Culture Smart! Norway : The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

Culture Smart! Norway steers you through the social and professional encounters of your visit to this new culture. By deepening your understanding it will enable you to establish real friendships and business partnerships. Tips on meeting and communicating make socializing a pleasant experience, and chapters on the customs and traditions that form the bedrock of family life give a glimpse inside a Norwegian home. The guide also explains how the Norwegian commercial world operates – vital information for anyone doing business inside one of the world’s wealthiest nations.

Norwegians enjoy arguably the best quality of life in the world, but this was not always so. The need to survive in a difficult, isolated terrain and an often harsh climate forged a people who are hardworking and self-sufficient. The long coastline inspired a love of the sea and exploration, while a deep respect for nature is ingrained in their character. Since Viking times their parliaments have practiced basic democratic principles and a spirit of egalitarianism. Union with neighboring nations fostered a spirit of consensus, and a long struggle for independence produced an idealistic nationalism. Today’s Norwegians have a strong commitment to equality and fairness and are proud of the society they have created.

This was not always so. The need to survive in a difficult, isolated terrain and an often harsh climate forged a people who are hardworking and self-sufficient. The long coastline inspired a love of the sea and exploration, while a deep respect for nature is ingrained in their character. Since Viking times their parliaments have displayed basic democratic principles and a spirit of egalitarianism. Union with neighboring nations fostered a spirit of consensus, and a long struggle for independence brought about an idealistic nationalism. Today s Norwegians have a strong commitment to equality and fairness and are proud of the society they have created.

On first meeting, the Norwegians are most often serious, polite, and quietly reserved, which can make newcomers feel as if they have come up against a stone wall. Getting to know Norwegians can take time, but once the façade is overcome, you will meet the friendly, fun-loving, hardy, and family-oriented people on the other side. This updated edition of Culture Smart! Norway steers you through the situations that you are likely to encounter and gives you the tools to make the most of your time in this affluent yet down-to-earth country. By deepening your understanding of the culture, it will enable you to establish true friendships, while tips on communicating help make socializing.

Linda March is a writer interested in issues affecting expatriate families. She lived in Stavanger, Norway and was on the Board of the Women’s International Network (WIN). Margo Meyer is an American researcher, translator, and writer who now lives in Asker, in the greater Oslo region.