Worldview
In discovering more about Iceland, I am learning how similar Michigan and midwestern lifestyles are to Iceland. For example, Michigan's state motto is , "If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you" and Iceland is known to be one of the happiest countries on earth. The similarities in lifestyle and even worldview are not entirely surprising as much of the upper midwest, where I consider much of my shaping to have come from, was settled by Norwegians and Fins and Iceland has been strongly impacted by it's Norwegian neighbors. Both places are impacted by cold culture, water, the outdoors, hard work, strong family units and Christian faith( largely Lutheran in both). However, they are deeply different; Michigan has a much more conservative in outlook while Iceland is one of the leading countries when it comes to human rights.
Cultural and Worldview Value
My Culture: Host Culture:
United States/ Iceland
Upper Midwest
Individualism vs.
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With our infamous ideals of “rugged individualism” and “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” as well as our overall, self-serving lifestyle, I would say that the midwest is through and through an individualistic culture. My parents always told me to figure out things for myself. I also hear many people claim that “self-sufficiency” to be something they are seeking by starting their own farms and gardens. I also feel that the “DIY” culture between crafts, recipes, home appliances and fixtures etc. is very strongly followed here among young people and older adults alike. Though I would say community of friends and family is an important value; my culture is strictly individualistic.
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Iceland is also an individualistic culture. This does not surprise me because northern Michigan and other parts of the midwest have strong Norwegian influences. Iceland’s culture is loose-knit and people are expected to take care of themselves and their immediate families. Within the career context, employees are expected to be self reliant and display and take initiative. Hiring and promotion decisions are made based one one’s past experience and merits.
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GENDER ROLE DEFINITION (MASCULINITY/ FEMININITY) |
America is definitely a masculine culture and equally so is the midwest, where I grew up. From my experience it is looked down upon to show weakness or emotion; whether you are male or female. Masculine culture is defined as,”society will be driven by competition, achievement and success, with success being defined by the winner/best in field – a value system that starts in school and continues throughout organisational life.”
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"Iceland is a predominately femanine culture. Icelanders “live in order to work.managers strive for consensus, people value equality, solidarity and quality in their working lives. Conflicts are resolved by compromise and negotiation. Incentives such as free time and flexibility are favoured. Focus is on well-being and status is not shown or emphasised." (2)
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Power Distance |
America has a low power distance. We are taught to respect authority and respect our elders. I would say within my personal , fundamental christian upbringing the mentality of respecting parents was almost utilized in order for the male to control his household. However, as children are socialized they learn it is okay to question their authorities within a school context or come up with their own ideas of things.
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Iceland is a low distance culture. "Low Power Distance established for convenience, superiors are always accessible and managers rely on individual employees and teams for their expertise. Both managers and employees expect to be consulted and information is shared frequently. At the same time, communication is informal, direct and participative." (2)
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Uncertainty Avoidance
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Americans can tend to be either very spontaneous or incredibly rigid, depending on the culture and environment you are in. There are families who believe the preschool their child attends determines which Ivy league university they will get into. There are christians, especially women, who go to college with a “ring by spring” mentality. I am an adventurous person and a disorganized planner. In the upper midwest, many children are taught farm maintenance from a young age. I knew many people who learned how to drive a tractor under the age of ten. I enjoy being uncomfortable but only if there is an extent to which I can control it. However, as I plan what “I want to be when I grow up”; I know I can only plan to a certain extent because God holds the future. So I can continue to daydream with purpose.
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Iceland’s a "fairly pragmatic culture in terms of Uncertainty Avoidance. This means that both generalists and experts are needed. There is a focus on planning, and these plans can be altered at short notice and improvisations made. Emotions are not shown much in these societies; people are fairly relaxed and not averse to taking risks. Consequently, there is a larger degree of acceptance for new ideas, innovative products and a willingness to try something new or different, whether it pertains to technology, business practices, or food. " (2)
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Long-term Orientation vs.
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America is country filled with dualities and multi-culturalism, which makes it difficult to say that it is definitely long-term or short-term orientation. The culture I grew up in is very short-term oriented. My family is very passionate about finishing tasks that are at hand and doing your very best.
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"Iceland has a normative culture. People in such societies have a strong concern with establishing the absolute Truth; they are normative in their thinking. They exhibit great respect for traditions, a relatively small propensity to save for the future, and a focus on achieving quick results." (2)
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Indulgence vs. Restraint |
American culture is overall influenced by an almost over indulging influence. In the culture I grew up in, it was all about restraint. I have had to learn that is okay to indulge and to “treat myself.” I believe in this mindset now of fully embracing indulgence in a healthy mindset. I believe it helps you grow and allows you to live more fully.
