Monday, November 21, 2011

Social Customs!

Some of this blog is researched, however the cultural aspects are also partially based off of my own personal experience. I spent almost two weeks in Spain five years ago, and I also hosted an exchange student for a month two summers ago. With that kind of exposure to the culture and the country itself, I picked up on differences very quickly, and it was an experience I could never forget.
One of the first things I learned is that families in Spain are the differences in the family life. Here in America, it’s not uncommon for families to kiss each other before leaving, or saying ‘I love you’ on a regular basis. Families often sit down for dinner and spend time together. In Spain, that is not necessarily the case. Families aren’t nearly as verbally or physically affectionate as Americans. They are not rude to each other or friendly, by any means. It’s just a different type of relationship.
There’s also fine lines between relationships when it comes to greeting. For new acquaintances, you should greet them with a ‘Hello, how are you?’ This is often accompanied by a kiss on the cheek if you are greeting a lady. For men, they will firmly shake hands. For familiar friends or family, men will embrace each other in a hug, whereas women will kiss cheeks. (Hampshire, 2010).
Among searching the websites, there was only one gesture that seemed to be inherently rude in Spain. That was to motion someone to come to you with the index finger. It is seen as rude and offensive and should be avoided so that you are sure not to offend. (Haynes, 2004).
Most websites explain that tipping in Spain is not a custom like it is here in the United States. In fact, Spaniards take advantage of our feeling of obligation to tip and put signs up by jars in bars asking for tips (Corrigan). Ironically enough, it is only in English for the foreigners to read. Despite the fact that some Americans are aware of this, they still don’t hesitate to leave a tip, and it’s not rude to not leave one, if you so choose.
When my exchange student came over for the summer, I learned even more about the difference in customs. She commented on the closeness of my family, as I discussed earlier. She also talked about how neighborhoods in Spain do not really exist. Most everything is high rises or apartment buildings, more or less. She thought it was very cool that we all had our own yards, and my family had a car for everyone that drove. In Spain, she told me, rarely do families have more than one car. It is common for one parent to drive to work, or for them to carpool, but the teenagers and young adults rarely drive anywhere. The cities are so busy, somewhat similar to New York City, that the metro system has been put in place and is conveniently available to them. One more thing she found extremely different was the fact that our restaurants offered to let us take our leftovers home. She was amazed, and despite her being intrigued by this, she refused to take home her food. I could tell that it made her uncomfortable, and that is just another thing that boils down to values and customs by culture. The more I talk to people in Spain, or visit it or research it, I find the differences more widespread across the board. I am absolutely fascinated with the differences, and amazed that a culture can be SO different. I’ve learned to be much more open-minded to other cultures and I’ve learned to appreciate my own and the privileges I have here in America.
Bibliography:
Hampshire, D. (2010). Living and working in spain, eighth edition, a survival handbook. (8 ed.). Retrieved from http://www.justlanded.com/english/Spain/Articles/Culture/Social-customs-in-Spain
Haynes, J. (2004). Communicating With Gestures. EverythingESL.net. Web. 2011. http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/body_language.php
Corrigan, D. Tipping in Spain -- Should you tip in Spain? About.com. Web. 2011. http://gospain.about.com/od/spanishlife/qt/tippinginspain.htm

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