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Through the years, different groups of people have come up

with cultures which help them to develop spiritually, morally

and mentally.

25/06/2012 UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND PHARMACY

“VICTOR BABES”

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Timişoara, Romania - 25.06.2012.

“Victor Babes” University of

Medicine and Pharmacy

- CLASH OF CULTURES -

- BALKAN VS SCANDINAVIA –

Student: Roganovic Radivoje Mentor: Prof. Dr. Luca Garbiela

Subject: Anthropology Keywords: culture, difference,

Theme: Clash of Cultures scandinavia, balkan, personality,

Year: Second year of General Medicine system, social, comparison.

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Introduction

One of the things that make human life intriguing and to some extent captivating is the

diversity and variation exhibited by various people as a result of their differing cultures,

personalities and physical appearance.

Through the years, different groups of people have come up with cultures which help them

to develop spiritually, morally and mentally. As such these cultures have become building blocks in

their lives and work places.

Comparison As I have lived in different countries, mostly on a Balkan and in a Scandinavia, to be precise

in Montenegro, Croatia, Serbia, Sweden and Romania. I can easy see the difference between these

countries. Basically the ex-Yugoslavia countries have almost the same character, somehow

Romanian character is similar to Yugoslavian, maybe because all these countries have some Balkan

Influence and same Roots, but compare it to Swedish culture, it is a big difference.

Swedish people are mostly acting to others with suspicious, have a skeptical view and a

dosage of untrustiness and will fake a friendship if they don’t know you well and will not interact so

easy with foreigners, very cold and not emotional. They are very rule followers and maybe that is

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the reason why in their country everything is in order and society system is almost perfect and they

trying on improving it from day to day. That cold attitude is a very big problem for people that

come from abroad and unfitting in the system also, because many of this foreign people will try to

find out a way how to not play by the rules, not following the system and trying to smarter, what is

starting to slowly change the Swedish country, because every day more and more immigrants

coming to Sweden. Especially culture differences are starting to change the schools and teacher

interactions. Like young girls from Muslim countries are not allowed to go on a School Trips, some

of them are covered, some of them have religious needs during the school time, ex. praying. Police

also have a problem when they need to stop a car and in a car is a covered person where’s hard to

uncover the identity of a suspect.

In school that I was in Sweden we had more than 20

nationalities. And it was very interesting to collaborate and

found a way to work with each other and also to not offend

someone, because of different acting what is maybe for one

culture normal for other is an insulting.

I also assumed that people like to be in groups and

find looking to hang out with their own nation or nation

from their country. Even if there was a war in Middle East,

the people who are in their countries enemies in Sweden

were friends more between each other than with other people from other continents. If you could

not find your Country group, you will try to get in Continent group, Africans with Africans, Asians

with Asians etc.

South versus North I noticed that people from northern countries are calmer and slow, not stressful and

phlegmatic, while if you go more on the south people become more explosive and dynamic and

sanguine. Also the social system is different, and people in southern countries of Europe are more

“easy friend finding” then the people from northern countries.

As in many countries now alcohol is very popular, but for me as nonalcoholic I never saw

such alcohol consumption as they do in northern countries. Even if they put laws that alcohol can be

bought only in special stores and not like in other Europe countries where you can buy alcohol in

market, gas station, small shops… there is only one registered shop which is under the property of

government “Systembolaget”. In market you can buy low percentage alcohol drinks as Cider or

Beer of 2,8 – 3,5%.

Sweden has free insurance for health, free education, a lot helping programs for anti-

alcoholism, for rehabilitation of drugs, free institutes for elderly people etc. What makes me to get a

feeling that it is a capitalistic country with communism infrastructure. Sweden really cares about

their citizens, even if they are not born in Sweden or have double nationalities. Country supports if

you are interested in education and if you don’t like your job, you can anytime go to schools not

depending on your age and change your profession, so that you can do your job more effective and

with love and passion.

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Gesticulation is more

intensive from people from

Balkan, they wave with hands

and have louder expressions

with voice. Face expression are

also more shown as also they

smile more.

In traffic in Sweden they do not

have habit to use Horns, only

in cases to warn someone…

where in ex-Yugoslavia people

use it to greet each other, to

warn and to express their road

rage when occur. In Sweden if

it’s a one way street and car is

stopped, but in that way close

that other cars can’t pass, no one will horn or yell, everyone will stay in a queue and wait until the

first car does his thing. What shows how calm they are and understandable. One interesting thing

that I noticed in Sweden was that even Dogs are rarely barking, almost to say that they don’t bark at

all.

