In the Nordic countries, there is a policy that you have the right to communicate in your own language in fellow Nordic countries. This covers Denmark (incl. Greenland and the Pharaoh Islands), Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland.
The Scandinavian languages are usually in the center of the attempts to support this policy, which is the reason why Icelandic people learn Danish or Norwegian and Finnish people learn Swedish in school. However, motivation is usually low - probably because it is easier to speak English for them.
Traditionally Swedes, Norwegians and Danes have been able to understand each other, but in the younger generations it is becoming harder. Especially the Swedes and Norwegians struggle to understand the Danes. I, like many Danes, find it embarrassing to speak English to other Scandinavians and have taken the consequence and taught myself Swedish (the bonus is that it sounds funny :-).
For articles in Danish on the topic, see:
Nordisk sprogpolitik – skandinavisk som fælles platform
Sproglige rettigheder i Grønland, Rigsfælleskabet og Norden
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Saturday, 12 November 2011
Career and loyalty
In my flatshare we have a Bulgarian girl who comes to clean our flat every other week. It is great because we avoid any discussions about whos turn it is and stuff like that. However, she just told me she got a good job-offer and may have to stop the cleaning business. Good for her I thought, so I congratulated her.
Funny thing is that she was very apologetic, and in the end I just said to her that she didn't owe anyone to stay in a place if something better came up. I would never dream of turning down a better offer out of loyalty to a job. Not to say I am not loyal, but the concept of loyalty just means something else to me.
I think this is not just cultural but also affected by many other things. In Denmark there are also people who stay in the same company for over 30 years and I can only explain this by referring to a sense of loyalty. Everyone gets a better offer at some point or another in the course of that many years, unless they are actively avoiding it.
My parents have worked for different employers throughout their career and perhaps that has shaped my opinion. It is my impression that it is more common in some industries and some cultures to stay in the same job for years and years, however most Danish people of my generation move between jobs fairly naturally. The people I know anyway.
Perhaps this is also a tendency because of the legislation in Denmark. It is extremely easy to get rid of employees compared to in the neighbouring countries. That naturally creates a more dynamic labour market where it is ok to move around and try different things.
Funny thing is that she was very apologetic, and in the end I just said to her that she didn't owe anyone to stay in a place if something better came up. I would never dream of turning down a better offer out of loyalty to a job. Not to say I am not loyal, but the concept of loyalty just means something else to me.
I think this is not just cultural but also affected by many other things. In Denmark there are also people who stay in the same company for over 30 years and I can only explain this by referring to a sense of loyalty. Everyone gets a better offer at some point or another in the course of that many years, unless they are actively avoiding it.
My parents have worked for different employers throughout their career and perhaps that has shaped my opinion. It is my impression that it is more common in some industries and some cultures to stay in the same job for years and years, however most Danish people of my generation move between jobs fairly naturally. The people I know anyway.
Perhaps this is also a tendency because of the legislation in Denmark. It is extremely easy to get rid of employees compared to in the neighbouring countries. That naturally creates a more dynamic labour market where it is ok to move around and try different things.
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