaneous information that a shooting with no deaths is considered a minor event In Norway do you feel these same effects of globalization? Or do sad events like this carry more meaning throughout the community, and lead to periods of remembrance and even change? How do you think that this study abroad trip has changed your perspective of how connected the world is today through media?
Thanks,
Ashley Olszewski
Ashley,
DeleteWith regard to the YouTube shooting, I didn't even know about it until I read something on Twitter, and then I couldn't find anything about it. I had to search for it on BBC.
I cannot speak for the citizens of this country, but I, as an international student who cannot read the newspapers here and with no access to television, do feel very isolated from the rest of the world. Because of this, I think that social media has the power to be the greatest source of communication the world will ever see, but it is very easy to get caught in a bubble. As I wrote about a little under Biru's post, the most recent national tragedy Norway has had was the attacks in 2011, and before that it was WWII. These events are still felt very strongly by Norwegians. It is said that 1 in 3 Norwegians personally knew somebody who died in 2011. So I feel like Norwegians care very deeply about Norwegian issues, but not very much as a whole about world issues.
Hello Tom!
ReplyDeleteSure seems like you are having quite the experience! Earlier this semester we discussed Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory, and there is a website that allows you to compare countries based on these dimensions. When Norway and the U.S. are compared, the most notable difference is that the U.S. scores a 62 on masculinity while Norway scores an 8 (on a scale of 0 to 100). The masculine side represents a competitive, task-oriented society whereas the feminine side represents a more cooperative, modest, relational-oriented society. Have you noticed this difference in the Norwegian culture, and if so do you like it? What are the pros and cons of a feminine culture and which do you prefer? Thanks, and hope you have a great finish to your semester!
Johnathan
I have absolutely noticed this! and I do like it. Norway, as well as the other Scandinavian countries truly do fit the stereotype they have of being "cooperative, modest, relational-oriented" societies. The pros of such a society are fairly obvious: a strong sense of community, emphasis on making sure there is an even playing field for everyone, and an inherent trust of both fellow citizens and the government and corporations in the country. Some of the cons include: a sort of hesitation to achieve so much as to be put in a spotlight (See Janteloven, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_of_Jante ). There is also, at least on paper, more restrictions on what American's consider to be 'personal freedoms/rights.' This can be noticed most in the business world where some of the largest companies in the country (TV, cell-phone, oil) are technically private companies, but the national government owns most of the stock in said companies. There are significantly more government reflations on business in Norway.
DeleteI am curious, which countries have the highest and lowest scores?
Hope this helps!
--Tom
Tom,
DeleteThat is really cool that you have noticed this difference over there! I think it would be pretty cool to immerse yourself in a culture with such a large difference because it really helps you to see the pros and cons of each side. The link you posted regarding the Law of Jante is quite interesting, and it would definitely have a direct conflict most Americans' mindsets. I think the increased sense of trust in a country like Norway would definitely be something I enjoyed, but I would not like the Law of Jante so much, so I can see the ups and downs of each side. Regarding your question, I do not know which countries have the highest scores, but you can play around with this tool and compare a lot of countries, it's pretty neat: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/product/compare-countries/. Thanks for the response, I think it is pretty cool you really got to see all these different aspects of Norwegian culture, which I'm sure gives you a different perspective on American culture. Have a great end to the semester!
Johnathan
Hello Tom,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Kate I am a 203 student in McManus's class. In your previous comment to Johnathan Kungle you mention that Norway fits the stereotypes of being "cooperative, modest, and relational- oriented." Where Norway scored an 8/100 on Masculinity the United States scored 62/100 according to Hofsede's cultural Dimensions, how has this difference impacted you (has it been difficult to adjust to this difference)? Do you find yourself aligning yourself more with the Norwegian or American view?
Thank you for your time and enjoy the rest of your semester.
Best,
Kate
Hi Kate,
DeleteThis change honestly has not made that large of a difference in my day-to-day life. This may be because I'm normally more quiet and reserved naturally, but I believe that it is just because people are people all over the world. Norway is generally a very quiet place, the people here like to work hard during the week and play hard from Friday to Sunday. As to the question of whether I find myself aligning more as a Norwegian or an American, it's hard to say. I definitely find myself wanting to come home, but at the same time there is much here that I will be sad to leave. All together I think I still identify as a strong mix between the two cultures. There is much I like about both (for example, Norwegian's connections to nature and American's large selection of products) and some that I would change in both (Norwegian's being relatively unapproachable and Americans' ability to be unreasonably loud at inappropriate times).
So while it hasn't been hard for me to adjust to the culture here, it easily could be for others.
Hope this helps,
--Tom
Hello Tom,
ReplyDeleteI think its awesome you've made Museum Mondays as part of your schedule and I'm sure its been even more exciting than taco Tuesday! Now that you have been settled in, I am curious as to how you view Norway's global mindset. In class we discussed that different cultures have different leadership styles and it was noted that Norway's attitude towards authority tends to be egalitarian and consensual towards decision making. However, if global leaders wish to influence others across the world, a multifaceted approach must be taken that allows leaders to adapt to different cultural contexts. From your time and experiences there, have you noticed an attempt by individuals to integrate other cultures into the Norwegian culture? Or does it seem that they reject other cultural influences? I hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!
Thank you,
Lauren Rockocy
Hi Lauren,
DeleteTo address your question about leadership on the global stage, I'm afraid I really do not know enough about the country or its people to feel comfortable in how I think Norway and Norwegians view world relations.
But, as to the question of integration of other cultures I do have a little bit of insight. I had a lecture a few weeks ago (4/9) which talked specifically about how Norway (in general) views immigrants. The message I was given was something along the lines of 'if you act like a Norwegian, eat like a Norwegian, and speak like a Norwegian, you are a Norwegian.' I have noticed that Norwegians generally have a passing interest in other cultures, but many of them prefer to stay with their own in-groups and avoid prolonged contact with others. But this does not mean that they avoid all cultural influences coming from the outside, for example: one of the most popular foods in Oslo is the Kebab (basically a bunch of cabbage, onion, pickled peppers, and seasoned chicken all inside a pita tortilla) which came to the country with the large numbers of immigrants and refugees from the middle-east in the last decade.
--Tom
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteI hope that you are enjoying your time in Norway. I saw on Facebook that Amanda was able to visit; it looked like you both had a great time.
In the Global Leadership class this semester, we have been focusing on cultural differences and how to be aware of our own cultural biases. I am sure being in a new country you have been able to experience this first hand. While in the Global Leadership class, we specifically looked at the Hofstede’s model for country comparisons. I thought it might be interesting to look at differences between the United States and Norway as a way to gain an understanding as to the differences in power distance, masculinity, individuality, uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence of the two. One significant difference in the country characteristics was masculinity. The U.S. is substantially higher in the category than Norway and I was wondering if you have noticed the difference between the competitive nature of the U.S. and Norway?
Thank you,
Lauren DeLong
Hi Lauren,
DeleteYes, I absolutely have experienced being acutely aware of my own cultural biases.
With the topic of masculinity in Norway, one of the best examples of this difference between the US and Norway is that in the US it is very common for the guy to make the first move in a relationship, or at least that is the assumption many people have. In Norway this is not as true, it is much more common for girls to make the first move on the guy. Also, and I don't really know if this is a result of the difference in competitive nature but, Norway has very little care for competitive sports (and when they are played, they are played for fun, win or lose).
These are just a few of the things I've noticed, hope this answers your question.
--Tom
Hi Tom!
ReplyDeleteFirst off I want to say that I hope you are doing well and enjoying all of your experiences! I know everyone back home is excited to have you back (especially Amanda!) and we can't wait to here all of the stories and everything that you have encountered.
Recently in global leadership we have been talking about diversity and inclusion. Diversity is an aspect that many people see as a challenge while others seem to embrace it. There are actually many companies and individuals that have began implementing programs in order to foster both diversity and inclusion. I am wondering how you were able to adapt to the diversity that you have faced (or maybe you are still trying to adapt to this?). Is there a lot of diversity in Norway? If so, do you feel as if inclusion is also something else that important to Norway when facing different cultures, races, religions, and values?
I hope you have a great rest of your trip!
Safe travels coming home:)
-Syd
Hi Syd,
DeleteThanks for the well wishes!
I can honestly say that there is not very much diversity in Norway when compared to a place like the United States. This in itself was something that I had to get used to. The entire country (which is over 1000 miles tip-to-tip) feels like a small town where everybody knows each other, or at least knows somebody from where they're from. This culture of close connections can make it seem really difficult to break in and make friends, but Norwegians are generally friendly and anybody is welcome to a bbq if they bring their own hotdogs.
--Tom
Hello Tom!
ReplyDeleteI hope you have a good time in Oslo. My name is Peter and I am a current leadership 203 student. I came from China so I understand it is very difficult to adapt to another culture. What is your biggest challenge as a student at the University of Oslo? Did your classmates ask you a lot of questions about the United States? Or they just don’t care. Also, many people talked about Hofsede's Cultural Dimensions. Norway has a much lower score than the United States on Masculinity. What are the advantages or disadvantages of masculinity? China and the United States both have a high score on Masculinity and both countries are very competitive. During globalization 3.0, competitiveness is extremely crucial, because we are not only competing with local opponents but the global opponents. Do you think the culture of Norway could be a strong force during globalization 3.0?
Thank you and I hope you will have a good semester!
