Social scientists, a rehabilitation researcher, a folklorist, a political commentator, and other contributors survey some of the differences in European culture and discuss the complex topic of national identity in Europe. This volume forms a fascinating mosaic of European diversity, revealing idiosyncrasies such as that it is rude to interrupt in Sweden, that acting normal is quite silly enough in the Netherlands, how Poles banter about heroes, how Icelandic national identity fits into a Nordic and international context, why reunified Germany is one country and two cultures, and whether there is such a thing as a Belgian national identity.

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
  • ÅKe Daun and SöRen Jansson
• It’s Rude to Interrupt! Swedish Communication Style
  • ÅKe Daun
• Act Normally! That’s Quite Silly Enough’ Some Notes on Life in the Netherlands
  • Jeremy Boissevain and Inga Boissevain
• Unequal Portions? the British at Table
  • Bernard Ineichen
• The Irish
  • Eilis Ni Dhuibhne
• The Dilemma of the French School System a Glance From Stockholm
  • Annick SjöGren and Catherine Fritzell
• In the Name of a Stupid and Backward People Russian Intellectuals Confront the Real Meaning of Democracy
  • Disa Hdstad
• Poles’ Banter about Heroes
  • Zofia Sokolewicz
• Guided Tours in Athens Swedish-Speaking Greek Guides Present Their Country to Swedish Tourists
  • Elisabeth WengströM
• Setting Boundaries Connections Between Discourses on Childhood and the Norwegian ‘No’ to the European Union
  • Marianne Gullestad
• Mental Borders on the European Open Market? a Case Study of Swedes and Their Notions of Swed and Imported Foods
  • SöRen Jansson
• Icelandic National Identity in a Nordic and International Context
  • Thoroddur Bjarnason
• The Austrification of Austria: Promoting Differences
  • Konrad Kostlin
• One Country — Two Cultures? Germany after Unification
  • Klaus Roth and Juliana Roth
• Danes in the Middle of the World
  • Anders Linde-Laursen
• What about the Finns? Personality and National Culture
  • ÅKe Daun, Carl-Erik Mattlar and Erkki Alanen
• The over-Significant and the Nonsignificant Other Reflections on Portuguese and Spanish History and National Identity
  • Lars Fant
• Does a Belgian National Identity Exist?
  • Elisabet Brouillard
• Muesli, Rosti and the Linguistic Problem in Switzerland
  • Christine Burckhardt-Seebass
• The Tuscan Villa a Study of Romantic Myth and Rational Reality
  • Angela Rundquist
• Cultural Diversity
  • ÅKe Daun
• List of Contributors