Culture is an important part in people's lives because it provides the messages that tend to shape their perceptions, judgments, attributions and various ideas of self and other. The cultures around the world are very different and very much the alike at the same time. The way people live around the world depends on the norms internalized by their societies. As I’m studying in Poland, I would like to tell about polish culture: its do’s and don’ts.
Poles attached great importance to social etiquette- dealing with outsiders. For men, the Poles adhere Pan (Mr.). For women, it is called Pani (Miss or Mrs.). The most common courtesy when you meet somebody is a handshake and hug ceremony. Poles in conversation with others do not like high tone of voice and pointing somebody by hand, it means they do not respect people's behavior. If you yawn and do other movements during conversation, in their view that it is impatient, and they consider that you are no longer willing to continue talking and it may be offensive for Poles.
As for dress code, in official they dress conservatively, like in our country. But as for usual dress, they wear very bright colors. And I found it very interesting. Their style differs from ours. It’s European style. For example, they can wear bright green trousers and yellow t-shirt and it looks very modern. It’s ok for their culture.
As Poland is Catholic country, there are a lot of don’ts because of it. For example, Catholics in Poland do not eat meat every Friday. It is said Jesus was crucified on Good Friday. I notice that the Catholic influence is everywhere in Poland.
The Polish national pride is very strong. The most surprising thing for me is that it is not considered acceptable to talk about Polish-Russian, Polish-German, or Polish-Austrian relations or Poland's geographical borders. It can be a very touchy subject.
But in spite of this I like this country. Yes, of course each country has own culture norms that can be surprised for other cultures. They exist for a long time and we should show our resrect.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
“You are just infected with socialism and are a Jew-lover! Pilsudski means nothing! It’s Dmowski who had the right idea! Poles are the best! Race is above everything! The first thing we need to do is energize the Polish population with nationalism and exercise our spiritual, physical, and material domination!”…
- 986 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Thesis: one’s personal culture and sense of tradition will always be a strong part of the self, regardless of external factors which can have a profound influence on one’s life.…
- 719 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
• John Connelly, ‘Why the Poles Collaborated so Little: And Why That Is No Reason for Nationalist Hubris’, Slavic Review, 64/4 (2005), pp. 771-781.…
- 2547 Words
- 11 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Introduction: One’s culture is a key part of their identity. Culture can reside in a nation, family, ethnicity, a religion, etc. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “A Nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people”. One’s culture is usually seen through the religion and traditions of their nation; therefore this influences their everyday lives and their behavior.. Culture influences one’s appearance or the way they talk, but also a person’s ideas, judgements, and treatments of others.…
- 400 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The Poles were anti-Semitic. This is opposite to the appearance of Poland as a welcoming state for all people. During the Middle Ages Jews were invited into Poland when they were being persecuted in other countries like Spain, England, and France. The core of the argument that Poland was…
- 1066 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Everyone has heard of culture, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they know what it means. Often times people confuse terms such as culture, society, and ethnic group, but they all mean very different things. A society is a group that shares a geographic region, a common language, and a sense of identity and culture; an ethnic group is a group of people who share a language, customs, and a common heritage; culture is how people act and their judgement towards one another. Also, not many people know how culture changes or how it’s spread. In this essay, I will describe culture, how it’s spread, and how it changes.…
- 471 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
New York City is a multi-cultural city. Therefore, New Yorkers might be used to more populated cultures than to other ones. According to US 2000 Census, population of Polish people in New York City is less then 1 million people and is only 5.2 % of total New York City residents. Compering to other cultures, Polish culture is a small fish in the pond. For that reason, there is a small chance to have a Polish patient but not impossible. A greater health care professional has excellent communication skills and can easily communicate with patients and families to understand their needs and explain treatment. For that reason, health care workers have to have some knowledge about Polish culture. Poland is an eastern European country on the Baltic Sea withe the…
- 441 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
