The Wild midWest
Some people backpack the globe to find themselves. I moved to Wisconsin.
The Janteloven (Jante Law) as translated by wikipedia
Today in Danish class we discussed the Janteloven, a set of rules that are generally descriptive of Danish culture. While today the Janteloven is much less relevant, its undertones are present in both Danish language & the Danish attitude towards its welfare state.
Danish colloquial language is much less formal than German, and even English. In German, superiors and peers are differentiated by two forms of “you.” Peers are addressed by the informal du, while superiors (whether distinguished adults, teachers, etc) are addressed with the formal Sie. In Danish, everyone is addressed with du, and most people are on a first-name basis, even with their bosses or school teachers, as opposed the American habit (or German, for that matter) of addressing superiors as Mr. or Mrs. (or Miss, Dr., etc). As an aside, the is no equivalent of Mrs. in Danish. All women are addressed as Ms., since marital status is irrelevant.
The welfare state, as well, reflects the Janteloven. I cannot imagine words like this ever being said in the United States in any sort of official context. While the Janteloven is not “law” in Denmark, it is widely discussed and cited (often in opposition to it). Most Danes feel that it is old fashioned and irrelevant; but it is still easy to see its sentiment in everyday American-in-Denmark life.
