How to Understand Danish Culture

The country of Denmark in northern Europe and bordering Germany is a beautiful, diverse and fascinating place to visit. The Danes have an immense love of life and intriguing concepts of egalitarianism or social equality. What follows are some steps you can take to help you understand Danish culture.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Apprehend that the Danish value individuality and egalitarianism. This can be seen in their gender equality. In their language, for instance, the Danish regularly use gender-neutral terms when speaking of people, rather than classifying them as male or female.

2. Know that in Danish culture, the people place a high value on cooperation and group success more than individual achievement. The Danes are historically known as people who do not boast of their accomplishments. Rather, they give credit to their colleagues and families for their successes.

3. Understand that in Denmark, both men and women are equally involved in the raising of their children. Though this is true of many countries, it is perhaps more so for the Danes. For example, in Denmark, men are granted paternity leave just as often as women are given maternity leave when a new child arrives.

4. Comprehend that the Danish expect a high level of civility in social situations. The Danish do not appreciate disruption of social codes in public, and they will likely put you in your place if you breach them. It is impolite to raise your voice or gesticulate in public in Denmark, so modify your tone of voice and non-verbal gestures accordingly.

5. Appreciate the fact that in Denmark, women are highly respected in the business and professional domains. This is quite probably one of the more striking aspects of their culture. In business, women are never devalued and downplayed. Also, women are likely to have more flexible work hours there because the Danish do not think that home and work are unrelated states.