Poland’s unique past is littered with oppression, servitude, and foreign rule over and over again. The land was fought over by many countries during the 1800’s and subsequently was annexed and divided. The primary conquerors included Russia, Austria, Prussia, and later Germany. (Buffalo Department of Education,). There were many smaller country’s nationals who descended upon Poland and mixed with the nationals, seizing land and jobs. This included The Ukraine, Lithuania, Belorussia, Latvia, not to mention Jews, Tartars, and small groups of gypsies. At the end of the 18th century Poland basically no longer existed as the rival surrounding countries split this land and claimed it as a part of their domain. Finally in 1918 Poland achieved independence and re-emerged as a country under Communist rule (Jones, n.d.). These events led the Eastern Europeans to view the Poles as low-class, bohemian, even non-whites, who were beneath them in education, social status, and economics. It is understandable that this sentiment stigmatized the immigrating Poles as they arrived on America’s shores, seeking political democracy, good jobs, and a piece a land. Expecting a better life they often faced prejudice and problems in America.…
- 1133 Words
- 5 Pages
Powerful Essays -
First of all, Polish people are thought to be a sad nation. They never smile, but complain a lot. People on the streets do not smile, service workers also not. You expect store clerk to smile back to you? Forget about it. But if you ask them how is he/she doing you will probably get a lot of complaints and grouching because they are pessimists. That may be because of Polish village is constantly covered with snow and Polish farmers do not use any agricultural machines. My California born cousin ones asked me do I have a toilet inside my house. Poland is…
- 484 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots (Garvey1). Polish culture plays a big part in the United States today. Most people think of Poland as always being one country but in actuality Great Poland was founded first in 966. Later on Little Poland was founded in 1047. By 1366 Great Poland and Little Poland finally decided to merge together to become Poland as we know it today. The Polish first immigrated to America in the 1800’s, mainly to seek independence because they lived in a place where that was unheard of. At the time, Poland wasn’t yet its own country and was either taken under control…
- 1441 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Culture shapes the way we think. It is the society’s system of shared, learned values and norms;…
- 2091 Words
- 9 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Culture is the way of thinking, the ways of acting, and the material objects that together forma people’s way of life. (Macionis 38) When people go outside of their normal every day way of living, they tend to experience culture shock; they are disorientated with the different way of life. It is very important to understand different cultures because the different ways that people live will express their beliefs and values. Something as simple as language says so much about you. It lets those around you know immediately whether you are from their area or not. Even speaking the same language, yet having a different accent will state whether you are a local or not. The very act of Chinese eating with chopsticks rather than forks and knives states that they are different than we are, but this is their norm and eating with forks and knives would be a culture shock to them. A norm is rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members (Macionis 46). Technology plays a part in culture as well. Technology is knowledge that people use to make a way of life in their surroundings. Gerhardt Lenski stated that a society’s level of technology is crucial in determining what…
- 1239 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Christmas is a very old festival and the most important public holiday in Poland. It is a Christian holiday, when the birth of Jesus is celebrated. Christmas Eve is the most important day of the year therefore the preparation is very careful. In polish traditions at Christmas there are some universal symbols such as a Christmas tree that has religious significance. In Poland people buy and decorate the Christmas tree a few days before Christmas. It is decorated with coloured lights, balls, angels and big, golden star at the top of it. They send Christmas cards to family and friends and prepare special Christmas food.…
- 329 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Culture is the characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts. Since we come into the world, we become part of a culture. Our parents and guardians slowly push us into it, they teach us about values, traditions, religion and everything else that can be called culture. We first attain culture by our guardians as we are too young to understand anything when we are born and our development as human beings can be determined by culture. However, it is not known whether our opinions are driven by our culture or we are responsible for them.…
- 1227 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Culture is, by definition, the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group ("Dictionary.com," 2012). It helps give people a sense of balance and sanity within their lifestyle. They follow “rules” and customs on a daily basis based on the things they have been surrounded by or introduced to. Therefore, the effects on human behavior may vary. Considering the many different cultures within a single community and the diversity growing, our interactions with others change and we seem to learn more and new things about the way of life for others.…
- 778 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays