time3: Jante Law

Michael Bevilacqua (

time3) wrote,
@ 2006-10-06 08:25:00

Entry tags:

discursive

Jante Law

Originally published at Bevilacqua.us.

Ever learn something that suddenly explains away most of the strangeness that occured previously? Well, Jante Law is that babelfish output. Simply fascinating.

We had friends from Sweden visit us no too long ago and I was always wondering what was going on inside their heads as they looked like they were having a difficult time understanding how/why I was acting, in general, like I normally do. Not that I’m the stereotypical loud-mouth Italian American, but I am very opinionated and at times stuborn (thick as a brick my Mother would say). I make waves.

And come to think of it now I can understand more how most of the Nordic people find the majority of the US unbelieveably obnoxious.

Perhaps cultures should come with disclamers, but then it’s not a culture’s responsibility to make the onlooker understand. Heh, but then I don’t think I would have acted any differently.

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Having Jante's Law in the cultural luggage

magnio
2006-10-10 08:37 pm UTC (link)

You don't have to act "Italian American" for "us" to judge you as a loud American - you will from just being American ;-) I don't know what it is, but most Americans I have met, even those who has really tried not to act "typical" have been very American in my view. It's nothing wrong with it, but it's quite fascinating that even when you try to act different you don't. (I only see this when I meet people in RL, not online. It may be my short social antennas ;-))

I suppose it's the entire upbringing and cultural values from the American society, with speech as a class in school (at least in high school films :-)), the entire "survival of the fittest" scheme (yes, I know you have social security, but that also seems to come with a "only for the most needy and you have to qualify long before we will even concider you eligible for help" clause) and not least that you are actually allowed to succeed - and to fail.

The company I worked for for four years didn't end up very successful and winded up. People, including several of us who founded it, evaluated the company as a failure, even though we didn't go bankrupt and we actually employed four people fulltime for several years, without any venture capital. From what I have read about business in USA the closure of the company wouldn't be a big deal there - that we actually made a company would be regarded a success, and it's not a failure that we never celebrated our 10th or 100th anniversary. In Norway we tend to regard the failure as the main point.

The Jante Law sums it up quite accurate. Even though things are changing, this is unfortunately much of what people think, both alone and in groups. Outward one can praise the success of others, but in a smaller and more "internal" group it's unfortunately common to point at negative stuff she has done, even if it's totally irrelevant to her success.

Of course much of this, both how we see Americans and how you actually are, as well as how especially Nordic people are and are seen, are stereotypes, but there is a lot of truth in them. I see no reason to change behaviour and culture to suit onlookers (except if it's offending - one is allowed to be polite to guests, too), but it's very useful to know a bit about their culture to understand how they think and act.

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Re: Having Jante's Law in the cultural luggage

time3
2006-10-10 11:52 pm UTC (link)

you will from just being American ;-)

Yes, I'm sure ;-P

the entire "survival of the fittest" scheme

Yes, in a manner of speaking that is the way it is, although it's not ultimate survival. People can survive if they are unfit, but it is one of the most uncomfortable ways of living. And they are cast out from the social norm.

Many people in America choose this manner of living. They live in projects (inner-city) or trailor parks (country), purchase cigarettes with food-stamp change, are illiterate, and jobless.

I see no reason to change behaviour and culture to suit onlookers (except if it's offending - one is allowed to be polite to guests, too), but it's very useful to know a bit about their culture to understand how they think and act

Yes, and that was definitely the point I was trying to make. If I had known this prior to the visit by our Swedish friends I would have understood better their reactions I experienced.

I'm pretty sure at no time I was being rude, however, being rude is a matter of perspective. Of course I may be overthinking all of this but it is something that I never had to think about before now :-)

For example (as I put the both of us into a single perspective), Italians often crowd together in public places when there is plenty of room to space out and be comfortable. This is a social norm there yet not normal here nor, I'm guessing, where you live. So the crowding around one in a public setting may come off as rude when in reality it's acceptable from the one perspective.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Having Jante's Law in the cultural luggage time3 2006-10-12 11:39 pm UTC (link)
	Magni, Did you know that humor is actually pretty recently acceptable in the US? Check out this article I recently discovered: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-4095.html (Reply to this)(Parent)

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