Drinking Culture

Though there is some debate on the definition of drinking culture, Saleeba (2018) writes in her article, What is drinking culture and how do we change it?, a simple definition; drinking culture is, “the way people drink including the formal rules, social norms, attitudes and beliefs around what is and what is not socially acceptable for a group of people before, during and after drinking.” This aspect of culture and the different particular practices between the United States and Spain is one that I personally experienced while living here for the past four months.

In the United States drinking is almost always seen in a negative context. It is just a tool for drunkenness and mistakes in American’s youths. Of course, I knew many things about life in the United States and in Spain would be different but some of these differences still surprised me. Here in Spain drinking is meant for social reasons. You have a drink with your tapas or with a friend. Based on social norms, it is unacceptable to misuse and abuse alcohol. At my university in the States, it is almost expected through many social pressures that students will do those things. Many brag about their weekend’s wildness and proudly tell stories from when they were too drunk to remember much of what happened.

When I learned about the differences in social norms of drinking between the States and Spain, I thought that Spain must not really drink a lot in general. However, in my research I found the opposite. Spain consumes more alcohol than the States per capita and before COVID-19, had the highest number of bars and restaurants per head in the world (Sanchez-Mellado, 2015). Many in Spain are likely to drink every day. However, this drinking does not occur at a party like it would in the States but with a meal either in the home or at a local bar. Even though Spain has a higher frequency of drinking, the States drink more intensity, and this is due to the differences in drinking motivation. Many binge drink in the States because they want to get drunk. In Spain, getting drunk is seen as embarrassing and so binge drinking is a lot less common. However, in Sanchez-Mellado’s article, Is Spain an “alcoholic society”? (2015), she argues that this normalization of drinking may make it difficult to properly educate about safe drinking habits as drinking rises in Spain.

I remember being in my homestay and my host-mom offered me a beer with my lunch one Sunday afternoon. I was so confused. I am not at a party. It’s the daytime! I am at home with family and having a meal with them. Why would I want to drink? I had no intentions to party and get drunk. But here drinking is not made out to be something wild, dangerous, or crazy. It is just a drink you have with friends and family at a meal. Pictured below is my first drink in Spain. I had a beer at a local bar near my hotel with my dinner. I have really grown to like this drinking culture where drinking is normalized with friends and family and consumed in healthier appropriate amounts.

I think part of the cultural differences in social norms stems partly from the differences in the legal institutions with Spain and the United States’ drinking age laws. In Spain, it is normal to have a drink as young as 16. Of course, youth cannot purchase alcohol until becoming an adult. But in the States the drinking age is much later. Youth must wait to be 21 to have or purchase a drink. This leads to many dangerous underage drinking situations.

Because drinking is illegal and seen as dangerous and risky, many who want to experiment with alcohol do so with friends behind locked doors. For these youth, they do not know when they may be able to get another drink. They feel they have to make the most out of the alcohol they can find because they are already risking a lot to have it. Of course, they will not talk to their family about drinking and so they learn dangerous drinking habits from peers who often do not understand how to drink safely. Binge drinking, alcohol poisoning, alcoholism, drunk driving, and all the worst forms of alcohol are more likely when drinking is seen as taboo. Though normalization of alcohol may be causing some issue such as overconsumption in Spain (Sanchez-Mellado, 2015), I believe that if drinking can be normalized, then the United States may have some more success in avoiding the casualties of alcohol.

In conclusion, our countries history and laws shape our perspective and culture. Different countries have different cultures and even in the same reality, we can see things very differently. Drinking is seen differently between Spain and the United States, this results in different behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs surrounding alcohol. But in studying these differences, we can learn how to better shape and change our culture to best benefit society and the people in it.

 

Works Cited

Saleeba, Emma. “What Is Drinking Culture and How Do We Change It?” Drinking Studies Network, 16 Jan. 2018, https://drinkingstudies.wordpress.com/2018/01/16/what-is-drinking-culture-and-how-do-we-change-it/.

Sánchez-Mellado, Luz. “Is Spain an ‘Alcoholic Society’?” EL PAÍS English Edition, 12 Oct. 2015, https://english.elpais.com/elpais/2015/10/12/inenglish/1444646611_588822.html. 

