NorwayGroup 1: Corey Benson, Craig

Brown, Kasandra Baldwin, Milissa Bruton-Morales, & Teresa Alderson

CMST 101 Intro to Communication

Norway

The following quote encompasses everything we will cover in this slideshow from non-verbal communication through clothing, rituals, and gender roles:

“If one were to sum up the Norwegian communication style it would be informal,

transactional and direct.” (http://kwintessential.co.uk)

Responsibilities

Responsibilities were divided up by the amount of slides each person would research. Doing less research, M was responsible for more slides:

Corey Benson – Nonverbal use of clothingCraig Brown – Gender Roles (male, other)Kasandra Baldwin – RitualsMilissa Bruton-Morales – Transition Slides, PPT,

etc.

Teresa Alderson – Gender Roles (female, neutral)

Nonverbal Use of Clothing

Yet in every culture, clothing is one of the most powerful and ubiquitous forms of visual communication. By using visual clues provided by clothing, people quickly 'place'

each other, making guesses about the gender, social status, occupation, ethnic or national identity, and so on

of those they encounter. By manipulating the same sets of signals, people can declare their individuality, indicate their beliefs, or signify their membership within various

groups through how they dress. http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/clothing/clotweb.htm

Norwegians effectively use non-verbal communication (Tacoma Community College, 2011. pp 20-21.) through the use of their formal attire: a Bunad.

Nonverbal Use of ClothingFormal

Most Norwegians, and those of Norwegian decent, wear a bunad with which they have a geographical association. “It is part of Norway's culture to wear the Bunad as the Norwegian folk dress for folk dancing, at official celebrations, weddings, and especially on May 17 which is Constitution Day in Norway (Gourley, 2002).” Most cities and counties select and strictly adhere to specific designs based on historical information from their area. Norwegians do not wear outfits from areas other than where their families originate (a woman may adopt the outfit of her husband's district or area). .

The type of material used in a Bunad depends on the period from which the Bunad dates and on the particular fabrics that were used at the time. “Ancestral heritage can be identified by the bunad worn. Costume differences are found mostly in the cut and ornamentation of the clothes (Gourley, 2002).”

MATERIALS DEPENDS ON THE PERIOD FROM WHICH THE BUNAD DATES:

$1000-$5

000

Nonverbal Use of ClothingFormal

• The embroidery on Norwegian bunads reflects a strong tradition of which the Norwegians can be proud. , the bunad is the official formal dress of the Norwegian people. It's a complete attire from head to toe, it includes a head-dress and shoes. “An authentic bunad is very expensive, ranges in price from about $1,500 to $5,000. In Norway, many teenagers start receiving their authentic bunad at confirmation (Moore, 2004).”

• Silver was very important to Norwegian culture. Considered magical, silver was used to protect against the evil forces and also used to show prosperity. It was aslo credited with healing both the people and the animals. “In Norway, silver had its roots with the farmers, as it was their only status symbol: (Moore, 2004).

• Everyone wore some amount of silver to be protected from the huldrefolk. Mothers pinned silver on their newborn baby's clothes to prevent the huldrefolk from swapping huldre babies for human babies. Today, silver is worn as a symbol of ones ethnic ancestry.

Vintage Silver Solje Necklace and Earrings

Vintage Silver Filigree

Traditional Brooch Pin

Nonverbal Use of ClothingInformal

• Norwegians generally don't dress very formal instead they prefer casual and comfortable clothes. Blue denims are used everywhere. If you somebody with a fashionable suit and tie (in the middle of the day), it is probably a real estate or stock broker.

• Norwegians are notoriously informal, particularly in clothing. Norwegians don't usually dress smart for work and rather casually most of the time. Although some may dress up for a restaurant visit, casual dress is fully acceptable virtually everywhere. On Friday or Saturday people rarely dress up.

• Today Norwegians wear modern Western-style clothes for casual, business, and formal wear.

• “When the Norwegian immigrants changed from their native dress to American clothing, only the use of the jewelry was retained. The silver brooches were turned into breastpins. . Today, silver is worn as a symbol of ones ethnic ancestry (Moore, 2004).”

Nonverbal Use of Clothing

The Bunad represents the Norwegian people – just as the Kimono represents Japan, the Cheongsam represents China, and the Salwar Kameez represents India.

Norwegians found a way to balance old traditions and modern personal comfort and style – not just in their clothes, but their rituals as well.

RitualsVarious cultures live in Norway much like the US. Rituals in Norway vary based on religious beliefs and cultural differences.

You will get to take a look at a native Norwegians ritual – both the verbal and nonverbal aspects of it. Also you will get to take a look at a comparison of a ritual based on old traditions and new traditions in their culture – “a learned system of knowledge, behavior, attitudes, beliefs, values, rules, and norms that is shared by a group of people and shaped from one generation to the next”. (Tacoma Community College, 2011. pp. 65, 150.)

Rituals

• THE GROOM• - The groom wears a hand-made, woolen suit known as a

"bunad." It has a white silk shirt, short pants, and stockings that come up to their calves. Also included is a vest and topcoat. Colorful designs are unique, based on where the groom was born or where his family came from.

