4. From
your conversations with Finnish people, what have you learned about the Finnish
culture? How do you compare the things you learned from the way things are in
the American culture?
The Finnish people are a spectacle
to behold. They are a shy, introverted people, yet have a vibrant social scene.
They value a person’s privacy and don’t appreciate pointless conversations, yet
crave a good friend and conversation. They respect a persons’ right to an
education, yet drink more beer per capita than Americans do. Overall, the
Finnish people are a private yet respectful people and have made this trip one
of the best I’ve ever had.
I am sure that there are some people
in Finland who don’t say a word to anyone for an entire week on a regular
basis. As an American, I am used to asking a question about where a certain
restaurant is located, talking to a cashier about how slow the work day is, or
simply saying hello to someone as I walk past them. In Finland, however, it is
highly unlikely that anyone will talk to you about anything other than
something of great importance. Americans must use specific looks or voice
inflections to denote a serious conversation rather than an unimportant one
simply because we talk all the time about everything. When asked a question, a
Finnish person won’t deny your request and will indeed answer, but will not
continue to chat if there is no need to do so. This creates very efficient and
sincere conversations, something that I have been very grateful to engage in
during this trip.
The Finnish people are very
intelligent and promote education for all people. According to many articles
and papers, Finland ranks close to first in graduation rates, academic scores,
and overall education, whereas the United States ranks closer to 20th
in the world. Even though America has free public education up through high
school and Finland has public education that has small costs for the students,
Finland boasts a 97% high school graduation rate. While both countries churn
out amazing technologies and brilliant minds, the American people don’t seem to
value education nearly as much as Finnish culture does.
One standout cultural point of the
Finnish people is their sense of equality. The Finnish language lacks specific
words for “he” or “she” and instead has a gender-neutral word “hän”. To put it
simply, there is no gender in Finnish. Also, there is little to no traces of social
classes; where in America, a lawyer would be thought of more highly than a
farmer, all people are of equal status in Finland. Between these two factors,
the identity Finland is very egalitarian. This is a fresh and interesting
school of thought compared to America and I thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere
this created for my encounters with the Finnish people.
The people of Finland have learned
and adapted to the rough northern environment and the continually changing
world. Because of this, they understand the need for smart, technologically
advanced citizens which are all equal and are all self-sufficient. The belief
that higher education is the future for employment in today’s rapidly evolving
world makes Finnish culture much more appealing than some aspects of American
culture. I would gladly live in Finland; with its down-to-earth, sincere people
and its rough, beautiful environment, the country appeals to me in a way I
would not have expected. Now to send that application to Nokia…
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