Transportation in Spain: An examination of the different modes of transportation in Spain vs. the U.S., Gaby Gutierrez

One of the first things I noticed about Spain was the wide range of transportation options. During the first week of our program we had guides take us on different modes of transportation and show us how each works. I remember being completely overwhelmed by the different options and routes to school that I decided I would just walk to class but after I got to know the city more and understand public transportation better I used public transportation about 2-4 times a day. In Sevilla the public modes of transportation include: the metro, the bus, scooters, and bicycles. I noticed that a large percentage of people in the city use public transportation, as there are less cars around the city. Most of the roads in the city center do not seem like they are meant for a large influx of traffic as they are narrow, crowded, often one way streets, and at times are pedestrian only roads.

On the other hand, I live in the Bay Area California and the streets are always flooded with cars and the highways are often jammed with traffic. I have once been stuck in traffic during rush hour for over two hours on my way home from school, a 12 mile drive. In California most people rely on cars for transportation and only a small percentage of people use our public transportation. Usually those who use public transportation are those who cannot afford a car and are often used by people of lower socioeconomic status. While in Spain, using public transportation does not correlate to socioeconomic status as people from all classes use public transportation in some form. In Sevilla it is often easier to get around places using public transportation than driving your own car due to the way the roads are constructed. This made me wonder why using public transportation in the U.S. is so rare but so prevalent and so well constructed in European cities, especially in Spain. What’s the cause of this difference? The answer is deeply rooted in the culture and history of Spain and the U.S. Spain is a much older country than the United States and its older cities developed far before the automotive age, while the U.S. boomed in the 20th century when cars became the main means of transportation. Spain’s culture is tightly intertwined with its rich history, as the buildings, architecture, and designs of Spanish cities still represent the moorish and gothic styles of the middle ages. Spanish cities are less commercialized than the United States due to their preservation of history. Additionally, Spain has a much better public transportation system compared to the United States as there are more lines and various ways to transport, such as bikes, scooters, and buses. While the United States lacks frequent local connections that allow people to get to rail stations without having to walk a long distance or drive. The difference is, “European planners designed new suburbs in ways that made transit use still viable. Many new towns were built around train and metro stations” while U.S. cities were built along highways with no transit services (English 2018). Contrary to my belief, public transportation in Spain is not popular because people cannot afford cars, but because the cities were built to preserve the history and culture of Spain.

https://ics-seville.org/transportation-in-seville/

https://travel.usnews.com/Seville_Spain/Getting_Around/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-10-10/why-public-transportation-works-better-outside-the-u-s

An Approach to Mental Health Treatments Happening in Sevilla Now, by Kim Nunes

A few weeks ago I met a woman here in Sevilla who practices a form of meditational healing I had never heard of before. As a psychology major, I find things like this very interesting and am always eager to learn about ways we can improve our mental health without taking some form of medications or drugs. The woman, who was born and grew up in Sevilla, introduced me to the practice of ‘pranayama’. Prana is the Sanskrit word meaning “vital life force”, and Yana means “to gain control”. The concept behind pranayama is that we learn how to have control over our breath in a way that is beneficial to our physical and mental health. The woman told me many stories of how she has used Pranayama to completely cure her patients who each suffered from a range of different psychological disorders such as anxiety, claustrophobia, depression, and more. It is a completely medication-free practice that teaches patients how to deal with their stressors using the power of their own breath.

From a cultural perspective, I find this to be so interesting, especially relating back to some of the discussions we have had in this class over the course of the semester. One thing that stands out to me in particular is our discussions around America’s fast-paced culture compared to Spain’s more relaxed culture. I think that this is reflected in the way American doctors treat their patients suffering from mental health disorders: they look for the quickest way to solve the problem (i.e. prescribing medication) instead of more natural ways to help patients in a long term way. This practice of Pranayama that is being used right here in Seville is so amazing to me because it isn’t something we are doing in America (at least not to my knowledge), and we tend to have more mental health problems in America. For that reason, this is a cultural experience I had in Sevilla that I will never forget and will definitely bring home with me.

