“Rather than the opportunity to succeed, the chance to be self-sufficient is what is important. One might say the American wants the freedom to do, while the Swede wants the freedom to be. Insistence” — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share Image
“Some 50 percent of Swedes retreat to summer homes, rented or owned, in the country each year.” — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“In Sweden, everyone is assumed to have similar resources, so it seems inappropriate to pay for someone else.” — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“Socialism is not the same as social democracy, the political system that created Sweden’s welfare state.” — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“Unlike the American Stars and Stripes or the British Union Jack, it has no particularly exciting or symbolic history.” — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“It is not shocking to see an ad or photograph of a nude man or woman in the daily or weekly press. To most… — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“A 1970 report found that problems on the job and in one’s finances entered into the picture in at least one-half of the Swedish… — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“Duktig is a word that carries strong emotional overtones: children who behave well are duktig; adults who are talented and independent are duktig. Someone… — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“As in other cultures, alcohol acts as a social lubricant for Swedes. One of the social and psychological functions of drinking in Swedish culture,… — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“At 1.5 children per Swedish female (The Swedish Institute 1997), the rate is so low that deaths in Sweden outpaced births in 1997; immigration,… — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“Sweden’s position of neutrality during World War II put the country in the position of not defending its neighbors against German invasion. This was… — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“Slavery was abolished in 1355 because of church teachings stating that all men are equal in the eyes of God.§” — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“As Americans maintain their privacy by protecting their space (e.g., big cars, privacy fences, gated communities), Swedes maintain their privacy by remaining quiet. Swedes… — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“To Swedes, however, socialism refers to caring for society as a whole and extending social welfare to all. Compared with the United States, where… — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“(Systemets were open on Saturdays until 1982, when a four-month trial of dry Saturdays found the number of house break-ins fell by 7 percent… — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
“Swedes are raised with the idea that people derive a strong sense of security from being part of a group, which in turn allows… — Christina Johansson Robinowitz Copy Share