Peter Ding
Hi Peter,
DeleteI feel like you may have had a much more intense culture shock coming to the US from China than I did coming to Norway. Norwegians have taken a lot of what is considered to be 'american culture' and adapted it to be their own. I have had many people ask me questions about the United States, but these questions have always led to very interesting discussions about the similarities and differences between our cultures.
I think some of the advantages to high-masculinity would be that there is much more of an entrepreneurial mindset to business, while some of the disadvantages may be not taking the big picture entirely into consideration. I'm not exactly sure what globalization 3.0 is, but I think Norway could definitely play an important role, although this may be accomplished through a role as a mediator rather than a competitor.
--Tom
Hello Tom,
ReplyDeleteI hope you are continuing to have a great experience studying abroad! I recently took a philosophy class about Evil and the Holocaust, so your story about what you learned at the museum was comparable to all the stories we heard in there. I had many feelings of uncomfortableness as well, but it was definitely an eye-opening class.
I noticed many students have focused on Norway specifically in their responses, but one aspect I am interested in would be your personal growth. You mentioned how you did not have to adjust very much to the Norwegian culture. One of the most recent topics covered in our class includes leaders with a global mindset. A global mindset can be described as a person’s ability to observe, evaluate, and decode behaviors and situations in multiple cultural contexts and use that experience to create productive relationships with individuals and organizations across cultural boundaries. In class, we analyzed our own global mindset. You mentioned you did not have to adapt too much to the culture, so do you believe your global mindset has improved at all since the beginning of your experience in Norway? If so, could you possibly give an explanation and a few examples?
I hope you enjoy the rest of your experience! 😊
-Loren Coontz
Hi Loren,
DeleteI absolutely think my mindset has become more global! I had class twice a week which had Americans, Spaniards, Italians, Argentinians, and many many Germans who mostly spoke English to each other while trying to learn Norwegian. It was an experience that had me learning so much about so many different people every single week. Every morning recently I've been going on a morning run with a guy from the Czech Republic and a girl from Slovakia (which until 1993 used to be the same country) and it has been fascinating listening to them speak about the different histories and cultures of their countries (also I think they like each other and it's really cute).
Just the fact that this country is so small compared to the US makes it nearly impossible not to notice the diversity in culture and language all over.
--Tom
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteI hope you've enjoyed your time at the University of Oslo and that you've learned a lot about Norway's culture (and about yourself)! Personally, I hope to spend time in that general region of the world in the near future, and I'm grateful to have gained some insight into Norway life from reading your blog posts. I was particularly fascinated by your story about King Harald V of Norway just casually sitting in the public theater with only two bodyguards. Strangely enough, it reminded me of the East Asian worldview that we studied with Dr. McManus earlier this semester. Some passages in the Tao Te Ching recommend that leaders place themselves at the same level as their followers (servant leadership), and one of the "Three Treasures" of that culture is humility. The royal family must have a lot of trust for the people of Norway as well, considering you didn't have to deal with any security measures at that play. Have you observed other situations in which Norwegian royalty display that type of humility and trust when interacting with their followers? Additionally, do you think these leaders exhibit any particular style of leadership?
Thanks,
Lily Riffle, LEAD 203
Hi Lily,
DeleteI highly recommend visiting Scandinavia if possible, I was just in Sweden this past weekend and I think people were even nicer in Gothenburg than they are in Oslo (although the fact that there was really nice weather may have had something to do with it).
I have not personally seen any other examples of the royal family acting in this way, however I know that they do because of stories I've heard from people living here. One such story is that a friend of mine said that he used to go to the same grocery store as the Prince. One day he was behind him in line and the Prince's card got declined, so he just put all the groceries back on the shelf and left, only to come back a few minutes later with cash he had gotten out of the ATM. (I have no way to verify if this is true or not!)
Unfortunately I cannot make a judgement on the leadership style the King uses, as I can't actually read enough of the newspapers to know what's going on in the country.
--Tom
Hi Tom,
ReplyDeleteI hope all is well and that you are having a great time studying abroad. In LEAD 203 this semester, we've had a lot of discussion about globalization and its effects on communication, one of them being language barriers. I was wondering if you have found any ways to overcome the language barrier, if it exists, between you and your professors/classmates. The woman I will be working for this summer has a first language that is not English, and her accent is a bit thick. If you have any advice on how to handle this kind of situation, I would really appreciate it!
Thanks,
Zachary Conrad
Hi Zachary,
DeleteThis is a great question, and it was something that I have not had much of a problem with with Norwegian people, but I have had problems with other international students who do not speak English. A few tips I would say are: have the Google Translate app, but only use it for single words or short phrases, it starts to not make any sense the longer the sentences are. Hand signals are also very effective for communication. And when, inevitability, the person you are speaking to is struggling to find a word, I've found it better to let them think about it a little before offering a word, and do not be afraid to gently critique somebody who is trying to become better at the language.
Hope this helps!
--Tom
P.S. It's always nice to learn to say a little in the native language of the other person.
Hey Tom,
ReplyDeleteI hope you are doing well in Norway. This semester we talked about culture shock. When you first arrived in Norway, what was a part of Norwegian culture that is different from ours in the US, and how did you learn to live with it?
Hi Maddie,
DeleteOne thing that was a bot of a culture shock was that all of the signs were suddenly in Norwegian (I expected this, but it was still a bit jarring). I had been out of the country before, but it was always to places where Spanish was the primary language, I actually caught myself starting to speak the little Spanish I know to the lady working at the coffee shop at the airport before I realized that she knows less Spanish than I do!
Since then I've learned enough Norwegian to be able to read most of the signs, and to speak with people while buying groceries or riding the train.
--Tom
Hi Tom!
ReplyDeleteHow are you doing? It sounds like you have had quite an adventurous time in Scandinavia. I was wondering if your experiences in Norway have affected your perspective on leadership as a whole. As others have previously said, there are some significant differences between the United States and Norway, such as the United States being much more masculine and individualistic. From observing and experiencing a different leadership style, has that made an impact on your own leadership, or has it remained relatively unchanged?
Thank you,
Matt Chih
Hi Matt Chih!
DeleteI'm pretty good, it's still a little cold here and the sun rises annoyingly early. It has been a pretty good adventure. I feel like it has changed my perspective on leadership in the sense that I feel like I'm less likely to accept that the way things have been done is the way that it always must be. Norway has a society with some very similar and very different rules, and it has taught me that there are different ways to accomplish the same goal. I think I remain relatively unchanged when it comes to masculinity and individual-ness in leadership, but my opinions might change when I am back in the US.
--Tom
Hey Tom,
ReplyDeleteIn class we have analyzed many different cultural contexts in regards to how leadership styles vary from culture to culture. The United States, of course, is an example of the Western cultural context, but there is also the Latin American context, the Buddhist context, The African context, the Islamic context, and the East Asian context. Having spent an entire semester in Norway, have you noticed a significant resemblence/influence of any one of these cultures there, or do you think that Norway would need a context of its own? I see that others have referred to Hofstede’s model and found that Norway is rather similar to the Western culture, so I was wondering if you have made this same observation. I look forward to hearing what you think, and I hope that you enjoy the time you have left abroad! See you next semester!
Hi Josh,
DeleteAbsolutely, Norway is very much a western nation, taking many of its social and cultural cues from the US and UK. It is also interesting that the culture can shift dramatically even from one city to another. I recently was in Gothenburg, Sweden. The city is located only 160 miles away but it falls much further away from a western lens, but I don't know exactly how to describe it.
We have just recently been learning about parochial, international, and global mindsets. What type of mindset did you have going to Norway and how has your mindset changed?
ReplyDeleteA short explanation for each
Parochial - your culture is the only normal culture
International - You understand other cultures are normal yet do not attempt to adapt to the other cultures.
Global - You understand other cultures are different and adapt to accommodate them.
Please provide an example of a change in your mindset if it did change over the course of your stay in Norway
- Matt Chih says hi
According to Hofstede Insights, The United States is rated as 62 out of 100 in terms of masculinity. From what I remember of my old friend who left us is that you suffer from low masculinity. Understanding this, Norway is rated as 8 out of 100 in terms of masculinity. Have you noticed a cultural shift in how people interact and communicate? are leaders more focused on the relational aspect of leading? I link those two ideas because it makes logical sense that a person who does not act masculine can swallow their pride and interact with their subordinates as peers rather than inferiors.
ReplyDelete- Matt Chih again say hi but I would also implore you to call, you never call.
Hey Ben,
DeleteTo answer both of your questions, I think that when I left for Norway I had an international mindset. I was curious and wanted to learn and experience other cultures, but I don't think I could have actually tried to change my own culture. Now I think I have a more global mindset and a will to bring some of the aspects of Norwegian culture back to the US.
As for the topic of masculinity, I have noticed a difference in the way people interact, however I would hesitate to state that leaders are more relational here. I have not had any wide spread experiences with people in leadership positions, but those that I have worked with do not seem different from leaders back in the US, a notable exception being with the King and royal family who are very concerned with the well being of the people, but it is obviously not possible for them to do so at an individual level. As for your reasoning for linking low masculinity and relational leadership, I would not characterize it as an issue with "swallowing ones pride," and I would go out on a limb and suggest that most effective and respected leaders interact with others around them as "peers rather than inferiors." But I defer to your expertise when it comes to the subject of inferiority.