If you’re interested in reading more about this topic, here is a great psychology article with current research on all the benefits Pranayama has on the brain: https://www.psypost.org/2020/10/four-weeks-of-pranayama-breathing-exercises-reduces-anxiety-and-negative-affect-and-is-linked-to-changes-in-the-brain-58300

Tradition in Spain, by Camelia Rodríguez

Merriam-Webster defines tradition as an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior. I come from a place that is full of tradition but being in Spain I have seen how it really is to implement your traditions on a daily. Being here I have really experience what it is to go to a Soccer game. This is one of my favorite sports and seeing how serious Spaniards take it while make it a “party scene” is one of my favorite things I have experienced. When it comes to food, you have not really experience traditions if you don’t have tapas and Tino the Verano in the afternoon or the traditional breakfast of tostadas con jamon, aceite and tomate. It is not a tourist thing to do because you can see many locals doing it daily. It is also very normal to simply go out and get drinks right before you go out to dinner. Besides this, I recently experienced the traditions of “Dia de la Contitucion”. In these there were many events in the streets where people gathered around to see the marches and actually follow ‘La Virgen’. Spain has many traditions that I am so glad I had the chance to experience and I recommend everyone that comes does as well.

Tips for Top Tapas

I am not lying when I say that I before coming to Sevilla, I had not tried eating tapas before. This was something that was foreign to me, and honestly thought that it was the name of a dish, not a way to eat a meal. During the class we talked a lot about cultural differences and the reasons why there are these cultural differences, and tapas for me is one that is big difference between Spanish and American meals. These meals are more meant to be shared than in America were everyone gets their owe plate for their own meal. Some of the history of tapas comes from the word “tapar” which was meant to be eaten between meal usually with some sort of alcohol beverage. Throughout history as well there was law and decrees made my kings that for example they would “tapar” or cap off drinks with a small portion of food to avoid drunkenness for soldiers or sailors. As for my experience in Seville and around Spain, there have been many instances that I have been able to share with my friend over tapas, were conversations would be had, that other wise would be much shorter over a larger meal that was meant as a sit down meal. The culture of tapas in Spain is something that I have learned to appreciate and will miss when I am gone, because a lot my socializing comes around eating and drinking, which is a great way to appreciate not only the company of others, but also the culture and food. Some of my favorite things to do with tapas is to try new foods as many times in restaurants they have the tapa portion of a meal, this was a great way for everyone at the table to also get what they wanted or had a craving for. Now I just want to see if deserts can also come in tapas portion!

The Facade of Social Media and film and why so many Spaniards dream of New York, by Audrey Bauer

One of my favorite questions to ask Spaniards is which state in the U.S. they would like to visit.
Since my time abroad I have probably asked this question to around 30 people and the majority
all say the same thing, “New York City.” I usually follow up this question with why New York?
Why not Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, or Hawaii? I usually receive the same sort of answer,
because I’ve seen it in movies and it looks magical. As someone who has been to New York it is
definitely a magical place, but it is nothing like the movies, and I think it's extremely interesting
how Spaniards and Europeans have a preconceived notion of New York as seen from film and
social media. Like we talked about in class, in order to break stereotypes and preconceived
notions of cultures it is necessary to travel and immerse yourself in the specific culture and talk
with the locals there about their perspectives and experiences, rather than base understandings
off social media, film, and literature. Through my time abroad immersing myself in Spanish
culture, with a Spanish host mom, and local friends I have gained a much better insight into the
Spanish culture, lifestyle and values that I wouldn't have been able to fully grasp without this
experience. I am aware that most people don't have the means to travel extensively and immerse
themselves into new cultures, but I am planning to share my knowledge and insight with my
American friends and family in order to spread facts and not spread stereotypes and common
misconceptions about Spanish culture. In terms of social media and film, I think it's important for
people to understand that social media and media in general is nothing more than a facade, and
the best way to fully understand and grasp cultural concepts is through taking yourself out of
your own cultural understanding, talking with real people and experiencing the real thing.