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"People in societies with a high score in Indulgence generally exhibit a willingness to fulfill their impulses and desires, especially with regard to enjoying life and having fun. They possess a positive attitude and have a tendency towards optimism. In addition, they place a higher degree of importance on leisure time, act as they please and spend money as they wish." (2)
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Human Nature |
Our country was founded on these principles“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” However, through out our history as a country; your humanity has been determined by your skin color. When African slaves were brought to the US, they were determined to be 3/5th of a person and when Europeans encountered Native Americans; they deemed them as savage and not fully person. I would say though American values life; it has a tough history displaying that and because of the crisis in North Dakota with the pipeline and the need to have a “black lives matter” movement, that it still struggles to prove that all men and women are actually equal. In my culture, people would argue that your interpration of life is fine as long as it does not make me uncomfortable; which is very self-serving.Additionally as a Christian, I believe that God created everyone but because of our sinful nature we are separated from Him and have no good in us without His salvation.
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Being a highly individualistic culture; Iceland values human rights. It’s citizens may even enjoy more civil liberties then Americans. Elections are free and fair, there is no state violence and human-rights groups are free to practice as they see fit. Religious freedom is guaranteed, and discrimination based on race, gender, disability, language, or other factors is illegal.Iceland's constitution guarantees freedom of speech and of the press. Iceland has full Internet freedom, academic freedom, freedom of assembly and association, and freedom of religion. There is also full freedom of movement within the country, freedom to travel abroad, to move out of the country and move back. Iceland accepts refugees; forced exile is illegal.
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Agency |
There is a statement or quote that I coined that says, “If you want to seek change; you must pull on the bootstraps of self-awareness.” ( Again, I am seeing how much my language and culture is influenced by individualism.) That is to say in order to change you must look within and determine how to do so. If you determine it; you can do it. Simply put, if I seek an outcome; I possess the drive to see it to completion. I believe growing up a supportive, positive and often works-based culture influences my belief.
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Iceland’s reputation as an over-worked nation definitely shows that they possess a mindset of “working in order to live.” Iceland is also influenced by the nature of the island and it’s wildness and devotion to Icelandic culture.
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Time Orientation |
As a whole Americans think with a very linear perspective. We care about what time you said you would be there. We care about how much time someone put into something. People can tell how hard you worked by how much time you put into something. I was raised to believe that a person’s character is based in their word; and if they can not be on time or keep their word in other ways than they are into to be trusted. It is hard for me as an adult not to have this expectation on everyone as not everyone in the US and other places were raised in this type of viewpoint. I try to pace myself and know that even I can not always keep my word because of different circumstances so I extend grace to others as well.
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Being that Iceland is a more laid back culture, their orientation to time is a mixture of being on time and taking your time. Icelanders take their work very seriously but in their leisure time; they exercise the right to take things as they come.
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Moral Source |
“May you have a strong foundation when the winds of change shift,” recounts the popular song Forever Young. A strong moral perspective of good and evil was built into my upbringing and still influences how I view the world. However, many of the things I used to think were morally wrong as a young child , teenager or even younger adult have shifted since. I think your views can change but in many ways our morals remain the same
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Icelanders are very influenced by their predominant Christian values yet remain pretty open minded to pretty much everything.
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Moral Standard |
My parent’s morals had a strong influence on me. Though my parents expected me to work hard, they also expected me to have everything together or at least appear to. To this day it is not easy to do this. The moral standards of the Bible when it comes to setting yourself apart, outdoing one another in honor and loving your neighbor as much as yourself is a strong moral principle I abide by.
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Moral standards are built based on family dynamics as well as the historical lineage of Iceland it's cuture. They are influenced by the predominantly evangelical Lutheran church.
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Sexuality |
I would say our culture in America is over sexualized to many degrees. “Sex sells” is a popular sentiment perpetuated by the media and people, especially women, who want to get a head in their careers are often encouraged to use their bodies to do so. I was personally raised to view sex as sacred and tend to keep my opinions on the subject pretty private. I am still growing in my acceptance of other types of sexuality when it comes to LBGTQ lifestyles anf rights.
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Gender rights and LGBT rights are very important in Icelandic culture. In 2009, Iceland elected a government headed by the first openly gay leader in modern era. "In 2012, Iceland’s parliament passed a law that proposed “relaxed” views of gender identity. These laws state that “National University Hospital of Iceland" is obligated to create a department dedicated to diagnosing gender dysphoria , as well as performing sex reassignment surgery (SRS). After successfully completing an 18-month process, including living 12 months in accordance their gender, applicants appear before a committee of professionals. If the committee determine that a diagnosis of GID is appropriate, the National registry is informed and the applicant chooses a new name to reflect their gender and are issued a new ID-number and ID. SRS is not required for official name change and gender recognition." (4)
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Justice |
Dr. King painted the picture of American justice accurately when he proclaimed, “ It is obvious that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has give the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficienct funds.” But refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insuffiencet funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check—a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” This sentiment expresses the continual pursuit of justice for all that Americans of minority populations are on as seen by the Dakota Pipeline protests and the black lives matter movement.
