The Spanish Gaze, by Jesse Brewer

One of the many remnants of the Franco regime is a degree of homogeneity in terms of race in Spain. Many Sevillianos are ethnically from the Iberian Peninsula and have certain characteristics, and those who don’t fit that mold are few and far between. The overall direct culture of Spain combined with the homogeneity leads to foreigners generally being stared at—a phenomenon an article from the Berkley Center at Georgetown dubbed the “Spanish Gaze.” In stark contrast, I was raised on Saint Martin, an island that is home to just about every nationality there is, where staring at strangers is considered rude. As a 6’2 man with blonde hair and blue eyes, the biggest instance of culture shock I experienced was how much I stuck out here in public. Half the people I walk past on the street stare me down and when the night falls and the drinks start flowing, people will often stop me in the street to ask me where I’m from. Quite literally dozens of times, people have stopped me and asked if they could take a photo of me to show their friends. That being said, there seems to be a direct correlation between the frequency of this occurring and how drunk the crowd is. At the previa outside El Corte Ingles before the Sevilla vs Betis game, I was grabbed by the arm and pulled to a group to take a photo while I was in the middle of taking a photo with another group. Before arriving in Spain, no one had ever stopped me for a photo. I cannot imagine a Saint Martiner ever stopping a stranger on the street for a photo, no matter how strange they looked. I found this to be an interesting example of the Spanish culture of “directness” that exchange students often mention. I actually have one of these photos since the Spaniard got my Instagram and tagged me in his post, so I have attached it below.

Collectivism and socialization in Spain, Sophie Danish

One of the most prominent differences I noticed in Spain was the perception of socializing. In the United States, people treat social interactions often as a chore. There are many introverts who dread socializing, doing anything they can to avoid social interaction. Today, many people in the United States work remotely, being able to go months without social interaction if they choose to. Americans treat their social health like their physical health, and feel like they need to interact in order to stay healthy similar to exercising, rather than because they want to be connected to others. In Spain, I was shocked to witness how much people interacted with each other, at the store, work, and school, taking time out of their day to spend time with those they loved. I first noticed this one day at UPO when I was eating lunch. Like most days, I elected to eat lunch alone in the cafe in order to get school work done. I always do this, as I like to multitask and get as much work done when I can. At my school in the United States, this is the norm; During lunch you will see most students eating alone doing schoolwork in public places. At UPO, I was shocked by the large groups of students drinking beers and eating lunch all together, as if they were almost at a party. I could never imagine devoting that much time to socializing with friends on the weekdays, as I am always thinking about what more work I can do when I am free. To emphasize this, it was found that Americans spend only 54 minutes a day socializing (2020), and while there was not a study done for Spain, I have noted Spanish people spend at least 2 hours a day socializing, specifically over coffee or a meal. At first I was overwhelmed and exhausted by the oversocialization, but at the end of these 4 months I find that is something I appreciate. I find myself seeking out more time with friends, and feeling lonely eating alone now. I do not rush everyday tasks as much as I did in the United States, and find myself choosing to be friendlier and electing to socialize more. I believe people in the United States would benefit from the Spanish lifestyle, and they would find one of the best parts of life is staying connected with others.

References 

“American Time Use Survey Summary.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 22 July 2021, https://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.nr0.htm.

Tradition and Unity within Spanish Culture, by Sophia McGregor

During my time in Spain, I have been able to observe how Spaniards hold tradition near and dear to their hearts. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, tradition can be defined as, "an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior”. While I do see tradition in the United States, it was even more impressionable here in Sevilla. Sevillianos carried out their traditions by performing flamenco at Plaza de Espana, drinking tinto de verano on a hot afternoon, eating buñelos at la feria, and supporting their favorite soccer team among many others. Not only was I able to see long standing Spanish tradition, but I also observed the profound unity within the Spanish culture, specifically the city of Sevilla. This was first demonstrated on Dia de la mujer. The streets were full of locals wearing purple, singing chants, holding signs, and passing purple memorabilia all in support of their fellow women. The second most profound example of unity was the day after Betis won the Copa del Rey. Again, the streets were lined with locals sporting all Betis attire and anything green. It was a very unique experience to see all ages come out in support of a team they adore. Furthermore, I found it special despite not knowing who you were crowded by, everyone seemed as one happy family cheering on their team. We previously learned of collectivist cultures which Spain falls into. Collectivist cultures place a great emphasize on the needs and goals of the group rather than that of each individual. During my time here, I have felt that it was very clear that Spaniards are of a collectivist culture. The relationships and interconnection the Spaniards have with one another play a large role in their identity.