For further reading on the topic of social media across cultures:

https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1230&context=srhonorsprog“New York Ranks as Number One Tourist Destination This Holiday Season”

https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/travel/nyc-ranks-no-1-tourist-hotspot-this-holiday-season-for-1st-time-since-pandemic/3427750/

Meals in Sevilla!

One of the first things I noticed when I came to Sevilla was the meal times. I was already a bit disoriented due to the time change and jet lag, however, I was not expecting the difference in the meal times. In the United States, the general lunchtime is around 1:00 pm and dinner tends to be around 6:00. After 20 years of living in America, I am very used to these general eating times. In Sevilla, lunch is normally around 4:00 and dinner can be anywhere from 8:00 to 10:30. There have been days during my time abroad when I have lunch around 5:00 and dinner at 11:00. It is ethnocentric of me to think that these late meal times are weird or different because it is a normal part of eating for Spaniards. Adjusting to the culture in Spain has been fun and exciting and the meals have been a large part of that for me. Another aspect of meals that I have grown to appreciate greatly is the pace of the meals. The Sevillanos take their time. Tapas and beers are shared with friends and family members over the course of hours. At any time of day, you can walk down the streets of Seville and find friends having a beer and spending time together. In America, there have been times where I find myself rushing through a meal or drinks very quickly. However, in Sevilla, they take meal times to socialize and converse with people they love. The relaxed pace and socialization of mealtimes is something that I love about this city and I will take this back to the United States with me, although I am excited to have dinner at 6:00 again!

The Culture of Spain’s Siesta, by Amanda Barrese

As we know, Spanish culture is quite different from others, making it unique and special. Most foreigners will include the idea of siesta into their image of Spain. The siesta refers to the time usually between 14:00 and 17:00/30, where some workers and students will go home for a large meal and a restful period before returning to work or studies. This means that many stores will close for the three-hour window and reopen after the siesta. Historically, the main reason for the siesta was to give agricultural workers a time to rest during the midday heat. As Spain has urbanized, the siesta culture has changed. Nowadays, the more populated cities such as Madrid and Barcelona are experiencing less siesta time. This is due to long commute times for work or the demand for businesses to stay open from 14:00-17:00/30. Differentially, the siesta is sacred in other parts of the country, such as in Valencia, where the mayor of the city actually implemented a law granting the citizens’ rights to a siesta every day (Jones, 2018). This embodies the Spanish culture in a way that is deeper than just the desire to rest after lunch; siesta represents the more relaxed nature of Spaniards in their daily lives. Consequently, this leaves Spaniards vulnerable to stereotypes that can be negative, such as the culture being less productive or lazy. This is very far from the truth. The siesta is embodying the differences in work schedules and meal times, not devaluing the importance of work in the Spanish culture. From a personal standpoint, siesta is something I never had the luxury of experiencing in the US. Lunch breaks are usually less than 1 hour long and then you are back to work. Moreover, stores in the US do not close for lunch and siesta. Normally, in the US we relax after our work day, sometime after 17:00. In Spain, it is common to work later in the evening because of the midday siesta. One of me favorite things to do during siesta time are to walk around the Parque Maria Luisa, as this is the time when the least amount of people are out. Overall, it is important to recognize a cultural difference without depreciating the people who practice it. Cultural relativism plays an important role in the understanding different cultural practices of American and Spanish practices.

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-spanish-siesta/

 https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20170609-its-time-to-put-the-tired-spanish-siesta-stereotype-to-bed

Sexuality and Public Display of Affection in Seville, Spain, By Gwyneth Broadrick

