Norwegian Culture
Culture is the product of all learning that shapes thoughts, beliefs, language, and social patterns (which include social expectations and social rules). All people everywhere eat, talk, play, work and think; but not all people eat the same thing, speak the same language, play the same games, do the same work or think the same thoughts. When you leave your own culture and go to another you naturally carry your background and personality with you. On your arrival to Norway you may experience a wide variety of feelings and reactions, like:
If you do experience these things, then you are probably experiencing culture shock. Culture shock occurs when a person leaves a familiar place and moves to an unfamiliar one. People experience culture shock in different ways. The food is not what you are used to and people look, speak and act differently from the people at home. You may not be able to convey your full personality in English and Norwegian, and the people you speak to will have the same problem. Your family and friends are far away. As a result you may feel confused or unsure of yourself. You may even have doubts about whether you made the right decision in coming here.
Coping with culture shock requires special effort, but it is important to remember that you are not alone. Most international students experience culture shock during their first few weeks when they are in a new environment.
Advice for helping you through the cultural adjustments:
You will most likely learn step by step how to cope with the Norwegian culture. Don’t think that people will change, you have to adjust!
Norway is becoming a multicultural society so it is difficult to generalise about patterns of behaviour. The typical Norwegian as described in stories is no longer valid. The following is written to give some idea of what could possibly be part of being a Norwegian. During you stay at Bodø University College you will have the chance to meet many Norwegians. Often, international students have problems in becoming friends with Norwegians. If you seem to have trouble getting to know Norwegians, our advise is, be open, be friendly, and don’t give up.
Men and women are equal by Norwegian law. The women gained the right to vote in 1913. Since then Norway has become one of the initiative countries in the world for the equality between men and women. It is very important for people outside of Norway to respect this specific area.
One thing a lot of international students have commented on is the ‘shyness’ of Norwegian people. It would be a generalisation to say that they are all shy but this is true for many Norwegians. International students commented that in bars in the evening, Norwegians would be very friendly and open towards them. However the next day the Norwegian would act as if they hardly knew them. A few international students have been put off by this apparent coldness; however, all that is required is that you must put a little extra effort in approaching and speaking to them.
As you are in a different country with a different language and different customs from your home country, you will hopefully be putting extra effort to make friends and get to know people anyway. The seasonal changes might explain why Norwegians act the way they do, their unapproachableness is more apparent in gloomy wintertime than in the summertime. However do not let this put you off because you can see the Northern Lights, ‘Aurora Borealis’ in the sky at this time of year, October till March, and the snow and coldness might be a new and exhilarating experience for international students.
Norway is a protestant country with a state church. Even though many people consider themselves Christians, they don’t practise their religion. For many foreigners this can be a bit hard to understand, especially if they are used to practicing their religion.
Norwegians are relatively friendly but friendships take time to grow. Norwegians normally have a small and tight group of friends. It is easy for international students to retreat to their own national group or to spend time with other international students who share many of their challenges. However, meeting and getting to know Norwegians and their culture, is an important part of your educational experience in Norway. Don’t be afraid to make language errors – people may laugh but don’t mean to offend you. Tell Norwegian students where you are from, and tell them about your country. Usually people are interested in knowing how things are different in other countries. If someone shows an interest, answer his or her question, don’t be hesitant or shy. Become involved in student activities, such as through Bodø International, or any of the Bodø Student Union student clubs. If you are invited to a school or department function, go and meet members of staff and other students.
The Sámi people are the native group in Norway. They are equal to the rest of the ethnic Norwegians. They have their own parliament which takes care of Sámi matters.
Bargaining is not commonly practiced in Norwegian shops. The prices marked are the prices at which goods are sold. However, in some street and weekend markets and second –hand shops you may be able to bargain. You can also bargain if you are making large cash purchases.
Norway is a relatively clean country, and each citizen has to obey the rules concerning littering. The Bodø City Council is responsible for keeping the streets clean and disposing of rubbish. It has rubbish collection service which collects garbage every week. It is important that you sort the different types of garbage. It is your responsibility to throw away glass in the recycling bins around town. The different categories for a normal household are paper, plastic, food and the rest. You must orientate yourself of in which bin you put them, otherwise neighbours can get annoyed. There are litter bins in the streets for casual rubbish. Littering or dropping rubbish on streets or in public places is an offence and you can be fined.
Norwegian toilets are used in a western manner. This means that men either sit on the toilet seat or lift up the toilet seat and stand in the front of the toilet bowl and urinate. Women always sit on the toilet seat. Most people use toilet paper rather than "splashing" themselves as is common in some countries. Toilet paper is normally flushed down the toilet, but women’s sanitary products are disposed of in a special rubbish bin, which is normally provided. As most toilets are cleaned regularly splashing them with water after being used is regarded as socially unacceptable in Norway. Standing on the toilet seat is also unacceptable.
In Norway you can drink tapped water. The water in some of the larger cities is not as good as in many of the rural towns. In Bodø there is no problem with the tapped water, but in some areas in Oslo for example, the water is not recommended.
One of the major adjustments for new international students is the change in diet and the different food that is available. There are speciality food shops in Bodø which cater for a variety of tastes. There are also many different food restaurants which include Indian, Japanese, and Mongolian to name a few. As well as the specialist food shops, there are other shops where you can purchase bulk items at a cheaper price. Some of the bigger supermarkets also stock specific international food. Food outlets are required by law to adhere to specific health regulations and should be safe to eat. Norwegian food laws are the same as in EU. Some of the things you might notice are that Norwegians eat a lot of meatloaf, with mixed meat, they drink a lot of milk, the bread is dark, and you might have stomach problems in the beginning. Norwegians also eat a lot of fish. The food is quite expensive in Norway, so you have to consider this before going.