Sweden is a very modern country that tries to have a great evolution. Once I was watching

and interview with one Swedish scientist and she was asked about Vikings and wars. I will try to

quote her as much as I can remember “As every other nation, Sweden went through barbarian stage,

we are not ashamed of Vikings, we are proud of them, but that is history. Sweden is trying to avoid

wars and to improve in knowledge and science, we like to think and mention our people that

positively contributed to the world like:

- Alfred Nobel(inventor of dynamite, used his fortune to posthumously institute the Nobel Prizes),

- Carolus a Linné(modern scheme of binomial nomenclature),

- Selma Lagerlöf(first female writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature),

- Niklas Zennström(founder of the Kazaa and Skype) etc.”

Serbia is a very inspirational country, like other ex-Yugoslavian countries, with great

potential but because of economical state in country which is low and can’t offer a success and

support great ideas, intelligent people are leaving and going to other more advanced countries and

helping them in their evolution. Politics takes a great part in culture evolving, will it stagnate or the

country will run into future. Depends if politicians can think about their country more then they

think about themselves.

Religion between Cultures Most culture differences are on religious

side. And religion is basically the primary one

who makes the main differences between people,

somehow the negative interaction in my opinion.

What was before on a color side

differentiation, today from my point of view is

the religion that takes part in almost everything,

even in politics same as in business.

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People with no reason hate each other and don’t respect and always want to point that their

religion is the right one. I witness a lot of cases where people started to argue about it, what man

should believe. Even if their religions teach them to not hate and express anger and insult, they do

all of that and they do that in the name of their religion. Even wars today are about religion or about

controlling economically promising resorts, where again the headquarters of most three religion

have part, Catolic, Ortodox and Muslim. People should know their culture, practice it but always

respect others culture. And if you are a foreign you should not poke others with some rituals, if that

is not accepted well in area where you came. But try to assimilate, try to take good and try to teach

others if you know it better.

Awerness Globalization has led to a status quo where organizations are constantly being forced to

interact and in some instances merger with each other so as to fully utilize scarce resources so as to

ensure their profitability and hence future continuity. To best achieve their goals, organizations at

times find themselves forging alliances with individuals from different nations around the globe in

order to tap into the best

talents for the various jobs. If

employees do not oversee

such differences and work as

a unit, then the working

environment and the output

would end up in turmoil.

That’s why the advanced

countries are more successful,

because their people

understand that if they work

it will benefit the country,

which will lead to better

status, where their politicians

will try to improve society so

that everyone earns.

In less advanced countries like in Balkan, where greater number of people is poor, no one

cares about advancement and progression of country, people tries to get as much as they can for

themselves because tomorrow is not safe and they don’t know what to expect. This is also what

influences the attitude of certain people. When they living from today for tomorrow.

Advice – Personal opinion As every country have positive and negative sides. Depend on personality that you are, some

will be more adequate for you. Like for instance, if you are child, have a family or want a calm

place with order, Sweden is perfect place. If you are young, dynamic, that you don’t think that you

will settle soon, want to meet new people easy, that you need a social communicative place, where

if you have a problem there is always alternative but not solution, where people boring each other

with problems but they are still happy, then the Balkan is place for you.

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References:

Internet sites:

Wikipedia and Google for corrections and verifying information.

Printed references:

Not used.

Pictures:

Cover:

Hands of the World

http://communicatinacrosscultures.webs.com/MPj04306430000[1]1.gif

SubCover :

Greetings

http://morethanshipping.com/wp-

content/uploads/2012/01/6a0128763842f6970c014e8ba4d3c9970d-800wi.jpg

Picture 01. Model:

http://www.best-career-match.com/images/White-Triangle.gif

Picture 02 Feet vs Meters:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_dD4-

k8QsRg/TsIOSg027BI/AAAAAAAAABA/DwGps1o3BgA/s1600/CultureClash-X.gif

Picture 03. Gesticulation:

http://www.carinsurance.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/road_rage.jpg

Picture 04. Religion Clash:

Google engine search for images with words: clash culture

Picture 05. Culture chart:

http://www.hrsolutionsbydesign.com/images/chart-culture.jpg

Keywords: Culture, difference, scandinavia, balkan, personality, system, social, comparison, religion.

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Timişoara, Romania - 25.06.2012.

“Victor Babes” University of

Medicine and Pharmacy

- CLASH OF CULTURES -

- BALKAN VS SCANDINAVIA –

Student: Roganovic Radivoje Mentor: Prof. Dr. Luca Garbiela

Email: roganovic@live.com

The content of this essay is free to use, rewrite or print.

This was written for educational purpose only by Roganovic Radivoje.

For any questions please write to roganovic@live.com .

Subject: Anthropology Keywords: culture, difference,

Theme: Clash of Cultures scandinavia, balkan, personality, Year: Second year of General Medicine system, social, comparison.