One of the first aspects of cultural differences I noticed in Seville in comparison to my home in Colorado is the abundance of public affection, display of sexuality, and overall romanticism I encounter on the street. With examples ranging from holding hands to passionate kissing, it is clear that Seville has more acceptance for gestures of public affection as compared to parts of the U.S. I took time to conduct a small observational study where I made note of the abundance of public affection I encountered while on an hour-long walk throughout central Seville. In total, I saw 13 couples holding hands, 8 couples having elongated embraces, and 5 taking part in subtle to passionate kissing. I also found that though more heterosexual couples were observed, there is a great prevalence of gay and lesbian couples throughout Spain, which I have also observed in the nightlife, specifically in bars and club settings. The nightlife also reveals aspects of public affection, such as the cultural aspects of dancing among the Spanish and the frequency of being invited to partake. I believe a few cultural aspects can be responsible for these public displays and the pride of sexuality. Collectivism, for example, is a common societal aspect among the Spaniards. This is seen through the way people socialize with one another, often taking to the street to gather in large crowds and frequently inviting one another to have drinks or tapas. Socialization is a large aspect of Spanish culture and the community in Seville is very strong and connected. In this way, there may not be as much hesitation to showing public affection as compared to the individualistic society of America. Spaniards also tend to invite others into their personal space, such as the two kisses on the cheek when greeting one another, even when meeting a stranger. This may contribute to the acceptance of public affection as Americans often are wearier of how close one gets to a stranger. I must admit, there tends to be more youth partaking in acts of public affection and this could be due to generational differences and the liberalization of sexual freedom that may not be attributed to culture. As stated in the article The Economics and Social Politics of Spanish, Spain experienced sexual progressivism at the end of the Franco dictatorship in the 1970s, yet there are still strong ties to the Catholic Church and a strong conservative base of adults (Yan 2016). This article also states that due to conservatism among adults, it may not be acceptable for youth to bring significant others into their homes, contributing to the abundance of public display of affection outside of the household (2016). It is very common for the household to remain a sacred place for the family alone and for people to rather socialize in the street or at bars and restaurants. However, I do believe that both generational aspects and cultural aspects come together to create this safe and common space for the Spanish to show their love for one another. This may be my favorite aspect of the people of Seville, as it is refreshing to see a society so passionate for one another with the freedom to display it without the fear of discrimination or violence.


Works Cited

Yan, J. (2016, October 12). The economics and social politics of Spanish PDA. Berkley 
Center of Religion, Peace and World Affairs. Retrieved November 10, 2021, from https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-economics-and-social-politics-of-spanish-pda.

One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor: Drinking Culture in Spain Compared to the United States, by Emily Williams

Back in late August, on the long flight from Boston to Madrid, I had some time to reflect on reality. After over two years of waiting and setbacks (thank you, coronavirus), I was finally able to study abroad in Seville, but for most of the planning process, it just did not feel like reality. I think taking off in that plane really helped solidify that this experience was truly happening, and it was from there that I could begin to think ahead to what my experience abroad would be like. What would my host family be like? Would places be open for visits - would I be able to go out with friends? What classes would I take? What would I do in Sevilla?

Back home in the USA, I would say my family has a more relaxed attitude towards drinking - but is not common other than for social gatherings or celebrations. But in stark contrast, being a college student in the states often leads to exposure to a culture of binge drinking regardless if someone is actively participating or not. It is the “college cliche” to push the boundaries of alcohol, or at the very least attempt to drink beyond “drunk”.

However, since arriving in Spain, I learned the drinking culture is very different than what I was used to seeing in the States. Here, the legal purchasing age is 18 but the reality of the drinking age is more dictated by family life and cultural expectations, as drinking at gatherings is more common for younger teenagers. In contrast, on the federal level in the States, the legal age to purchase and drink alcohol is 21.

The biggest difference I noticed was the purpose for drinking here - where there was a time and place of drinking to get drunk (such as discos), the people of Spain drink more often but in a social way - a cerveza or tinto de verano or two with tapas while spending time with friends. However, while drinking in Spain is a common social activity, public drunkenness is considered unacceptable behavior. This reminded me of Kroeber’s interpretation of viewing culture, as the “norms” of a culture are more often implicit and that it is usually easier to recognize what is culturally unacceptable than what is acceptable.

However, I learned in my Spanish Culture and Civilization class that Botellóns are becoming increasingly popular with Spanish youth, which is a form of public drinking illegal in Spain. In fact, in late September, this came under national scrutiny because over 20,000 students participated in one in Madrid despite COVID regulations. This is an interesting shift from the accepted norms of Spain, or perhaps an element of youth subculture in response to the expensive costs of going to a traditional bar to drink.

  

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/about-25000-spanish-students-hold-macro-botellon-drinking-party-2021-09-18/