• THE BRIDE• - Her dress is usually black, with rows of red (usually) braids

round the bottom, with a silver/silver and gold crown. Around the crown, there are small, spoon-like bangles that produce a soothing music when she moves. It is designed to ward off evil spirits and insure that she will be happy through the whole wedding.

• THE RINGS• -The wedding bands promote the circle of everlasting love

throughout the relationship.

The ReceptionToasting is a big part of the wedding reception. Toast may be given by many of guest throughout the wedding meal. The traditional order of these speeches are as follows:

1. Father of the bride

2. The Groom

3. The Bride

4. Maid of Honour

5. Best Man

6. Groom’s father

7. Bride’s mother

8. Groom’s mother

9. Grandparents/Godparents

10. Friends and Finally

11. “Takk for Maten-tale” (thank you for the meal). This speech compliments the food thanks the chef and waiting staff.

Rituals

Old Norwegian Traditions• The dead were laid out to be seen by

friends and family before they left the house.

• A bed was made of straw or feathers and two sawhorses by a couple of women from the neighborhood.

• A psalms book was placed on the chest of the corpse and then the body was covered with a sheet. Then was moved to an appropriate room in one of the out buildings.

New Norwegian Traditions• In 1960-1980 privatization of funerals was

popular, where only close family members participated in funeral rituals.

• In recent years, the old ways are being brought back. Where friends and distant family now join in the ritual. This comes from the need for new expression and inspiration.

• A practice borrowed from the Catholics has become more common in Norway and that’s the lighting of candles at the scene of an accident.

Rituals

Rituals

• In older traditions, in the time of the Vikings, they would say a prayer for their dead.“Lo, there do I see my Father..Lo, there do I see my MotherAnd my Sisters and my Brothers..Lo, there do I see the lineOf my people back to the beginning..They do bid me to take my place among them..In the Halls of Valhalla,Where the Brave may live forever.”

• In later years along with other traditions the dead were “sung out of the house”A psalms was sung, a speech was given, and another psalms was sung before they put the top of the casket on and had it nailed or screwed shut.

Rituals

There are many parts to play in a ritual. Some even by certain genders. For the next few slides we will cover some different types of gender roles.

Gender Roles

Norway supports equal rights. Differences in gender does not make

anyone superior over another. (Tacoma Community College, 2011.

pp 78-79.)

Gender Roles: Men

• Social and health statistics show that life in Western society exacts a high price from men. (Affairs)

• Males are overrepresented among drug abusers and prison inmates. (Affairs)

• The life expectancy of men is shorter compared to women (Affairs)• Boys exhibit more problematic behavior patterns in school than girls, and constitute a larger proportion of the pupils requiring compensatory measures at the primary school level. (Affairs)

• The drop-out rate for boys is considerably higher than for girls. (Affairs)

• One of the areas in which male gender roles have changed the most in Norway involves men’s role as fathers. (Affairs)

Gender Roles: Men

• Research indicates that fatherhood leads men make the most explicit break with traditional forms of masculinity. (Affairs)

• The paternity leave quota for new fathers, introduced in 1993, is designed to strengthen the father’s relationship with the child, and signals the need for fathers to participate actively in the care of their children. (Affairs)

• The changes in male gender roles not only involve men’s relationships with women, but also the manner in which they relate to other men, to new tasks and to important social institutions run by men. In 2002, a government-funded resource center for men, REFORM, was established to work towards gender equality by helping to improve men’s living conditions and by mobilizing men’s resources for development in areas not traditionally associated with male gender roles. (Affairs)

Family Life for Women in Norway

• Marriage is not a prerequisite to start a family.• Norway has been voted as the best country to be a mother in for

the third consecutive year, according to an international Save the Children report. (Gender in Norway, 2012)

• The average women has her first child at 26.• If a working mother breast feeds her child she is entitled to one

hour leave per day for that purpose and 95% of Norway’s babies are breast fed.

• Norway's female workforce are allowed to take maternity leave at 100% pay for 46 weeks or 80% pay for56 weeks.

• Single mothers are allowed 20 days of paid sick leave for each child they raise and married women 10 days paid leave per year. (http://www.norway.org/ARCHIVE/News/archive/1996/199603child)

Second Best Country in the World!

According to the World Economic Forum, Norway is ranked the second best country for women.This report measures women and men in four Key areas:• Economic participation and opportunity• Educational attainment• Health and survival• Political empowerment(http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2011.pdf )

Gender Roles

Women In Norway

• 1854 Norwegian women acquired inheritance rights• 1882 women were given access to higher education• 1890 married women gained the right to control their

own wealth• 1903 the first Norwegian woman received a doctorate

at the University of Oslo• 1912 the first female professor came on the scene• 1913 Norwegian women have the right to vote• 1978 Norway was the first country in the world to

appoint a special Gender Equality Ombud • 1993 Norway's first woman bishop was Installed:

Rosemarie Köhn.(http://explorenorth.com/library/weekly/aa053101a.htm)