References: 

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tradition

Party scene of Spain

During my time in Spain I have been shocked by the nightlife and going out culture as it is extremely different from that of the United States in terms of timing and progression of a night out as well as the manner in which people consume alcohol. There is a tik tok trend under an audio titled “Frenchcore Loca (Original Mix) by “Randy & Randy & Radium & Radium” the audio says “When I came to Spain and I saw people partying, I thought to myself… what the ***” (examples linked below). In the trend, people make short videos documenting the party scene of Spain. This tik tok trend perfectly captures my reaction to nightlife in Spain when I first arrived in Sevilla in January. Although the young people of both countries clearly enjoy a night out, the social norms that surround the practice vary significantly.

In the United States, when college students go out on a weekend they typically meet up with friends beforehand as early as 9:00pm and are back home by 2:00 or 3:00am. Contrastly, in Spain, it seems young people start to go out with their friends around 11:oopm or midnight and may stay out until the wee hours of the morning, even stopping for churros on the leisurely way home. Furthermore, in the US people typically go out on Thursdays, Fridays, or Saturdays whereas in Spain it seems all nights of the week present the opportunity for a night out. Furthermore, in Spain it is very normal to go to a “discoteca” or nightclub whereas in the US college students may be more inclined to go to a house party where there is reduced risk of interacting with authority or law enforcement.

The formulation and outcomes of nightlife in both the United States and Spain seem to be very influenced by alcohol consumption however they vary significantly in the manner in which this occurs. In Spain the legal drinking age is 18 and alcohol is a part of day to day culture, even for young people. Yet, in the United States the legal drinking age is 21 and alcohol is quite restricted, especially for young people. A possible result of this is the tendency in the United States for youths to abuse alcohol any chance given on a night out because it comes with connotations such as adulthood, freedom, and rebellion. In a 2018 study evaluating the motives behind youths going out in Spain, the results showed that the nightlife culture in Spain is primarily influenced by the desire to socialize and feel a sense of independence and maturity (Pedrero-García, 2018). This idea contrasts greatly from the motives of going out in the United States which typically come down to an excuse to abuse alcohol.

TikTok Example #1	https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdpSGHBy/?k=1
TikTok Example #2	https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTdpSqKWr/?k=1

References

Pedrero-García, E., (2018). Nightlife and alcohol consumption among youths: the Botellón phenomenon in Spain. SAGE Journals, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244018800903 

The Directness of Communication in Spain versus the United States

A stereotype that I heard about Spaniards throughout my time here was that they were more direct and straightforward, particularly compared with people from the United States. In fact, if I recall correctly, I heard it directly from my study abroad program during orientation, and a blog post (1) from their website mentions “the Spaniards way of being straightforward.” Moreover, even my Spanish professors confirmed a propensity for Spaniards to be more direct and straightforward. While this may be a case of confirmation bias, I have personally experienced some supporting evidence for this claim, as have others.
For example, Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs opens their article, “The Direct Etiquette of Spain,” with a mention of Spaniards’ tendency to be more bold in staring. My friend and I frequently received strong stares throughout our time here, ones that were shamelessly unbroken by eye contact. While we thought this may be due to us being somewhat of a social anomaly (that is, Asian), it was interesting to see that this article mentioned staring as a general component of Spaniards’ directness.
There are also examples in the way Spaniards make requests. For example, in the United States, when ordering something at a restaurant, you would probably say something along the lines of, “Can/Could I please have a. . .” However, in Spain, it is rare to begin a request with “puedo” or especially “podría” (3). This is not to say that Spaniards are rude, but again, seems to be a testament to their straightforwardness. (Personally, I find it refreshing; perhaps I have something to learn from them, and shouldn’t skirt around what I am trying to say as much.)

Regarding what we have discussed in class, Spain has a much higher Uncertainty Avoidance rating than the United States (4). This could be an explanation of, or at least correlate with, the cultural tendency to be more direct; instead of leaving things up in the air, Spaniards are direct to get the point and avoid uncertainty. However, it is crucial to note that defining a culture too strongly by stereotypes is detrimental to appreciating its unique facets and multidimensionality, and thus, these must be taken with a grain of salt.

References

1. https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/work/teach-english-abroad/blog/cultural-differences-between-spain-and-us

2. https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/the-direct-etiquette-of-spain

3. https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/spanish-culture/spanish-culture-communication

4. https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/spain%2Cthe-us

Christopher Columbus and Cristobal Colón: The U.S. vs Spain, by Ainsley Bryer

Christopher Columbus is an important figure in both Spanish and American history. His explorations across the Atlantic Ocean started colonialism in the Western hemisphere, which was a significant period of success for Spain and the start of how the United States came to be. Hundreds of years later, Columbus is still remembered in both countries, rightfully so. However, the American perception of Christopher Columbus is in stark contrast to the image I encountered of Columbus in Spain, an interesting display of cultural differences and a comparison of artifacts in both cultures.