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Justice for all people is something that Icelandic government is fully committed to. They advocate for the rights of immigrants, disabled persons, LGBT community and racial equality. The government is required to show preference for disabled people when hiring individuals. Additionally employees have the right to join unions and about 80% Icelanders are members. Iceland police are under civilian authority.
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Truth |
Americans as a whole define truth as your personal declaration of what it might be( Another nod to our individualist culture.) I believe that there is ultimate truth in the person of Jesus, the existence of God and the Holy Spirit and the inspired word of God, the Holy Bible. We may not know everything but we can rest assured acknowledging that the creator God does. The Bible also talks about searching God out in order to find the truth, “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
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Iceland is known to be a country filled with happy people. Though the culture is largely individualistic minded; it has a collective and communal atmosphere. People rely on each other and know that they can trust one another. This “stubborn happiness” was built due to the resiliency of Icelanders through the 2008 banking crisis and even the rigidness of the environment of the island. Also, collective story telling has been a way for Icelanders to get through hard times through the ages and help them remember the strength that lies within. A popular statement is “It is better to go barefoot than without books.”
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Ontology: Spiritualism vs.
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I try to a practice anti-materialistic lifestyle and desire to purchase goods that are locally made or ethically sourced and fair trade. I even committed to wearing the same dress for a year in order to protest the overarching influence of America’s materialistic culture. However it is tough, even when you’re a poor grad student to not feel drawn to the need to acquire something that is cool or something that culture says we need.
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In 2008, Iceland suffered a huge banking crisis. However, even before that, Icelanders valued community and family over materialism. Because Iceland is also a highly career-orientated society, material possessions can also reflect financial success which is valued by Icelanders.
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Diety |
I believe in God Father, the Holy Spirit and Jesus as the three-in-one. I believe that we can have a personal relationship with Jesus. I grew up in a fundamental but spiritually dead Baptist church. Becoming an adult, I have experienced many different types of christian cultures and love to be part of spirit-filled worship.
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The dominant church in Iceland is evangelical Lutheran. Icelanders can register to become members of the church when they become citizens and about 80% of Icelanders are. Irish monks helped establish the christian faith and the Bible was printed in Icelandic in 1540. Because of the rural nature of much of the island, families often do devotionals. Lent hymns are broadcasted over the radio. The Evangelical-Lutheran sect of christianity believes that Jesus is Lord and seek to find their calling through the leading of the triune God.
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Purpose of Life |
I think there are a lot of general purposes for life as written in the Bible but I also do think that each individual has a specific call on their lives; their own unique way of worshipping God through the talents He has given them. I believe my purpose is to empower people into spaces where they can express themselves artistically and become their most alive and healthy selves.
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I believe Icelanders would interpret this in many different unique ways. I think Icelanders are shaped by their culture, their heritage and the nature of the climate and physical surroundings of the island. One Icelander put it this way,
“Life in Iceland is always in conflict with a surrounding so raw and extreme. I am in awe when I think of previous generations that have lived on this isolated soil for decades. The generation that is retired and long grown old leaving their families and friends with memories but also questions of lost heritage. Life in Iceland hasn’t always been easy. I can scarcely imagine the darkness settling in the horizon without a getaway to the bright cityscape. Throughout the ages, the night has always been dark and people turned invisible in its midst like the hidden people or huldufólk lost somewhere in the adversary of seasons.” (5) |
References
1) https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/65/0a/c4/650ac4b3e290f23e781125ad6de01a4a.jpg
2) https://geert-hofstede.com/iceland.html
3)http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/
4)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Iceland
5)http://grapevine.is/mag/feature/2010/05/07/feature-interview-with-vilhjalmur-arnason/
6)https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/evangelical-lutheran-church-of-iceland
7)http://skemman.is/en/stream/get/1946/17295/40364/1/BS-THESIS_$0028jmk10$0029.pdf
8)http://icelandreview.com/stuff/views/2013/10/14/purpose-life-north-jb
9)https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ea/52/ff/ea52ffb9d047c0f3bb8088667da8daa4.jpg
10)https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5a/c6/40/5ac6409913c72036a1f5fb15cf923cf3.jpg
1) https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/65/0a/c4/650ac4b3e290f23e781125ad6de01a4a.jpg
2) https://geert-hofstede.com/iceland.html
3)http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/
4)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Iceland
5)http://grapevine.is/mag/feature/2010/05/07/feature-interview-with-vilhjalmur-arnason/
6)https://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/evangelical-lutheran-church-of-iceland
7)http://skemman.is/en/stream/get/1946/17295/40364/1/BS-THESIS_$0028jmk10$0029.pdf
8)http://icelandreview.com/stuff/views/2013/10/14/purpose-life-north-jb
9)https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ea/52/ff/ea52ffb9d047c0f3bb8088667da8daa4.jpg
10)https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5a/c6/40/5ac6409913c72036a1f5fb15cf923cf3.jpg