Gender Roles: Neutral

• Norwegians view themselves as egalitarian people whose culture is based on democratic principles of respect and interdependence

• Jante Law conveys an important element of Norwegian culture. You shall not think you are special. You shall not believe you are smarter than others. You shall not believe you are wiser than others. You shall not behave as if you are better than others . You shall not believe that you know more than others . You shall not believe that you can fix things better than others . You shall not laugh at others. You shall not believe that others care about you . You shall not believe that you can teach others anything

• Religions: Evangelical Lutheran 86% (state church), other Protestant and Roman Catholic 3%, other 1%, none and unknown 10%

(http://www.norway.org/ARCHIVE/policy/gender/womensrights)

Gender Roles

Though a country determined to have equal rights for all, we could find no published information about third gender and only a couple blogs about the one Gender Identity Disorder (GID) clinic in Oslo. Equal rights are divided between men and women – regardless of their orientation.

Conclusion

Though Norwegians express a relaxed way of living, dressing, and speaking, they do not lack in manners, professionalism, or equal rights for genders (Craig, Teresa). Whether it is jeans at a business meeting or equality for all – Norwegians take pride in their manner of communicating to the world – verbal and non-verbal (Corey) and the rituals performed (Kasandra). Pulling everything together and completing this presentation together took the skill of all parties involved (including Milissa).

BibliographyAffairs, By the Norwegian Ministry of Children and Family. Norway the Official Site in South Africa. 09 03 2009. 21 05 2012 http

://www.norway.org.za/aboutnorway/society/Equal-Opportunities/gender/male/.Gender In Norway. (2012, 9 5). Retrieved May 9, 2012, from gender.no: http://www.gender.no/News/8918Gourley, D. N. (2002, May 13). Fillmore County Journal. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from Norwegian National Costume: http://www.fillmorecountyjournal.com/mainKari. (2011, December 21). Norwegian Language Blog. Retrieved May 15, 2012, from Norwegian Wedding Preparation: http://blogs.transparent.com/norwegian/how-

do-norwegians-tie-the-knot/Mapes, T. (n.d.). Norway Culture 101 - The Culture of Norway Illustrated. Retrieved May 15, 2012, from The Traditional Dress of Norway: Bunad: http://

goscandinavia.about.com/od/scandinavianculture/ss/norwayculture_5.htmMørkhagen, P. L. (n.d.). ExploreNorth. Retrieved May 9, 2012, from Explorenorth.com: http://explorenorth.com/library/weekly/aa053101a.htmMoore, P. (2004). Norwegian Bunads. Retrieved May 17, 2012, from Husfliden Web Site: http://www.patmoore.org/Bunads.htm(n.d.). Retrieved from bryllupsdagen.no: http://www.bryllupsdagen.no/(n.d.). Retrieved May 19, 2012, from Google: http://www.google.com/search?q=norse+funeral+prayers&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=4Vy&rls=org.mozilla:en-

US:official&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=U9m6T9yKEcqZiALS4JicDA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CEYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1440&bih=754

Tacoma Community College. (2011). Present Yourself as Equal Rather Than Superior. In S. Beebe, S. Beebe, D. Ivy, S. Lane, & M. Redmond, The Blue Book of Communication (pp. 78-79). Boston, MA, USA: Pearson Learning Solutions.

The Old Ways - Norse Prayer. (2004, May 26). Retrieved May 15, 2012, from The Old Ways: http://www.angelfire.com/folk/oldways/norseprayer.htmlNorway – Norwegian Culture and Etiquette. (2012, May 22). Retrieved May 17, 2012, from kwintessential.co.uk: http://

www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/norway/norway-country-profile.htmlNorway the Officail Site in the United States. (1993). Retrieved May 9, 2012, from Norway.org: http://www.norway.org/ARCHIVE/News/archive/1996/199603childNorway the Official Site in the United States. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2012, from norway.org: http://www.norway.org/ARCHIVE/policy/gender/womensrightsNorwegian National Costume. (n.d.). Retrieved May 15, 2012, from norway-hei.com: http://www.norway-hei.com/norwegian-national-costumes.htmlOld Norwegian traditions: Farewell - Death and bereavement in multi-cultural Norway. (2000, November 14). Retrieved May 19, 2012, from

http://www.khm.uio.no/utstillinger/farvel/oldnorwegian.html The Old Ways - Norse Prayer. (2004, May 26). Retrieved May 15, 2012, from The Old Ways: http://www.angelfire.com/folk/oldways/norseprayer.htmlWorld Economic Forum. (2011). Retrieved May 9, 2012, from weforum.org: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GenderGap_Report_2011.pdf

Questions to Ponder

1. How do you think the U.S workforce would be affected if we had a supportive maternity and baby friendly work force as they do in Norway?

2. As a child of a single mother in Norway, you were once very sick and hospitalized. Looking back as an adult, reflect on how mom’s work benefits benefited you.

3. Norway’s Bunad is a significant part of their past and present. What similar traditional garments have been passed down in your family? Why was this done?

4. What traditions and songs were passed on from onegeneration to the next in your family?