Is there a distinctly Swedish national character? Are Swedes truly shy, unemotional, conflict-avoiding, melancholy, and dour? Swedish Mentality, the English translation of the hugely successful book published in Sweden in 1989, considers the reality behind the myth. The author, Åke Daun, is a respected ethnologist who is sometimes referred to as the "guru" of Swedish character. In recent years, it has become popular to discuss Swedishness and Swedish identity. The advent of the European Union and the increasing presence of immigrant refugees in Sweden have fueled public debate on the distinctiveness of Swedish culture. Daun, however, goes beyond stereotype, drawing upon statistics gathered over more than a decade of research. The result is an entertaining and engagingly written book. Throughout, Daun quotes from interviews with native Swedes and immigrants as well as from travel accounts, folklore, and proverbs. We learn why some Swedes might prefer to walk up a flight of stairs rather than share an elevator with a neighbor and why some gain satisfaction from walking alone in the woods or going fishing. Daun describes a range of factors influencing Swedish character, including population composition, rural background, and even climate. He recognizes behavioral variations related to gender, age, class, and region, and he considers subtleties of individual character as well. Swedish Mentality should interest a wide array of readers, whether of Swedish descent or not.
Is there a distinctly Swedish national character? Are Swedes truly shy, unemotional, conflict-avoiding, melancholy, and dour? Swedish Mentality, the English translation of the hugely successful book published in Sweden in 1989, considers the reality behind the myth. The author, Åke Daun, is a respected ethnologist who is sometimes referred to as the "guru" of Swedish character. In recent years, it has become popular to discuss Swedishness and Swedish identity. The advent of the European Union and the increasing presence of immigrant refugees in Sweden have fueled public debate on the distinctiveness of Swedish culture. Daun, however, goes beyond stereotype, drawing upon statistics gathered over more than a decade of research. The result is an entertaining and engagingly written book. Throughout, Daun quotes from interviews with native Swedes and immigrants as well as from travel accounts, folklore, and proverbs. We learn why some Swedes might prefer to walk up a flight of stairs rather than share an elevator with a neighbor and why some gain satisfaction from walking alone in the woods or going fishing. Daun describes a range of factors influencing Swedish character, including population composition, rural background, and even climate. He recognizes behavioral variations related to gender, age, class, and region, and he considers subtleties of individual character as well. Swedish Mentality should interest a wide array of readers, whether of Swedish descent or not.
*The basis for the wonderfully funny and moving TV series developed by Amy Poehler and Scout Productions* A charming, practical, and unsentimental approach to putting a home in order while reflecting on the tiny joys that make up a long life. In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming. Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Digging into her late husband’s tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.
Reporter Chang Frick grew up dark-haired in a nation of blonds. Ostracized as a child, in adulthood he set out to expose the hypocrisy of Swedish society. When he revealed the cover-up of mass sexual assaults on teen girls at a 2015 music festival, he provoked a chain reaction that rattled the nation. Sweden's elites shirked responsibility and rushed to discredit him. Although Sweden boasts the world's oldest free press, its history of homogeneity and social engineering has created a culture where few dare dissent from consensus, those who do are driven to extremes, and there is no place for outsiders--even those who conform. In this groundbreaking book, investigative journalist Kajsa Norman turns her fearless gaze on the oppressive forces at the heart of Sweden's 'model democracy'. Weaving the history of its social politics with the stories of Frick and other outcasts, Norman exposes the darkness in the Swedish soul.
This book discusses the interrelationship between practices of collective self-interpretation, in this case national identity construction, and integration policies, using the example of Denmark and Sweden. Though both countries are considered to be socially progressive and modern, not least by themselves, the author makes the novel and provocative argument that both Denmark and Sweden are caught in a (discourse) paradox when it comes to integration policy, which stands in the way of successful immigrant integration. The author uses an innovative approach to reconstruct the Danish and the Swedish national identity by using social studies schoolbooks and novels as research material, thereby adding an interdisciplinary dimension to the book. About the author Marilena Geugjes is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden, Germany. She earned her doctorate in Political Science at Heidelberg University. Her research focuses on migration and integration policy, local politics, and the role of the police.