In the United States, Columbus was highly regarded for many years because of his achievements, but he has also received criticism for his actions, especially in relation to indigenous people. The American education system has sometimes said that Columbus ‘discovered’ North America, which is criticized because indigenous people lived in North America long before Columbus sailed. In recent years, Columbus Day, a holiday that celebrated his exploration, has been replaced in favor of Indigenous Peoples Day. Indigenous Peoples Day honors the indigenous peoples of America, recognizing the discrimination they faced over many years. Indigenous Peoples Day is often celebrated on the same day as Columbus Day because the narrative about Columbus is harmful to and ignores the role of indigenous people. In 2021, a U.S. president recognized Indigenous Peoples Day for the first time with a proclamation from President Biden, as reported by NPR. This proclamation shows how the attitude and cultural practices about Columbus have shifted over time.

In contrast to the U.S., Spain displays the memory of Columbus through material artifacts that recognize his importance to Spain. These artifacts are presented in a way that show Columbus as an important figure. In the U.S., people would probably protest their existence and try to remove them, but in Spain, they are even part of tourist attractions. For example, the huevo de Colón is a large sculpture of Columbus in an egg in a park in Sevilla as an homage to his voyages. Additionally, the alleged tomb of Columbus is in Sevilla’s cathedral. The tomb’s placement in the cathedral shows how important Columbus is in Spain because the cathedral is

an important cultural location due to the significance of religion in Spain. Furthermore, as one of the biggest cathedrals in the world, it is a popular tourist location, so many people can see Columbus’s tomb. This difference in the perception of Columbus is presented through artifacts and cultural practices and was an interesting thing to see during my time in Spain.

NPR about Indigenous Peoples Day: https://www.npr.org/2021/10/11/1044823626/indigenous-peoples-day-native-americans-columbus?t=1652221335570

Images show el huevo de Colón and Columbus’s tomb in the Sevilla cathedral

Social life Norway vs Spain, by Karina Helland

One of the things I experienced as the biggest culture difference in Spain is the hospitality and how outgoing Spaniards are. Particularly how people talk to strangers, a good example is at metro. In Norway people are more withdrawn and do not talk to strangers.
Neutral versus emotional culture criterion shows that Norway is among the countries with a neutral culture. A neutral culture means that Norway is a culture which do not show their feelings and their suffering of difficulties. Some extent of restraint is usually a sign of attentiveness on the matter instead of the lack of interest. Where in Spain if you don´t answer or don’t take a big part in the conversation when someone is telling you something it will be considered rude. The Spanish culture is considered to have a high emotionality expressed in voice and gestures, while Norway representatives are more discreet. This is also related to that Norway is an individualistic culture while Spain is a collectivistic culture.
In Norway they tend to protect their privacy. While the representatives of the Spanish culture give access and insight to the private life of a person. I would also say that because of this Spaniard don’t take themselves so seriously and therefore have more fun. You would for example never see a Norwegian dance sober like you see in Feria. Of course, there are a lot of people who are not sober at Feria.

References:

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/seven-dimensions.htm

Everyday Fashion In Spain and the United States, by Ashika Chintalapati

While I have been in Spain, one of the main differences I have noticed all around me is the fashion. The style of clothes people here wear in their daily lives is very different from what I am used to seeing people wear every day back home. I noticed the difference in fashion during the first few days that I arrived in Seville. At first, I thought maybe it was just certain age groups that dressed differently, but after living here for a few months it is very apparent that many people from all different age groups dress nicely here in comparison to the areas of the United States where I have lived. To clarify, the people here tend to look very put together and dress in an elevated manner or more stylishly on a daily basis than what I have previously been exposed to.

Back home, it seems many more people are dressed for comfort rather than style or if they choose to dress for both comfort and style they typically wear athleisure clothing which has recently become very popular in the United States. In Seville, people dress up rather than dress down and also wear many more bright colors and patterns on their clothing as well. This was something I noticed as soon as I walked into the stores in Spain because there was so much more color on the shelves and racks. One of the main places I noticed the difference in the way people dress was while going to school. At many colleges and schools in the United States, it is typical to see students wearing comfy clothes such as sweatpants, leggings, and athleisure clothing to class, sometimes even pajamas. Here in Seville, the students tend to wear more jeans, trousers, skirts, dresses, etc. than I am used to seeing. While casual clothing is seen in Seville sometimes, it is definitely less common. There could be many reasons as to why these differences exist between the everyday fashion of people in these countries, but overall it just comes down to the different cultures. It could possibly be due to how Spain has more of a collectivist culture than the United States whereas the United States has more of an individualistic culture. These factors may impact how people wish for those around them to view them based on the way they present themselves. This would be an interesting thing to study and take a deeper look at.