In Norway most people take off their shoes when entering a house. This is normally done in the first entrance in someone’s house. Normally you wear slippers inside, or wear a pair of wool socks. Remember to remove your shoes before entering a house unless the owners suggest you can leave them on.
Most Norwegians eat 4 meals a day; breakfast around 7 – 8 am, lunch around 11 – noon, dinner 4 – 5 pm, and an evening meal around 8 – 9 pm. You will most likely be invited to dinner (sometimes this is made around 8 pm.) Norwegians normally eat with fork, knife and spoon, rarely with their fingers, but sometimes with chop sticks (when eating Asian food).
Normally people would eat until there is no food left, or until they don’t want more to eat. Decline if you don’t more, and accept if you want more. If you for some reason don’t eat specific food, make sure to inform your host when you accept the invitation. After food it is common for the guests to ask to help wash or dry the dishes. Remember, Norwegians do not normally have servants, and the family does all the work in the home themselves.
Norway has 4 main TV-channels, and a variety of smaller TV-channels. A lot of what is screened on TV is in English with Norwegian subtitles. This makes it possible to watch TV- programmes on Norwegian TV. All movies are also in the original language and subtitled into Norwegian. Most newspapers are in Norwegian, but to catch up on the news in your own country, international newspapers can be purchased from different news agencies in town. The largest variety you’ll find in Narvesen in the SAS building. You’ll also find books written in English, and some other languages. If you don’t want to buy books all the time (because books are, as many other items, very expensive in Norway) Bodø also has a library, in the Town Hall building. A second hand bookshop is located opposite of the library. Radio channels mostly broadcast music, but try to check the NRK always news. They have radio broadcasting in English, even cricket results are broadcasted here. Most of the music in Norway is the same as in any other country, and mainly in English. You can buy quite cheap music. If you don’t have a radio or a TV, just log on the NRK or TV2. You’ll also be able to watch CNN/BBC – programmes.
As a student, you can work 20 hours per week during the semester, and full time during the holidays. You must apply for a permit through the Police Station with a statement from the International Office. But the International Office is not eligible to give a statement to all students. You pay taxes, and you will need an ID-number. The National Registrar provides you with one. This might take some time, especially in the beginning of the semester. The International Office will be able to help you with that process. The Job Centre (Aetat, visit www.aetat.no) has lists of jobs that are available. You can also search for jobs by asking around in shops and places in Bodø, looking at the job section in the local newspapers or enquiring at the Høgskolen i Bodø (look at the different information boards located in the halls). You can also contact SSiB. They offer some extra shifts here and there, and if you register, they will call you if they have work for you.
You will not be able to work your first semester, since you are going to focus on school. We want to see academic profession before letting you go look for work. You must have an average of better than C to be approved by the International Office to get a job. You are here mainly to study, so keep this in mind when you come to Norway.
Volunteering can be done both on campus and off campus. Some of the volunteer work gives extra credits. There are a lot of organizations where you can work as a volunteer. Many of the students will stay over Christmas, a time of the year where family is often gathered. Some Norwegians have no family, or can’t afford to celebrate Christmas. Some organisations provide food for theses people along with Christmas gifts. You can either join the celebration of Christmas together with these people, or help give others a beautiful Christmas.
Norway is not known to the world for being a dangerous place to live. Even though, like any other place, you have to be cautious. Some of the more general advices include:
Playing it Safe – Sexual Advice
Rape, sexual assault and sexual abuse is when a person has, or tries to have, some form of sexual contact with another person who does not want it, that is, a person who does not give consent. This also includes when a person is not capable of consenting – for example, someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Please watch your drinks when at nightclubs and bars, sometimes people “spike” them by slipping drugs in your drink to try and take advantage of you. Sexual violation is viewed very seriously in Norway and there are harsh penalties for those found guilty. If you do not want someone to touch you, or if you do not want to have sex, it is your right to say “No” and if this is not respected, you also have the right to report the incident to the police.
Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Sexually Transmitted Diseases are spread by all types of sex. They include diseases and infections such as; Chlamydia; genital warts; genital herpes; gonorrhoea; hepatitis A, B & C; HIV (AIDS) and many more. Infections are not only uncomfortable, but they can have serious long term effects like infertility or sterility. Part of the problem is that for something like Chlamydia, you may not know you have it because of the lack of symptoms. Sexually Transmitted Diseases are rising rapidly in Norway, especially Chlamydia. The best way to avoid STDs is to not have sex. If you choose to engage in sexual activity, you should always use a condom.
If you like some more information about STDs, or think you have one, a useful website is: http://www.cdc.gov/nchstp/dstd/disease_info.htm#GenInfo. You can also contact your Norwegian doctor.
Contraception – Preventing Diseases and Pregnancy
The best way to prevent pregnancy and STDs is to not engage in sexual activities. If you do engage in sexual activity, you should use some form of contraception. Some contraception only prevents pregnancy, whereas others also prevent some diseases. Search the Internet for contraception or contact your Norwegian doctor, if you have questions regarding this matter.
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| Published by Tine Viveka Westerberg 07.09.2004 |
| Bodø University College, International Office, NO-8049 Bodø, Norway
Phone: +47 755 17803 (direct), +47 755 17200 (switchboard) , fax +47 755 17551, email: international@hibo.no |