For many decades, Sweden was seen as a model welfare state. Only with the onset of economic problems in the 1990s have successive governments felt compelled to curb social spending and abandon the goal of full employment. This book is about the changes introduced and the political, institutional and cultural resistance they encountered. Detailed accounts of changes to welfare services and benefits are included alongside specialist chapters devoted to areas where Sweden itself has claimed to be something of a leader - the care of the elderly, gender equality, employment issues and substance.
This is the new, black and white version of From English to Swedish 1. A full color version is also available. Look for ISBN 978-1540452900. From English to Swedish 1 & 2 is a series of textbooks for English speaking students who would like to learn Swedish. The first book covers level A1 and the second book level A2 of the European CEFR-scale. Unlike most Swedish textbooks they provide vocabulary lists, grammar explanations, and text commentaries in English. To help the reader learn Swedish pronunciation, a series of videos linked to the first book is available on YouTube (see https://www.youtube.com/watch'v=mEQVgbDPZ4I). The texts of the two books tell the story of an American girl who comes as an exchange student to live in a Swedish family. She struggles to learn Swedish and adapt to Swedish culture, but in the process runs into a number of culture clashes, all based on the authors' real life experiences. �ke Daun, professor of ethnology from Stockholm University and a specialist in Swedish mentality, has examined the first book and describes the way it introduces Swedish mentality as "innovative and entertaining". To facilitate the student's learning the books take advantage of the close relationship between English and Swedish. Many of the words appearing in the texts are similar to their English counterparts. Having finished both books, the student will have acquired a vocabulary of slightly more than 1,500 words including 57 % of the 2,000 most frequent words of the Swedish language as defined by Spr�kbanken (the Language Bank), a data base published by the University of Gothenburg. In an appendix to book 1, the similarities between English and Swedish are explained from an historical point of view, and over 300 related words from different areas are presented. Each chapter in the books contains a short grammar section presenting essentials in Swedish morphology and syntax. All grammatical terms, except the most common ones, are explained. At the end of each book there is a grammar overview with definitions of concepts and references to relevant chapters. Each lesson includes a number of exercises, where students are encouraged to practice their newly gained grammar knowledge, repeat vocabulary, and answer questions in connection with the texts. As the students' vocabulary develops, the questions become increasingly open-ended in order to stimulate reflection and discussion in class. Furthermore, a number of songs with simple vocabulary are included, mainly children's songs by classic song-writers. Finally, each book contains answers to the exercises and a complete alphabetical glossary. Judgments about From English to Swedish 1: "I'm just learning Swedish, and this book is wonderful. The style & methodology are ideal. Highly recommend." (Amazon, USA) "A brilliant book. ... The words and pronunciations are well explained with examples given. Common Swedish vocab is also used in lessons. Quite amazing that by lesson 2 (Lektion 2) I was understanding and translating simple paragraphs and answering questions in full sentences without much difficulty. The two books are a must buy for people looking to learn the Swedish language. ... The second book is just as good as this one." (Amazon, England) "I've tried to start learning Swedish several times with at least 4 books, and finally I've found one that is didactic enough to keep me going! Very natural way of teaching, the closest thing I've seen to have a teacher that prepares a class for you. I'm already looking for the 2nd book! " (Amazon, Spain)
"This is the bible for anyone being transferred to Sweden!" - Magnus Moliteus, Executive Director, Invest in Sweden Agency Modern-Day Vikings provides a window into what one world traveler called the most American of European countries: Sweden. Yet, surface similarities between the two nations conceal essential differences. Christina Robinowitz and Lisa Werner Carr provide insights and strategies for successful interactions with Swedes, whether business or social. True to its title, Modern-Day Vikings traces some of Sweden's most ingrained cultural traits back to its Viking heritage: self-sufficiency, fairness, egalitarianism and democracy. The authors also examine Sweden's famous "cradle-to-grave" social model and explore the values underlying modern Swedish culture, such as lagom (moderation), the law of Jante (personal modesty), communication styles and business practices.