References

https://www.cultursmag.com/cultural-coexistence-of-dress-and-fashion-in-spain-part-3-of-3/

Comparing Parenting Culture and Curfews in the U.S. and Spain, by Maddie Frame

Something that stood out to me throughout my time here in Spain is the involvement of children in all facets of life— particularly regarding children’s attendance at late dinners and nights out. In her blog, Sunshine and Siestas, Cat Gaa describes her experience with parenting in Sevilla, mentioning that compared to U.S. children, “Spanish children go to bed extremely late.” This is something that shocked me as well. During Feria de Abril this year, I saw several young children in the casetas dancing with their parents past midnight. I also noticed several older children and teenagers out on the fairgrounds with friends until 4 or 5am— they didn’t seem to have a curfew. Brett Hetherington, author of the blog Homage to BCN describes a similar instance in his post ‘Spain: A Parent’s Paradise?’; he mentions seeing a two-year-old child out at a live music club in Barcelona with their parents at 3am. Parents in Spain seem to have a much more relaxed style, and although this may create an inconsistent sleep schedule for a baby or young child, this freedom enables older children and teenagers to become more integrated into the community and establish their own intrinsically-motivated rules and curfews.
In the U.S., the culture surrounding curfews is much different. When going out, parents typically hire a babysitter to watch the child at home. Young children have rigid bedtimes, typically between 7 and 9pm, and older children may have curfews of 10pm, 11pm, or midnight. Although the use of strict rules can provide parents with greater peace-of-mind, it can limit the children’s sense of autonomy. I remember in class we watched a video on a non-traditional scandinavian school that gave children free-reign of a forest, allowing them to learn on their own accords, and it showed how this school was very beneficial to the children’s development. I’m curious if we would see a similar effect with Spain’s relaxed parenting style, and how this may compare to U.S. children growing up with much stricter parenting.
References

https://homagetobcn.com/spain-a-parents-paradise/

http://www.sunshineandsiestas.com/2019/05/15/parenting-spain-vs-usa/

Modes of transportation throughout the city, by Elena Vittori

One of the main things that I was surprised to see about Sevilla was the effectiveness of the numerous modes of transportation throughout the city. Since the first week that I moved to Sevilla I have been able to utilize so many different ways of public transportation throughout the city which I usually wouldn’t have used, neither in the United States or Italy for that matter. It was so interesting for me to experience not only how clean and well kept the public transport is, but also how no matter what, they are always on time, safe and very reliable to use. In Rome it was almost impossible for me to use the metro or the public buses as it was common for them to arrive late and many times not have enough space for everyone. Moreover, my experiences with the metro in Rome have never been pleasant due to the fact that it wouldn’t take you to certain places around the city and it wasn’t always safe to ride. Similarly, when I moved to New York some years ago, I was shocked to see how the metro and buses were terribly kept, and were absolutely unsafe to ride; it is very common to hear on the news about attacks on the metros and on the buses of NYC and to spot rats and other animals in the subways. The incidents in the city have almost been normalized to the point where you hear on the news weekly of people being pushed on the train tracks or stabbed in the metros. There is also a vast population of homeless people and mentally ill people roaming public transportation in New York which has made it extremely unsafe and worrisome for anyone to ride in.

On the other hand, coming to Sevilla has left me extremely pleased to ride in any type of transportation, wether its public bicycles, electric ones, metro or buses. It is amazing to see how every morning and night there are workers cleaning the stations, and see how people are extremely respectful of public transportation means. The use of public bicycles has been very effective and one of my main uses of public transport. Electric bikes are also very well kept and have their own parking lots so they are easy to spot and use which has not been the same experience when I would use them in Rome or NY; in both cities it is common to see abandoned bikes or broken ones which are left anywhere in the streets, making that specific mode of transport ineffective to utilize. Sevilla on the other hand has proved to provide exceptional transportation systems. Additionally, I have been taking the metro every morning to go to university and I have never not felt safe riding there; even after soccer games, the organization of the metro and buses was outstanding as there was no incidents of people being attacked or problems at all; there has always been security and workers managing the flow of people in a very effective manner. Overall it was an interesting culture shock which I was pleased to experience