Danish Families

Denmark:

As I was reading chapter two of the text I started focusing on the family life of the Danish people. Through my research, I found that there is not much difference in the Danish families and the American families. I knew that the Danish and Americans were similar because of Jannie, our exchange student. However, I find that some of the ways of living and child rearing are different. Let us explore!


 Typical Family ( mother, father and two kids)


Like families in America, "most families in Denmark consist of a father, mother and children" (Life in Denmark, 2008). In America, we find that children are starting to live with their parents until they are done with college and often times move back in with their parents after college. In Denmark, it is quite different. At the age of 18 you are considered an adult, like in the US, but more kids move out at that time in Denmark. Many young people live on their own for a number of years until they get married or move in with friends or their partner and have children. Some adults live alone with their children. Many adults and elderly people live alone. At the age of 16 in Denmark, kids are allowed to purchase cigarettes and alcohol. Before these kids are allowed to buy alcohol in restaurants and discotheques, they must be 18 years of age. Also as the age of 18, they become able to borrow money and take the driving test.


This is Jannie and her mother Liz.


In chapter two of the text it discussed the two types of families as individualistic or collective. Denmark falls more on the individualistic side. Since the families are small, they teach children at young ages to be independent. Most children are put in day care at the age of one. Meanwhile, mothers are offered leave time but more often you will see the fathers are more activley involved in child-rearing.However, Denamrk has the highest amount of mother-father earings or dual-earning. This means that both the mother and father both work full time. Even though families are small, they do not rely on teaching of past generations as much as other cultures. Children are taught to be responsible for their own actions.

Life in Denmark. (2008, Oct 13). Retrieved from Children and Young People: http://www.lifein.dk/notes/Children_and_young_people

Adema, W. (2005). Volume 1 Australia, Denmark, and the Netherlands. in Babies and Bosses, Reconciling Work and Family Life. Paris: OECD Publishing.

Kwintessential. (n.d.). Retrieved from Denmark: http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/denmark-country-profile.html